diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index e20fbe4..e0b9fc1 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 build
 .vscode
 .trunk
+.idea/
diff --git a/cli/node_dev.c b/cli/node_dev.c
index c057adb..77c4b28 100644
--- a/cli/node_dev.c
+++ b/cli/node_dev.c
@@ -556,7 +556,7 @@ void uart1_set_data_callback(struct ush_object *self, struct ush_file_descriptor
 
 // dev directory files descriptor
 static const struct ush_file_descriptor dev_files[] = {
-#if HW_USE_ONBOARD_LED && !defined(USING_PICOW)
+#if HW_USE_ONBOARD_LED
     {
         .name = "led",                          // file name (required)
         .description = "onboard LED",           // optional file description
diff --git a/hardware/rp2040/hardware_config.c b/hardware/rp2040/hardware_config.c
index c4052b4..7a55447 100644
--- a/hardware/rp2040/hardware_config.c
+++ b/hardware/rp2040/hardware_config.c
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include "hardware_config.h"
 
+#ifdef USING_CYW43
+#include "pico/cyw43_arch.h"
+#endif
 
 void hardware_init(void) {
     // mutexes for accessing hardware peripherals (created within each hw init function)
@@ -33,6 +36,17 @@ void hardware_init(void) {
     // initialize the uart for cli/microshell first for status prints
     cli_uart_init();
 
+    // on pico w, we need to initialize the wifi chip
+#ifdef USING_CYW43
+    if(cyw43_arch_init()) {
+        uart_puts(UART_ID_CLI, timestamp());
+        uart_puts(UART_ID_CLI, "Failed to initialize CYW43 hardware.\r\n");
+    } else {
+        uart_puts(UART_ID_CLI, timestamp());
+        uart_puts(UART_ID_CLI, "Initialized onboard wireless module\r\n");
+    }
+#endif
+
     // get the last reset reason string
     char *reset_reason_string = get_reset_reason_string();
 
@@ -66,7 +80,7 @@ void hardware_init(void) {
     }
 
     // initialize the onboard LED gpio (if not a Pico W board)
-    if (HW_USE_ONBOARD_LED && strcmp(xstr(BOARD), "pico_w") != 0) {
+    if (HW_USE_ONBOARD_LED) {
         onboard_led_init();
         uart_puts(UART_ID_CLI, "led ");
     }
diff --git a/hardware/rp2040/onboard_led.c b/hardware/rp2040/onboard_led.c
index 00f15c0..197a0a8 100644
--- a/hardware/rp2040/onboard_led.c
+++ b/hardware/rp2040/onboard_led.c
@@ -19,6 +19,21 @@
 #include "pico/stdlib.h"
 
 
+#ifdef USING_CYW43
+#include "pico/cyw43_arch.h"
+
+void onboard_led_init(void) {
+    // no work to do with CYW43 LED pin
+}
+
+void onboard_led_set(bool led_state) {
+    cyw43_arch_gpio_put(CYW43_WL_GPIO_LED_PIN, led_state);
+}
+
+bool onboard_led_get(void) {
+    return cyw43_arch_gpio_get(CYW43_WL_GPIO_LED_PIN);
+}
+#else
 void onboard_led_init(void) {
     gpio_init(PIN_NO_ONBOARD_LED);
     gpio_set_dir(PIN_NO_ONBOARD_LED, GPIO_OUT);
@@ -30,4 +45,5 @@ void onboard_led_set(bool led_state) {
 
 bool onboard_led_get(void) {
     return gpio_get(PIN_NO_ONBOARD_LED);
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
+#endif
diff --git a/hardware/rp2040/prebuild.cmake b/hardware/rp2040/prebuild.cmake
index 8434d56..917051a 100644
--- a/hardware/rp2040/prebuild.cmake
+++ b/hardware/rp2040/prebuild.cmake
@@ -7,5 +7,6 @@ set(hardware_includes ${hardware_dir})
 set(hardware_libs "pico_unique_id" "pico_stdlib")
 
 if(PICO_BOARD STREQUAL "pico_w")
-    list(APPEND hardware_libs "pico_cyw43_arch_none")
+    list(APPEND hardware_libs pico_cyw43_arch_none)
+    add_compile_definitions(USING_CYW43)
 endif()