diff --git a/net/wireless/mlme.c b/net/wireless/mlme.c
index dd6f79d7bd2e..bfac5e186f57 100644
--- a/net/wireless/mlme.c
+++ b/net/wireless/mlme.c
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ void cfg80211_rx_assoc_resp(struct net_device *dev, struct cfg80211_bss *bss,
 	 * frame instead of reassoc.
 	 */
 	if (cfg80211_sme_rx_assoc_resp(wdev, status_code)) {
+		cfg80211_unhold_bss(bss_from_pub(bss));
 		cfg80211_put_bss(wiphy, bss);
 		return;
 	}
@@ -142,6 +143,7 @@ void cfg80211_assoc_timeout(struct net_device *dev, struct cfg80211_bss *bss)
 	nl80211_send_assoc_timeout(rdev, dev, bss->bssid, GFP_KERNEL);
 	cfg80211_sme_assoc_timeout(wdev);
 
+	cfg80211_unhold_bss(bss_from_pub(bss));
 	cfg80211_put_bss(wiphy, bss);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(cfg80211_assoc_timeout);
@@ -309,6 +311,8 @@ int cfg80211_mlme_assoc(struct cfg80211_registered_device *rdev,
 		goto out;
 
 	err = rdev_assoc(rdev, dev, req);
+	if (!err)
+		cfg80211_hold_bss(bss_from_pub(req->bss));
 
 out:
 	if (err)
diff --git a/net/wireless/sme.c b/net/wireless/sme.c
index ae7e2cbf45cb..c0bf781d4fbe 100644
--- a/net/wireless/sme.c
+++ b/net/wireless/sme.c
@@ -615,19 +615,24 @@ void __cfg80211_connect_result(struct net_device *dev, const u8 *bssid,
 		kfree(wdev->connect_keys);
 		wdev->connect_keys = NULL;
 		wdev->ssid_len = 0;
-		cfg80211_put_bss(wdev->wiphy, bss);
+		if (bss) {
+			cfg80211_unhold_bss(bss_from_pub(bss));
+			cfg80211_put_bss(wdev->wiphy, bss);
+		}
 		return;
 	}
 
-	if (!bss)
+	if (!bss) {
+		WARN_ON_ONCE(!wiphy_to_dev(wdev->wiphy)->ops->connect);
 		bss = cfg80211_get_bss(wdev->wiphy, NULL, bssid,
 				       wdev->ssid, wdev->ssid_len,
 				       WLAN_CAPABILITY_ESS,
 				       WLAN_CAPABILITY_ESS);
-	if (WARN_ON(!bss))
-		return;
+		if (WARN_ON(!bss))
+			return;
+		cfg80211_hold_bss(bss_from_pub(bss));
+	}
 
-	cfg80211_hold_bss(bss_from_pub(bss));
 	wdev->current_bss = bss_from_pub(bss);
 
 	cfg80211_upload_connect_keys(wdev);