diff --git a/net/mac80211/rate.c b/net/mac80211/rate.c
index 5a5a7767d541..a21110aecd1a 100644
--- a/net/mac80211/rate.c
+++ b/net/mac80211/rate.c
@@ -159,7 +159,6 @@ static struct rate_control_ref *rate_control_alloc(const char *name,
 	ref = kmalloc(sizeof(struct rate_control_ref), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!ref)
 		goto fail_ref;
-	kref_init(&ref->kref);
 	ref->local = local;
 	ref->ops = ieee80211_rate_control_ops_get(name);
 	if (!ref->ops)
@@ -184,11 +183,8 @@ fail_ref:
 	return NULL;
 }
 
-static void rate_control_release(struct kref *kref)
+static void rate_control_free(struct rate_control_ref *ctrl_ref)
 {
-	struct rate_control_ref *ctrl_ref;
-
-	ctrl_ref = container_of(kref, struct rate_control_ref, kref);
 	ctrl_ref->ops->free(ctrl_ref->priv);
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_MAC80211_DEBUGFS
@@ -383,21 +379,10 @@ void rate_control_get_rate(struct ieee80211_sub_if_data *sdata,
 	BUG_ON(info->control.rates[0].idx < 0);
 }
 
-struct rate_control_ref *rate_control_get(struct rate_control_ref *ref)
-{
-	kref_get(&ref->kref);
-	return ref;
-}
-
-void rate_control_put(struct rate_control_ref *ref)
-{
-	kref_put(&ref->kref, rate_control_release);
-}
-
 int ieee80211_init_rate_ctrl_alg(struct ieee80211_local *local,
 				 const char *name)
 {
-	struct rate_control_ref *ref, *old;
+	struct rate_control_ref *ref;
 
 	ASSERT_RTNL();
 
@@ -417,12 +402,8 @@ int ieee80211_init_rate_ctrl_alg(struct ieee80211_local *local,
 		return -ENOENT;
 	}
 
-	old = local->rate_ctrl;
+	WARN_ON(local->rate_ctrl);
 	local->rate_ctrl = ref;
-	if (old) {
-		rate_control_put(old);
-		sta_info_flush(local, NULL);
-	}
 
 	wiphy_debug(local->hw.wiphy, "Selected rate control algorithm '%s'\n",
 		    ref->ops->name);
@@ -440,6 +421,6 @@ void rate_control_deinitialize(struct ieee80211_local *local)
 		return;
 
 	local->rate_ctrl = NULL;
-	rate_control_put(ref);
+	rate_control_free(ref);
 }
 
diff --git a/net/mac80211/rate.h b/net/mac80211/rate.h
index 168427b0ffdc..8268457bd143 100644
--- a/net/mac80211/rate.h
+++ b/net/mac80211/rate.h
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@
 #include <linux/netdevice.h>
 #include <linux/skbuff.h>
 #include <linux/types.h>
-#include <linux/kref.h>
 #include <net/mac80211.h>
 #include "ieee80211_i.h"
 #include "sta_info.h"
@@ -23,14 +22,11 @@ struct rate_control_ref {
 	struct ieee80211_local *local;
 	struct rate_control_ops *ops;
 	void *priv;
-	struct kref kref;
 };
 
 void rate_control_get_rate(struct ieee80211_sub_if_data *sdata,
 			   struct sta_info *sta,
 			   struct ieee80211_tx_rate_control *txrc);
-struct rate_control_ref *rate_control_get(struct rate_control_ref *ref);
-void rate_control_put(struct rate_control_ref *ref);
 
 static inline void rate_control_tx_status(struct ieee80211_local *local,
 					  struct ieee80211_supported_band *sband,
diff --git a/net/mac80211/sta_info.c b/net/mac80211/sta_info.c
index a09000432664..f28fa02b6e54 100644
--- a/net/mac80211/sta_info.c
+++ b/net/mac80211/sta_info.c
@@ -208,10 +208,8 @@ struct sta_info *sta_info_get_by_idx(struct ieee80211_sub_if_data *sdata,
  */
 void sta_info_free(struct ieee80211_local *local, struct sta_info *sta)
 {
-	if (sta->rate_ctrl) {
+	if (sta->rate_ctrl)
 		rate_control_free_sta(sta);
-		rate_control_put(sta->rate_ctrl);
-	}
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_MAC80211_VERBOSE_DEBUG
 	wiphy_debug(local->hw.wiphy, "Destroyed STA %pM\n", sta->sta.addr);
@@ -264,13 +262,11 @@ static int sta_prepare_rate_control(struct ieee80211_local *local,
 	if (local->hw.flags & IEEE80211_HW_HAS_RATE_CONTROL)
 		return 0;
 
-	sta->rate_ctrl = rate_control_get(local->rate_ctrl);
+	sta->rate_ctrl = local->rate_ctrl;
 	sta->rate_ctrl_priv = rate_control_alloc_sta(sta->rate_ctrl,
 						     &sta->sta, gfp);
-	if (!sta->rate_ctrl_priv) {
-		rate_control_put(sta->rate_ctrl);
+	if (!sta->rate_ctrl_priv)
 		return -ENOMEM;
-	}
 
 	return 0;
 }