diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/rt2x00/rt2800lib.c b/drivers/net/wireless/rt2x00/rt2800lib.c
index 1a8170068b1c11b48b379ee6c6176312975829d1..a5455f46cec1f6abaaabab51223b63604e63efef 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/rt2x00/rt2800lib.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/rt2x00/rt2800lib.c
@@ -384,6 +384,12 @@ int rt2800_load_firmware(struct rt2x00_dev *rt2x00dev,
 	unsigned int i;
 	u32 reg;
 
+	/*
+	 * If driver doesn't wake up firmware here,
+	 * rt2800_load_firmware will hang forever when interface is up again.
+	 */
+	rt2800_register_write(rt2x00dev, AUTOWAKEUP_CFG, 0x00000000);
+
 	/*
 	 * Wait for stable hardware.
 	 */
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/rt2x00/rt2800pci.c b/drivers/net/wireless/rt2x00/rt2800pci.c
index 4d93204b221f33e1b36587e3586305d6692f79f9..2bcb1507e3ac57289e536a8646f34b24b7818eec 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/rt2x00/rt2800pci.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/rt2x00/rt2800pci.c
@@ -196,8 +196,6 @@ static int rt2800pci_write_firmware(struct rt2x00_dev *rt2x00dev,
 {
 	u32 reg;
 
-	rt2800_register_write(rt2x00dev, AUTOWAKEUP_CFG, 0x00000000);
-
 	/*
 	 * enable Host program ram write selection
 	 */