diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-6000.c b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-6000.c
index 48b2b7d2170cf808109949a5dcadac4b5a250254..a9665ce1d65803ebb9d1b139cb381be27cf26cbc 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-6000.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-6000.c
@@ -259,6 +259,7 @@ struct iwl_cfg iwl6000h_2agn_cfg = {
 	.shadow_ram_support = true,
 	.ht_greenfield_support = true,
 	.led_compensation = 51,
+	.use_rts_for_ht = true, /* use rts/cts protection */
 };
 
 /*
@@ -283,6 +284,7 @@ struct iwl_cfg iwl6000i_2agn_cfg = {
 	.shadow_ram_support = true,
 	.ht_greenfield_support = true,
 	.led_compensation = 51,
+	.use_rts_for_ht = true, /* use rts/cts protection */
 };
 
 struct iwl_cfg iwl6050_2agn_cfg = {
@@ -304,6 +306,7 @@ struct iwl_cfg iwl6050_2agn_cfg = {
 	.shadow_ram_support = true,
 	.ht_greenfield_support = true,
 	.led_compensation = 51,
+	.use_rts_for_ht = true, /* use rts/cts protection */
 };
 
 struct iwl_cfg iwl6000_3agn_cfg = {
@@ -325,6 +328,7 @@ struct iwl_cfg iwl6000_3agn_cfg = {
 	.shadow_ram_support = true,
 	.ht_greenfield_support = true,
 	.led_compensation = 51,
+	.use_rts_for_ht = true, /* use rts/cts protection */
 };
 
 struct iwl_cfg iwl6050_3agn_cfg = {
@@ -346,6 +350,7 @@ struct iwl_cfg iwl6050_3agn_cfg = {
 	.shadow_ram_support = true,
 	.ht_greenfield_support = true,
 	.led_compensation = 51,
+	.use_rts_for_ht = true, /* use rts/cts protection */
 };
 
 MODULE_FIRMWARE(IWL6000_MODULE_FIRMWARE(IWL6000_UCODE_API_MAX));
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-agn-rs.c b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-agn-rs.c
index 18af37c964cbbc4d73131945301b73adbd491944..469d56321d88bd5697647523947a632d40d0aaee 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-agn-rs.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-agn-rs.c
@@ -418,6 +418,15 @@ static void rs_tl_turn_on_agg(struct iwl_priv *priv, u8 tid,
 	else if (tid == IWL_AGG_ALL_TID)
 		for (tid = 0; tid < TID_MAX_LOAD_COUNT; tid++)
 			rs_tl_turn_on_agg_for_tid(priv, lq_data, tid, sta);
+	if (priv->cfg->use_rts_for_ht) {
+		/*
+		 * switch to RTS/CTS if it is the prefer protection method
+		 * for HT traffic
+		 */
+		IWL_DEBUG_HT(priv, "use RTS/CTS protection for HT\n");
+		priv->staging_rxon.flags &= ~RXON_FLG_SELF_CTS_EN;
+		iwlcore_commit_rxon(priv);
+	}
 }
 
 static inline int get_num_of_ant_from_rate(u32 rate_n_flags)
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-agn.c b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-agn.c
index cdc07c477457b557a82288dd676eaeca6a4eee71..a3739628c1d64f8e7c5d06033ba08dc0f1f5e5b0 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-agn.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-agn.c
@@ -115,9 +115,6 @@ int iwl_commit_rxon(struct iwl_priv *priv)
 
 	/* always get timestamp with Rx frame */
 	priv->staging_rxon.flags |= RXON_FLG_TSF2HOST_MSK;
-	/* allow CTS-to-self if possible. this is relevant only for
-	 * 5000, but will not damage 4965 */
-	priv->staging_rxon.flags |= RXON_FLG_SELF_CTS_EN;
 
 	ret = iwl_check_rxon_cmd(priv);
 	if (ret) {
@@ -217,6 +214,13 @@ int iwl_commit_rxon(struct iwl_priv *priv)
 					"Could not send WEP static key.\n");
 		}
 
+		/*
+		 * allow CTS-to-self if possible for new association.
+		 * this is relevant only for 5000 series and up,
+		 * but will not damage 4965
+		 */
+		priv->staging_rxon.flags |= RXON_FLG_SELF_CTS_EN;
+
 		/* Apply the new configuration
 		 * RXON assoc doesn't clear the station table in uCode,
 		 */
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-core.h b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-core.h
index a2ee95028c6e0020f5ae1d0e2d57ff42d5c0c737..c7675c387140fc9f66d17ab4aaf8c9ce0e268e74 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-core.h
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-core.h
@@ -216,6 +216,7 @@ struct iwl_mod_params {
  * @led_compensation: compensate on the led on/off time per HW according
  *	to the deviation to achieve the desired led frequency.
  *	The detail algorithm is described in iwl-led.c
+ * @use_rts_for_ht: use rts/cts protection for HT traffic
  *
  * We enable the driver to be backward compatible wrt API version. The
  * driver specifies which APIs it supports (with @ucode_api_max being the
@@ -257,8 +258,9 @@ struct iwl_cfg {
 	const u16 max_ll_items;
 	const bool shadow_ram_support;
 	const bool ht_greenfield_support;
-	const bool broken_powersave;
 	u16 led_compensation;
+	const bool broken_powersave;
+	bool use_rts_for_ht;
 };
 
 /***************************