A novel adaptive current controller for DFIG-based wind turbines is introduced in this paper. The attractiveness of the proposed strategy results from its ability to actively estimate and actively compensate for the plant dynamics and external disturbances in real time. Thus, the control strategy can successfully drive the rotor current to track the reference value, ensuring that the performance degradation caused by grid disturbances, cross-coupling terms and parameter uncertainties can be successfully suppressed. Besides, the two-parameter tuning feature makes the control strategy practical and easy to implement in commercial wind turbines. To quantify the controller performances, the transfer function description of the controller is derived. General disturbance rejection, robustness against parameter uncertainties, bandwidth and stability are also addressed. Simulation results, together with the time-domain responses, proved the stability and the strong robustness of the control system against parameter uncertainties and grid disturbances. Significant tracking and disturbance rejection performances are achieved. Crown Copyright (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.