diff --git a/apps/bttester/src/gap.c b/apps/bttester/src/gap.c
index 030432c37..38cb99ffc 100644
--- a/apps/bttester/src/gap.c
+++ b/apps/bttester/src/gap.c
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ const uint8_t irk[16] = {
 struct hal_timer conn_param_update_timer;
 #endif
 static atomic_t current_settings;
-static u8_t own_addr_type = BLE_OWN_ADDR_PUBLIC;
+u8_t own_addr_type;
 static ble_addr_t peer_id_addr;
 static ble_addr_t peer_ota_addr;
 static bool encrypted = false;
@@ -112,6 +112,18 @@ static void controller_index_list(u8_t *data,  u16_t len)
 		    BTP_INDEX_NONE, (u8_t *) rp, sizeof(buf));
 }
 
+static int check_pub_addr_unassigned(void)
+{
+#ifdef ARCH_sim
+	return 0;
+#else
+	uint8_t zero_addr[BLE_DEV_ADDR_LEN] = { 0 };
+
+	return memcmp(MYNEWT_VAL(BLE_PUBLIC_DEV_ADDR),
+		      zero_addr, BLE_DEV_ADDR_LEN) == 0;
+#endif
+}
+
 static void controller_info(u8_t *data, u16_t len)
 {
 	struct gap_read_controller_info_rp rp;
@@ -137,8 +149,17 @@ static void controller_info(u8_t *data, u16_t len)
 		supported_settings |= BIT(GAP_SETTINGS_PRIVACY);
 		memcpy(rp.address, addr.val, sizeof(rp.address));
 	} else {
-		memcpy(rp.address, MYNEWT_VAL(BLE_PUBLIC_DEV_ADDR),
-		       sizeof(rp.address));
+		if (check_pub_addr_unassigned()) {
+			own_addr_type = BLE_OWN_ADDR_RANDOM;
+			memcpy(rp.address, addr.val, sizeof(rp.address));
+			supported_settings |= BIT(GAP_SETTINGS_STATIC_ADDRESS);
+			atomic_set_bit(&current_settings,
+				       GAP_SETTINGS_STATIC_ADDRESS);
+		} else {
+			own_addr_type = BLE_OWN_ADDR_PUBLIC;
+			memcpy(rp.address, MYNEWT_VAL(BLE_PUBLIC_DEV_ADDR),
+			       sizeof(rp.address));
+		}
 	}
 
 	ble_hs_cfg.sm_mitm = 0;
diff --git a/apps/bttester/src/mesh.c b/apps/bttester/src/mesh.c
index 8a8411cdb..ad428ade9 100644
--- a/apps/bttester/src/mesh.c
+++ b/apps/bttester/src/mesh.c
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@
 
 #include "bttester.h"
 
+extern u8_t own_addr_type;
+
 #define CONTROLLER_INDEX 0
 #define CID_LOCAL 0xffff
 
@@ -433,7 +435,7 @@ static void init(u8_t *data, u16_t len)
 
 	SYS_LOG_DBG("");
 
-	err = bt_mesh_init(0, &prov, &comp);
+	err = bt_mesh_init(own_addr_type, &prov, &comp);
 	if (err) {
 		status = BTP_STATUS_FAILED;
 
diff --git a/apps/bttester/syscfg.yml b/apps/bttester/syscfg.yml
index ceda26906..c420e0398 100644
--- a/apps/bttester/syscfg.yml
+++ b/apps/bttester/syscfg.yml
@@ -61,7 +61,6 @@ syscfg.vals:
     SHELL_NEWTMGR: 0
     LOG_LEVEL: 1
     MSYS_1_BLOCK_COUNT: 48
-    BLE_PUBLIC_DEV_ADDR: "((uint8_t[6]){0x66, 0x55, 0x44, 0x33, 0x22, 0x11})"
 
     BLE_MONITOR_RTT: 1
     CONSOLE_RTT: 0