A method, apparatus and computer program product for providing wireless control plane failover handling in a split-plane deployment is presented. A first AP in a split-plane deployment detects failure of a Wireless Control Plane (WCP) device. The first AP hides an SSID in beacons broadcast by the first AP. The first AP stores information for existing Mobile Units (MUs) that dissociate after the detection of the failure of the WCP device. The first AP will respond to probes from existing MUs; and also respond to probes from MUs that have their information stored in the AP, such that the first AP appears hidden from new MUs while being exposed to existing MUs.