esp-idf: WiFi fails to reconnect after AP reappears (IDFGH-1412)

This seems so blindingly obvious, that I seriously doubt it’s a bug, maybe API usage issue, but anyway. ESP32 fails to reconnect to AP after it goes away and comes back. My code invoked wifi_connect() immediately on getting SYSTEM_EVENT_STA_DISCONNECTED (for any reason), but it just sits there, in a reason 201 loop:

[Jun 27 23:51:06.901] mgos_wifi_set_mode   WiFi mode: STA
[Jun 27 23:51:06.907] E (4042) wifi: esp_wifi_set_mode 774 wifi is not init
[Jun 27 23:51:06.932] I (4042) wifi: wifi firmware version: bf86460
[Jun 27 23:51:06.932] I (4052) wifi: config NVS flash: enabled
[Jun 27 23:51:06.932] I (4052) wifi: config nano formating: disabled
[Jun 27 23:51:06.932] I (4062) system_api: Base MAC address is not set, read default base MAC address from BLK0 of EFUSE
[Jun 27 23:51:06.932] I (4062) system_api: Base MAC address is not set, read default base MAC address from BLK0 of EFUSE
[Jun 27 23:51:06.945] I (4072) wifi: Init dynamic tx buffer num: 32
[Jun 27 23:51:06.951] I (4082) wifi: Init dynamic rx buffer num: 64
[Jun 27 23:51:06.958] I (4092) wifi: wifi driver task: 3ffbd7d0, prio:23, stack:4096
[Jun 27 23:51:06.969] I (4102) wifi: Init static rx buffer num: 10
[Jun 27 23:51:06.969] I (4102) wifi: Init dynamic rx buffer num: 0
[Jun 27 23:51:06.974] I (4112) wifi: Init rx ampdu len mblock:7
[Jun 27 23:51:06.981] I (4112) wifi: Init lldesc rx ampdu entry mblock:4
[Jun 27 23:51:06.989] I (4122) wifi: wifi power manager task: 0x3ffd022c prio: 21 stack: 2560
[Jun 27 23:51:06.996] E (4132) wifi: esp_wifi_connect 816 wifi not start
[Jun 27 23:51:07.004] I (4132) wifi: wifi timer task: 3ffd12b0, prio:22, stack:3584
[Jun 27 23:51:07.034] I (4162) phy: phy_version: 355.1, 59464c5, Jun 14 2017, 20:25:06, 0, 0
[Jun 27 23:51:07.034] I (4162) wifi: mode : sta (24:0a:c4:05:6b:8c)
[Jun 27 23:51:07.039] event_handler        event: 2
[Jun 27 23:51:07.047] mgos_wifi_setup_sta  WiFi STA: Connecting to 10000_Internets
...
[Jun 27 23:51:08.377] I (5512) wifi: n:11 0, o:1 0, ap:255 255, sta:11 0, prof:1
[Jun 27 23:51:09.228] I (6362) wifi: state: init -> auth (b0)
[Jun 27 23:51:09.274] blink_timer_cb       Tock
[Jun 27 23:51:09.343] I (6482) wifi: state: auth -> assoc (0)
[Jun 27 23:51:09.426] I (6562) wifi: state: assoc -> run (10)
[Jun 27 23:51:09.482] I (6612) wifi: connected with 10000_Internets, channel 11
[Jun 27 23:51:09.488] mgos_wifi_on_change_ Wifi: connected
[Jun 27 23:51:09.540] I (6662) event: ip: 192.168.43.99, mask: 255.255.255.0, gw: 192.168.43.1
[Jun 27 23:51:09.540] mgos_wifi_on_change_ WiFi: ready, IP 192.168.43.99, DNS 192.168.43.1

so far so good. now i turn off the AP:

[Jun 27 23:51:22.981] I (20112) wifi: state: run -> auth (3a0)
[Jun 27 23:51:22.988] I (20122) wifi: n:11 0, o:11 0, ap:255 255, sta:11 0, prof:1
[Jun 27 23:51:22.996] esp32_wifi_ev        WiFi STA: disconnected, reason 3; reconnecting
[Jun 27 23:51:23.004] I (20142) wifi: pm stop, total sleep time: 0/3568492
[Jun 27 23:51:23.004] 
[Jun 27 23:51:23.009] mgos_wifi_on_change_ Wifi: disconnected
[Jun 27 23:51:24.697] esp32_wifi_ev        WiFi STA: disconnected, reason 201; reconnecting
[Jun 27 23:51:24.704] mgos_wifi_on_change_ Wifi: disconnected
[Jun 27 23:51:26.396] esp32_wifi_ev        WiFi STA: disconnected, reason 201; reconnecting
[Jun 27 23:51:26.403] mgos_wifi_on_change_ Wifi: disconnected

when i turn the AP back on, there’s no reaction from the ESP, it just keeps looping, no new wifi messages appear.

so, the question is: is calling wifi_connect() the right thing to do if i want station to stay connected with the same configuration?