Bluetooth showing up as AA:AA:AA:AA:AA:AA on Pi 3B

Creating a bug report/issue

I have searched the existing open and closed issues

Required Information

  • DietPi version | cat /boot/dietpi/.version
    G_DIETPI_VERSION_CORE=10
    G_DIETPI_VERSION_SUB=4
    G_DIETPI_VERSION_RC=2
    G_GITBRANCH=‘master’
    G_GITOWNER=‘MichaIng’
  • Distro version | echo $G_DISTRO_NAME $G_RASPBIAN
    trixie 0
  • Kernel version | uname --all
    Linux p3 6.18.29+rpt-rpi-v8 #1 SMP PREEMPT Debian 1:6.18.29-1+rpt1 (2026-05-12) aarch64 GNU/Linux
  • Architecture | dpkg --print-architecture
    arm64
  • SBC model | echo $G_HW_MODEL_NAME or (EG: RPi3)
    RPi 3 Model B (aarch64).
  • Power supply used | (EG: 5V 1A RAVpower)
    Original Power Supply
  • SD card used | (EG: SanDisk ultra)
    Sandisk 64GB - Lexar 64GB

Additional Information (if applicable)

  • Software title | bluetoothctl
  • Was the software title installed freshly or updated/migrated?
    Freshly installed
  • Can this issue be replicated on a fresh installation of DietPi?
    yes
  • Bug report ID | echo $G_HW_UUID

Steps to reproduce

Install DietPI, latest version, on a Raspberry PI3B

Install bluetooth and basic commands

apt install -y vim less lrzsz bluez bluez-tools pulseaudio pulseaudio-module-bluetooth mpg123

And just open bluetoothctl:

root@p3:~# bluetoothctl
hci0 new_settings: powered bondable ssp br/edr le secure-conn
Agent registered
[CHG] Controller AA:AA:AA:AA:AA:AA Pairable: yes
[bluetoothctl]>

The controller shows up as AA:AA:AA:AA:AA:AA and its not working.

root@p3:~# hciconfig -a
hci0: Type: Primary Bus: UART
BD Address: AA:AA:AA:AA:AA:AA ACL MTU: 1021:8 SCO MTU: 64:1
UP RUNNING
RX bytes:1380 acl:0 sco:0 events:60 errors:0
TX bytes:3214 acl:0 sco:0 commands:60 errors:0
Features: 0xbf 0xfe 0xcf 0xfe 0xdb 0xff 0x7b 0x87
Packet type: DM1 DM3 DM5 DH1 DH3 DH5 HV1 HV2 HV3
Link policy: RSWITCH SNIFF
Link mode: PERIPHERAL ACCEPT
Name: ‘p3’
Class: 0x000000
Service Classes: Unspecified
Device Class: Miscellaneous,
HCI Version: 4.1 (0x7) Revision: 0x0
LMP Version: 4.1 (0x7) Subversion: 0x2209
Manufacturer: Broadcom Corporation (15)

Bluetooth is NOT working, scan on does not produce any output, so does connect and any other command.

Expected behaviour

It should show its onwn correct mac address and it should work normally

Actual behaviour

Bluetooth does not work and it shows up with AA:AA:AA:AA:AA:AA as mac address

Extra details

It did work on this exact board with a previous install. Also, I did reinstall twice on two different SD Cards of two different brands.

I tried with the official raspbian lite image using the official Raspberry Pi Imager and it works without issues

root@p3:~# hciconfig -a
hci0: Type: Primary Bus: UART
BD Address: B8:27:EB:51:F4:D6 ACL MTU: 1021:8 SCO MTU: 64:1
DOWN
RX bytes:2149 acl:0 sco:0 events:169 errors:0
TX bytes:30660 acl:0 sco:0 commands:169 errors:0
Features: 0xbf 0xfe 0xcf 0xfe 0xdb 0xff 0x7b 0x87
Packet type: DM1 DM3 DM5 DH1 DH3 DH5 HV1 HV2 HV3
Link policy: RSWITCH SNIFF
Link mode: PERIPHERAL ACCEPT

Bluetoothctl works fine as well

root@p3:~# bluetoothctl
Agent registered
hci0 new_settings: bondable ssp br/edr le secure-conn
[CHG] Controller B8:27:EB:51:F4:D6 Pairable: yes
[bluetoothctl]>

There are some links online with a bug from many years ago with this behaviour with a downgrade as a solution and recent one of one sincle person on ubuntu 25 with a similar problem and no solution.

Can you try an activate it via dietpi-config? There you can also deactivate serial console, which probably “steals” Bluetooth UART.