diff --git a/include/net/mac80211.h b/include/net/mac80211.h
index 466859b285e1d6d4de4c16a004d3607ea75bc91a..c75b960c8ac8e0e954c400f43c4c163cc360caea 100644
--- a/include/net/mac80211.h
+++ b/include/net/mac80211.h
@@ -1669,6 +1669,8 @@ void ieee80211_restart_hw(struct ieee80211_hw *hw);
  * to this function and ieee80211_rx_irqsafe() may not be mixed for a
  * single hardware.
  *
+ * Note that right now, this function must be called with softirqs disabled.
+ *
  * @hw: the hardware this frame came in on
  * @skb: the buffer to receive, owned by mac80211 after this call
  */
diff --git a/net/mac80211/rx.c b/net/mac80211/rx.c
index 865fbc09be1adbca316e06c44beb485b4a46cef9..7170bf4565a8b9570116e5bcc3abc09d3e05e617 100644
--- a/net/mac80211/rx.c
+++ b/net/mac80211/rx.c
@@ -2453,6 +2453,8 @@ void ieee80211_rx(struct ieee80211_hw *hw, struct sk_buff *skb)
 	struct ieee80211_supported_band *sband;
 	struct ieee80211_rx_status *status = IEEE80211_SKB_RXCB(skb);
 
+	WARN_ON_ONCE(softirq_count() == 0);
+
 	if (WARN_ON(status->band < 0 ||
 		    status->band >= IEEE80211_NUM_BANDS))
 		goto drop;