diff --git a/include/net/cfg80211.h b/include/net/cfg80211.h
index e3a39fc9a29603ef9123d135263e386ae1b13d21..7b0730aeb892621abc6419ec9c345b141e184b71 100644
--- a/include/net/cfg80211.h
+++ b/include/net/cfg80211.h
@@ -1459,7 +1459,8 @@ const u8 *ieee80211_bss_get_ie(struct cfg80211_bss *bss, u8 ie);
  * This structure provides information needed to complete IEEE 802.11
  * authentication.
  *
- * @bss: The BSS to authenticate with.
+ * @bss: The BSS to authenticate with, the callee must obtain a reference
+ *	to it if it needs to keep it.
  * @auth_type: Authentication type (algorithm)
  * @ie: Extra IEs to add to Authentication frame or %NULL
  * @ie_len: Length of ie buffer in octets
@@ -1497,11 +1498,10 @@ enum cfg80211_assoc_req_flags {
  *
  * This structure provides information needed to complete IEEE 802.11
  * (re)association.
- * @bss: The BSS to associate with. If the call is successful the driver
- *	is given a reference that it must release, normally via a call to
- *	cfg80211_send_rx_assoc(), or, if association timed out, with a
- *	call to cfg80211_put_bss() (in addition to calling
- *	cfg80211_send_assoc_timeout())
+ * @bss: The BSS to associate with. If the call is successful the driver is
+ *	given a reference that it must give back to cfg80211_send_rx_assoc()
+ *	or to cfg80211_assoc_timeout(). To ensure proper refcounting, new
+ *	association requests while already associating must be rejected.
  * @ie: Extra IEs to add to (Re)Association Request frame or %NULL
  * @ie_len: Length of ie buffer in octets
  * @use_mfp: Use management frame protection (IEEE 802.11w) in this association
@@ -3522,11 +3522,11 @@ void cfg80211_rx_assoc_resp(struct net_device *dev,
 /**
  * cfg80211_assoc_timeout - notification of timed out association
  * @dev: network device
- * @addr: The MAC address of the device with which the association timed out
+ * @bss: The BSS entry with which association timed out.
  *
  * This function may sleep. The caller must hold the corresponding wdev's mutex.
  */
-void cfg80211_assoc_timeout(struct net_device *dev, const u8 *addr);
+void cfg80211_assoc_timeout(struct net_device *dev, struct cfg80211_bss *bss);
 
 /**
  * cfg80211_tx_mlme_mgmt - notification of transmitted deauth/disassoc frame
diff --git a/net/mac80211/mlme.c b/net/mac80211/mlme.c
index 34d54fe8148398826dcd80041556b8c4231fb050..ae31968d42d3b855eebe05dcf0e660b4d367ff8f 100644
--- a/net/mac80211/mlme.c
+++ b/net/mac80211/mlme.c
@@ -2795,8 +2795,7 @@ static void ieee80211_rx_mgmt_assoc_resp(struct ieee80211_sub_if_data *sdata,
 		if (!ieee80211_assoc_success(sdata, bss, mgmt, len)) {
 			/* oops -- internal error -- send timeout for now */
 			ieee80211_destroy_assoc_data(sdata, false);
-			cfg80211_put_bss(sdata->local->hw.wiphy, bss);
-			cfg80211_assoc_timeout(sdata->dev, mgmt->bssid);
+			cfg80211_assoc_timeout(sdata->dev, bss);
 			return;
 		}
 		sdata_info(sdata, "associated\n");
@@ -3513,13 +3512,10 @@ void ieee80211_sta_work(struct ieee80211_sub_if_data *sdata)
 	    time_after(jiffies, ifmgd->assoc_data->timeout)) {
 		if ((ifmgd->assoc_data->need_beacon && !ifmgd->have_beacon) ||
 		    ieee80211_do_assoc(sdata)) {
-			u8 bssid[ETH_ALEN];
-
-			memcpy(bssid, ifmgd->assoc_data->bss->bssid, ETH_ALEN);
+			struct cfg80211_bss *bss = ifmgd->assoc_data->bss;
 
 			ieee80211_destroy_assoc_data(sdata, false);
-
-			cfg80211_assoc_timeout(sdata->dev, bssid);
+			cfg80211_assoc_timeout(sdata->dev, bss);
 		}
 	} else if (ifmgd->assoc_data && ifmgd->assoc_data->timeout_started)
 		run_again(sdata, ifmgd->assoc_data->timeout);
@@ -4445,8 +4441,11 @@ void ieee80211_mgd_stop(struct ieee80211_sub_if_data *sdata)
 	cancel_work_sync(&ifmgd->chswitch_work);
 
 	sdata_lock(sdata);
-	if (ifmgd->assoc_data)
+	if (ifmgd->assoc_data) {
+		struct cfg80211_bss *bss = ifmgd->assoc_data->bss;
 		ieee80211_destroy_assoc_data(sdata, false);
+		cfg80211_assoc_timeout(sdata->dev, bss);
+	}
 	if (ifmgd->auth_data)
 		ieee80211_destroy_auth_data(sdata, false);
 	del_timer_sync(&ifmgd->timer);
diff --git a/net/wireless/mlme.c b/net/wireless/mlme.c
index a61a44bc6cf024cbd32e6da15e4df93d0067cabe..dd6f79d7bd2e13075dde8cbbcedbeed64edb6a67 100644
--- a/net/wireless/mlme.c
+++ b/net/wireless/mlme.c
@@ -131,16 +131,18 @@ void cfg80211_auth_timeout(struct net_device *dev, const u8 *addr)
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(cfg80211_auth_timeout);
 
-void cfg80211_assoc_timeout(struct net_device *dev, const u8 *addr)
+void cfg80211_assoc_timeout(struct net_device *dev, struct cfg80211_bss *bss)
 {
 	struct wireless_dev *wdev = dev->ieee80211_ptr;
 	struct wiphy *wiphy = wdev->wiphy;
 	struct cfg80211_registered_device *rdev = wiphy_to_dev(wiphy);
 
-	trace_cfg80211_send_assoc_timeout(dev, addr);
+	trace_cfg80211_send_assoc_timeout(dev, bss->bssid);
 
-	nl80211_send_assoc_timeout(rdev, dev, addr, GFP_KERNEL);
+	nl80211_send_assoc_timeout(rdev, dev, bss->bssid, GFP_KERNEL);
 	cfg80211_sme_assoc_timeout(wdev);
+
+	cfg80211_put_bss(wiphy, bss);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(cfg80211_assoc_timeout);