diff --git a/net/mac80211/cfg.c b/net/mac80211/cfg.c
index f4f7e7691077bf6fb47ab1dcb4d9de04bcec8844..8f6b593a921f39855d29116c614a4c92903e6580 100644
--- a/net/mac80211/cfg.c
+++ b/net/mac80211/cfg.c
@@ -933,6 +933,7 @@ static int ieee80211_start_ap(struct wiphy *wiphy, struct net_device *dev,
 					IEEE80211_CHANCTX_SHARED);
 	if (err)
 		return err;
+	ieee80211_vif_copy_chanctx_to_vlans(sdata, false);
 
 	/*
 	 * Apply control port protocol, this allows us to
@@ -1047,6 +1048,7 @@ static int ieee80211_stop_ap(struct wiphy *wiphy, struct net_device *dev)
 	local->total_ps_buffered -= skb_queue_len(&sdata->u.ap.ps.bc_buf);
 	skb_queue_purge(&sdata->u.ap.ps.bc_buf);
 
+	ieee80211_vif_copy_chanctx_to_vlans(sdata, true);
 	ieee80211_vif_release_channel(sdata);
 
 	return 0;
diff --git a/net/mac80211/chan.c b/net/mac80211/chan.c
index 1bfe0a8b19d222c95c3878d157114e9e85a0443b..b5b50762f03e6ca1dbfacb924f77a3712a8cd229 100644
--- a/net/mac80211/chan.c
+++ b/net/mac80211/chan.c
@@ -198,15 +198,6 @@ static void __ieee80211_vif_release_channel(struct ieee80211_sub_if_data *sdata)
 
 	ctx = container_of(conf, struct ieee80211_chanctx, conf);
 
-	if (sdata->vif.type == NL80211_IFTYPE_AP) {
-		struct ieee80211_sub_if_data *vlan;
-
-		/* for the VLAN list */
-		ASSERT_RTNL();
-		list_for_each_entry(vlan, &sdata->u.ap.vlans, u.vlan.list)
-			rcu_assign_pointer(vlan->vif.chanctx_conf, NULL);
-	}
-
 	ieee80211_unassign_vif_chanctx(sdata, ctx);
 	if (ctx->refcount == 0)
 		ieee80211_free_chanctx(local, ctx);
@@ -326,15 +317,6 @@ int ieee80211_vif_use_channel(struct ieee80211_sub_if_data *sdata,
 		goto out;
 	}
 
-	if (sdata->vif.type == NL80211_IFTYPE_AP) {
-		struct ieee80211_sub_if_data *vlan;
-
-		/* for the VLAN list */
-		ASSERT_RTNL();
-		list_for_each_entry(vlan, &sdata->u.ap.vlans, u.vlan.list)
-			rcu_assign_pointer(vlan->vif.chanctx_conf, &ctx->conf);
-	}
-
 	ieee80211_recalc_smps_chanctx(local, ctx);
  out:
 	mutex_unlock(&local->chanctx_mtx);
@@ -369,6 +351,40 @@ void ieee80211_vif_vlan_copy_chanctx(struct ieee80211_sub_if_data *sdata)
 	mutex_unlock(&local->chanctx_mtx);
 }
 
+void ieee80211_vif_copy_chanctx_to_vlans(struct ieee80211_sub_if_data *sdata,
+					 bool clear)
+{
+	struct ieee80211_local *local = sdata->local;
+	struct ieee80211_sub_if_data *vlan;
+	struct ieee80211_chanctx_conf *conf;
+
+	ASSERT_RTNL();
+
+	if (WARN_ON(sdata->vif.type != NL80211_IFTYPE_AP))
+		return;
+
+	mutex_lock(&local->chanctx_mtx);
+
+	/*
+	 * Check that conf exists, even when clearing this function
+	 * must be called with the AP's channel context still there
+	 * as it would otherwise cause VLANs to have an invalid
+	 * channel context pointer for a while, possibly pointing
+	 * to a channel context that has already been freed.
+	 */
+	conf = rcu_dereference_protected(sdata->vif.chanctx_conf,
+				lockdep_is_held(&local->chanctx_mtx));
+	WARN_ON(!conf);
+
+	if (clear)
+		conf = NULL;
+
+	list_for_each_entry(vlan, &sdata->u.ap.vlans, u.vlan.list)
+		rcu_assign_pointer(vlan->vif.chanctx_conf, conf);
+
+	mutex_unlock(&local->chanctx_mtx);
+}
+
 void ieee80211_iter_chan_contexts_atomic(
 	struct ieee80211_hw *hw,
 	void (*iter)(struct ieee80211_hw *hw,
diff --git a/net/mac80211/ieee80211_i.h b/net/mac80211/ieee80211_i.h
index 080cf0942ce7768b0797c33d0de62fa0d26ab428..8e884fcbe79b05cf39925bb03c1b3a9326b1f7b9 100644
--- a/net/mac80211/ieee80211_i.h
+++ b/net/mac80211/ieee80211_i.h
@@ -1605,6 +1605,8 @@ ieee80211_vif_use_channel(struct ieee80211_sub_if_data *sdata,
 			  enum ieee80211_chanctx_mode mode);
 void ieee80211_vif_release_channel(struct ieee80211_sub_if_data *sdata);
 void ieee80211_vif_vlan_copy_chanctx(struct ieee80211_sub_if_data *sdata);
+void ieee80211_vif_copy_chanctx_to_vlans(struct ieee80211_sub_if_data *sdata,
+					 bool clear);
 
 void ieee80211_recalc_smps_chanctx(struct ieee80211_local *local,
 				   struct ieee80211_chanctx *chanctx);