diff --git a/net/wireless/scan.c b/net/wireless/scan.c
index 5ca8c7180141d8dc9bc43d607eb26395cd0268bf..503ebb86ba1836f5d2c8709c75bae5eff83c5de6 100644
--- a/net/wireless/scan.c
+++ b/net/wireless/scan.c
@@ -650,14 +650,14 @@ void cfg80211_unlink_bss(struct wiphy *wiphy, struct cfg80211_bss *pub)
 	bss = container_of(pub, struct cfg80211_internal_bss, pub);
 
 	spin_lock_bh(&dev->bss_lock);
+	if (!list_empty(&bss->list)) {
+		list_del_init(&bss->list);
+		dev->bss_generation++;
+		rb_erase(&bss->rbn, &dev->bss_tree);
 
-	list_del(&bss->list);
-	dev->bss_generation++;
-	rb_erase(&bss->rbn, &dev->bss_tree);
-
+		kref_put(&bss->ref, bss_release);
+	}
 	spin_unlock_bh(&dev->bss_lock);
-
-	kref_put(&bss->ref, bss_release);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(cfg80211_unlink_bss);