diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/xmit.c b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/xmit.c
index 396bf05c6bf6..d8b041f48ca8 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/xmit.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/xmit.c
@@ -2892,6 +2892,8 @@ void ath_tx_node_cleanup(struct ath_softc *sc, struct ath_node *an)
 	struct ath_txq *txq;
 	int tidno;
 
+	rcu_read_lock();
+
 	for (tidno = 0; tidno < IEEE80211_NUM_TIDS; tidno++) {
 		tid = ath_node_to_tid(an, tidno);
 		txq = tid->txq;
@@ -2909,6 +2911,8 @@ void ath_tx_node_cleanup(struct ath_softc *sc, struct ath_node *an)
 		if (!an->sta)
 			break; /* just one multicast ath_atx_tid */
 	}
+
+	rcu_read_unlock();
 }
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_ATH9K_TX99