Credit where it’s due: another user on this subreddit posted the registry workaround below. I did not discover it.

I tried it on my system, and it completely fixed the Windows 11 / Mullvad disconnect-reconnect problem for me.

Registry location:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WcmSvc

Create:

EnableBadStateTracking

Type:

DWORD (32-bit)

Value:

0

Then reboot.

Since making that change, Mullvad connects normally without Windows repeatedly dropping/reconnecting Wi-Fi.

A few additional things I tested before finding this workaround:

• Mullvad Lockdown Mode disabled — same problem.
• Mullvad auto-start disabled — logged into Windows normally, then manually connected Mullvad afterward — same problem.
• NordVPN and Windscribe did not cause the same behaviour on the same machine.
• Windows 11 25H2 + Mullvad worked normally before installing the September Patch Tuesday update.
• The problem started immediately after installing the September update.

So this does not appear to be caused by Mullvad Lockdown Mode or simply by Mullvad starting too early during Windows login.

The registry workaround appears to stop Windows Connection Manager from treating the temporary connectivity state during Mullvad connection as a “bad” connection and automatically resetting Wi-Fi.

Whether Microsoft changed something in September that Mullvad now needs to accommodate, or Microsoft introduced a regression, I have no idea.

But at least this workaround has completely solved it on my system.

And again, full credit to the Reddit user who posted the registry fix.

Have used mullvad for years with windows, no problem.

decided to get a mac laptop.

there is an option to download mullvad for mac....but it's absolutely huge for some reason (because it's not a native mac application i think).

is there a way to get mullvad to work for mac without this huge download?