diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/mvm/tof.c b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/mvm/tof.c
index 380972f8fb8281647b3c278d8b7b51dec306a008..7ae0bd894c8258aaa73c0900bc3c49f5f1ea8568 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/mvm/tof.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/mvm/tof.c
@@ -178,7 +178,8 @@ int iwl_mvm_tof_responder_cmd(struct iwl_mvm *mvm,
 	if (!fw_has_capa(&mvm->fw->ucode_capa, IWL_UCODE_TLV_CAPA_TOF_SUPPORT))
 		return -EINVAL;
 
-	if (vif->p2p || vif->type != NL80211_IFTYPE_AP) {
+	if (vif->p2p || vif->type != NL80211_IFTYPE_AP ||
+	    !mvmvif->ap_ibss_active) {
 		IWL_ERR(mvm, "Cannot start responder, not in AP mode\n");
 		return -EIO;
 	}