diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/quantenna/qtnfmac/pearl/pcie.c b/drivers/net/wireless/quantenna/qtnfmac/pearl/pcie.c
index f117904d9120564035dff4e27cc242f72fe95fc9..6c1e139bb8f7731d76225560ab271d27e7bbf15b 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/quantenna/qtnfmac/pearl/pcie.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/quantenna/qtnfmac/pearl/pcie.c
@@ -1185,6 +1185,10 @@ static void qtnf_fw_work_handler(struct work_struct *work)
 	if (qtnf_poll_state(&priv->bda->bda_ep_state, QTN_EP_FW_LOADRDY,
 			    QTN_FW_DL_TIMEOUT_MS)) {
 		pr_err("card is not ready\n");
+
+		if (!flashboot)
+			release_firmware(fw);
+
 		goto fw_load_fail;
 	}