diff --git a/components/wifi/esp8266-driver/ESP8266Interface.cpp b/components/wifi/esp8266-driver/ESP8266Interface.cpp
index 8c83e2aaba..b438b43af3 100644
--- a/components/wifi/esp8266-driver/ESP8266Interface.cpp
+++ b/components/wifi/esp8266-driver/ESP8266Interface.cpp
@@ -715,6 +715,7 @@ nsapi_error_t ESP8266Interface::_init(void)
         if (!_esp.startup(ESP8266::WIFIMODE_STATION)) {
             return NSAPI_ERROR_DEVICE_ERROR;
         }
+#if MBED_CONF_ESP8266_SNTP_ENABLE
         if (!_esp.set_sntp_config(MBED_CONF_ESP8266_SNTP_ENABLE,
                                   MBED_CONF_ESP8266_SNTP_TIMEZONE,
                                   MBED_CONF_ESP8266_SNTP_SERVER0,
@@ -722,6 +723,7 @@ nsapi_error_t ESP8266Interface::_init(void)
                                   MBED_CONF_ESP8266_SNTP_SERVER2)) {
             return NSAPI_ERROR_DEVICE_ERROR;
         }
+#endif
         _initialized = true;
     }
     return NSAPI_ERROR_OK;
diff --git a/components/wifi/esp8266-driver/mbed_lib.json b/components/wifi/esp8266-driver/mbed_lib.json
index ccf91b6a49..6eefffc00f 100644
--- a/components/wifi/esp8266-driver/mbed_lib.json
+++ b/components/wifi/esp8266-driver/mbed_lib.json
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@
             "value": false
         },
         "sntp-enable": {
-            "help": "Enable SNTP. This allows application to use get_sntp_time()",
+            "help": "Enable SNTP. This allows application to use get_sntp_time(). Only available from ESP8266 AT v1.5. This driver supports v1.7 and higher.",
             "value": false
         },
         "sntp-timezone": {