diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/rt2x00/rt2x00.h b/drivers/net/wireless/rt2x00/rt2x00.h
index 73495f0ee139ff38a342bee64d3d16e143c7eeba..db2dc976d831cdafa75fb060b0576e301dc78bcb 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/rt2x00/rt2x00.h
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/rt2x00/rt2x00.h
@@ -600,6 +600,7 @@ enum rt2x00_flags {
 	DEVICE_STARTED_SUSPEND,
 	DEVICE_ENABLED_RADIO,
 	DEVICE_DISABLED_RADIO_HW,
+	DEVICE_DIRTY_CONFIG,
 
 	/*
 	 * Driver features
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/rt2x00/rt2x00dev.c b/drivers/net/wireless/rt2x00/rt2x00dev.c
index 8c93eb8353b0bc4c2b49d47926b5357263ab20ec..f42283ad7b023b697e4aa9375b5c01557ae54f2b 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/rt2x00/rt2x00dev.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/rt2x00/rt2x00dev.c
@@ -1013,6 +1013,7 @@ int rt2x00lib_start(struct rt2x00_dev *rt2x00dev)
 	rt2x00dev->intf_associated = 0;
 
 	__set_bit(DEVICE_STARTED, &rt2x00dev->flags);
+	__set_bit(DEVICE_DIRTY_CONFIG, &rt2x00dev->flags);
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -1237,9 +1238,9 @@ int rt2x00lib_resume(struct rt2x00_dev *rt2x00dev)
 	/*
 	 * Reconfigure device.
 	 */
-	rt2x00lib_config(rt2x00dev, &rt2x00dev->hw->conf, 1);
-	if (!rt2x00dev->hw->conf.radio_enabled)
-		rt2x00lib_disable_radio(rt2x00dev);
+	retval = rt2x00mac_config(rt2x00dev->hw, &rt2x00dev->hw->conf);
+	if (retval)
+		goto exit;
 
 	/*
 	 * Iterator over each active interface to
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/rt2x00/rt2x00mac.c b/drivers/net/wireless/rt2x00/rt2x00mac.c
index 1f83d5fbf6b018494a1cca0a087b6002f684ea00..042ab00d8bd213beaa803a36dcac49ddc21dc335 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/rt2x00/rt2x00mac.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/rt2x00/rt2x00mac.c
@@ -310,6 +310,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(rt2x00mac_remove_interface);
 int rt2x00mac_config(struct ieee80211_hw *hw, struct ieee80211_conf *conf)
 {
 	struct rt2x00_dev *rt2x00dev = hw->priv;
+	int force_reconfig;
 
 	/*
 	 * Mac80211 might be calling this function while we are trying
@@ -329,7 +330,17 @@ int rt2x00mac_config(struct ieee80211_hw *hw, struct ieee80211_conf *conf)
 			rt2x00lib_toggle_rx(rt2x00dev, STATE_RADIO_RX_OFF);
 	}
 
-	rt2x00lib_config(rt2x00dev, conf, 0);
+	/*
+	 * When the DEVICE_DIRTY_CONFIG flag is set, the device has recently
+	 * been started and the configuration must be forced upon the hardware.
+	 * Otherwise registers will not be intialized correctly and could
+	 * result in non-working hardware because essential registers aren't
+	 * initialized.
+	 */
+	force_reconfig =
+	    __test_and_clear_bit(DEVICE_DIRTY_CONFIG, &rt2x00dev->flags);
+
+	rt2x00lib_config(rt2x00dev, conf, force_reconfig);
 
 	/*
 	 * Reenable RX only if the radio should be on.