diff --git a/src/mesh/helper/mesh-helper.cc b/src/mesh/helper/mesh-helper.cc
index 17914f88c..74a60abd6 100644
--- a/src/mesh/helper/mesh-helper.cc
+++ b/src/mesh/helper/mesh-helper.cc
@@ -186,7 +186,10 @@ MeshHelper::CreateInterface (const WifiPhyHelper &phyHelper, Ptr<Node> node, uin
       return device;
     }
 
-  Ptr<MeshWifiInterfaceMac> mac = m_mac.Create<MeshWifiInterfaceMac> ();
+  // this is a const method, but we need to force the correct QoS setting
+  ObjectFactory macObjectFactory = m_mac;
+  macObjectFactory.Set ("QosSupported", BooleanValue (true));  // a mesh station is a QoS station
+  Ptr<MeshWifiInterfaceMac> mac = macObjectFactory.Create<MeshWifiInterfaceMac> ();
   NS_ASSERT (mac != 0);
   mac->SetSsid (Ssid ());
   mac->SetDevice (device);
diff --git a/src/mesh/model/mesh-wifi-interface-mac.cc b/src/mesh/model/mesh-wifi-interface-mac.cc
index d4d996415..bbd92af0c 100644
--- a/src/mesh/model/mesh-wifi-interface-mac.cc
+++ b/src/mesh/model/mesh-wifi-interface-mac.cc
@@ -540,7 +540,7 @@ MeshWifiInterfaceMac::ResetStats ()
 void
 MeshWifiInterfaceMac::ConfigureStandard (enum WifiStandard standard)
 {
-  SetQosSupported (true);  // a mesh station is a QoS station
+  NS_ABORT_IF (!GetQosSupported ());
   RegularWifiMac::ConfigureStandard (standard);
   m_standard = standard;
 
diff --git a/src/wifi/helper/wifi-mac-helper.cc b/src/wifi/helper/wifi-mac-helper.cc
index 9a055e0ff..a26862cc7 100644
--- a/src/wifi/helper/wifi-mac-helper.cc
+++ b/src/wifi/helper/wifi-mac-helper.cc
@@ -30,9 +30,8 @@ namespace ns3 {
 
 WifiMacHelper::WifiMacHelper ()
 {
-  //By default, we create an AdHoc MAC layer without QoS.
-  SetType ("ns3::AdhocWifiMac",
-           "QosSupported", BooleanValue (false));
+  //By default, we create an AdHoc MAC layer (without QoS).
+  SetType ("ns3::AdhocWifiMac");
 
   m_protectionManager.SetTypeId ("ns3::WifiDefaultProtectionManager");
   m_ackManager.SetTypeId ("ns3::WifiDefaultAckManager");
@@ -48,7 +47,14 @@ WifiMacHelper::Create (Ptr<NetDevice> device, WifiStandard standard) const
   auto standardIt = wifiStandards.find (standard);
   NS_ABORT_MSG_IF (standardIt == wifiStandards.end (), "Selected standard is not defined!");
 
-  Ptr<WifiMac> mac = m_mac.Create<WifiMac> ();
+  // this is a const method, but we need to force the correct QoS setting
+  ObjectFactory macObjectFactory = m_mac;
+  if (standard >= WIFI_STANDARD_80211n_2_4GHZ)
+    {
+      macObjectFactory.Set ("QosSupported", BooleanValue (true));
+    }
+
+  Ptr<WifiMac> mac = macObjectFactory.Create<WifiMac> ();
   mac->SetDevice (device);
   mac->SetAddress (Mac48Address::Allocate ());
   mac->ConfigureStandard (standard);
diff --git a/src/wifi/model/regular-wifi-mac.cc b/src/wifi/model/regular-wifi-mac.cc
index 58375f5d3..c63d973bb 100644
--- a/src/wifi/model/regular-wifi-mac.cc
+++ b/src/wifi/model/regular-wifi-mac.cc
@@ -1115,7 +1115,7 @@ RegularWifiMac::ConfigureStandard (WifiStandard standard)
     case WIFI_STANDARD_80211ax_5GHZ:
     case WIFI_STANDARD_80211ax_6GHZ:
       {
-        SetQosSupported (true);
+        NS_ABORT_IF (!m_qosSupported);
         cwmin = 15;
         cwmax = 1023;
         break;
@@ -1123,7 +1123,7 @@ RegularWifiMac::ConfigureStandard (WifiStandard standard)
     case WIFI_STANDARD_80211ax_2_4GHZ:
     case WIFI_STANDARD_80211n_2_4GHZ:
       {
-        SetQosSupported (true);
+        NS_ABORT_IF (!m_qosSupported);
       }
     case WIFI_STANDARD_80211g:
       SetErpSupported (true);
diff --git a/src/wifi/test/wifi-aggregation-test.cc b/src/wifi/test/wifi-aggregation-test.cc
index bddb979ca..378266439 100644
--- a/src/wifi/test/wifi-aggregation-test.cc
+++ b/src/wifi/test/wifi-aggregation-test.cc
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ AmpduAggregationTest::DoRun (void)
   /*
    * Create and configure mac layer.
    */
-  m_mac = CreateObject<StaWifiMac> ();
+  m_mac = CreateObjectWithAttributes<StaWifiMac> ("QosSupported", BooleanValue (true));
   m_mac->SetDevice (m_device);
   m_mac->SetWifiRemoteStationManager (m_manager);
   m_mac->SetAddress (Mac48Address ("00:00:00:00:00:01"));
@@ -370,7 +370,7 @@ TwoLevelAggregationTest::DoRun (void)
   /*
    * Create and configure mac layer.
    */
-  m_mac = CreateObject<StaWifiMac> ();
+  m_mac = CreateObjectWithAttributes<StaWifiMac> ("QosSupported", BooleanValue (true));
   m_mac->SetDevice (m_device);
   m_mac->SetWifiRemoteStationManager (m_manager);
   m_mac->SetAddress (Mac48Address ("00:00:00:00:00:01"));
@@ -605,7 +605,7 @@ HeAggregationTest::DoRunSubTest (uint16_t bufferSize)
   /*
    * Create and configure mac layer.
    */
-  m_mac = CreateObject<StaWifiMac> ();
+  m_mac = CreateObjectWithAttributes<StaWifiMac> ("QosSupported", BooleanValue (true));
   m_mac->SetDevice (m_device);
   m_mac->SetWifiRemoteStationManager (m_manager);
   m_mac->SetAddress (Mac48Address ("00:00:00:00:00:01"));
diff --git a/src/wifi/test/wifi-test.cc b/src/wifi/test/wifi-test.cc
index efae16596..57d2cbe50 100644
--- a/src/wifi/test/wifi-test.cc
+++ b/src/wifi/test/wifi-test.cc
@@ -1723,6 +1723,7 @@ Bug2831TestCase::DoRun (void)
   ObjectFactory mac;
   mac.SetTypeId ("ns3::ApWifiMac");
   mac.Set ("EnableBeaconJitter", BooleanValue (false));
+  mac.Set ("QosSupported", BooleanValue (true));
   Ptr<RegularWifiMac> apMac = mac.Create<RegularWifiMac> ();
   apMac->SetDevice (apDev);
   apMac->SetAddress (Mac48Address::Allocate ());