diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/mvm/mld-mac80211.c b/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/mvm/mld-mac80211.c
index 61170173f917..449229ced3bb 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/mvm/mld-mac80211.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/mvm/mld-mac80211.c
@@ -253,9 +253,6 @@ __iwl_mvm_mld_assign_vif_chanctx(struct iwl_mvm *mvm,
 	if (!rcu_access_pointer(link_conf->chanctx_conf))
 		n_active++;
 
-	if (n_active > iwl_mvm_max_active_links(mvm, vif))
-		return -EOPNOTSUPP;
-
 	if (WARN_ON_ONCE(!mvmvif->link[link_id]))
 		return -EINVAL;
 
@@ -1121,17 +1118,12 @@ iwl_mvm_mld_change_vif_links(struct ieee80211_hw *hw,
 			     struct ieee80211_bss_conf *old[IEEE80211_MLD_MAX_NUM_LINKS])
 {
 	struct iwl_mvm_vif_link_info *new_link[IEEE80211_MLD_MAX_NUM_LINKS] = {};
-	unsigned int n_active = iwl_mvm_mld_count_active_links(vif);
 	struct iwl_mvm_vif *mvmvif = iwl_mvm_vif_from_mac80211(vif);
 	struct iwl_mvm *mvm = IWL_MAC80211_GET_MVM(hw);
 	u16 removed = old_links & ~new_links;
 	u16 added = new_links & ~old_links;
 	int err, i;
 
-	if (hweight16(new_links) > 1 &&
-	    n_active > iwl_mvm_max_active_links(mvm, vif))
-		return -EOPNOTSUPP;
-
 	for (i = 0; i < IEEE80211_MLD_MAX_NUM_LINKS; i++) {
 		int r;
 
@@ -1223,6 +1215,15 @@ iwl_mvm_mld_change_sta_links(struct ieee80211_hw *hw,
 	return ret;
 }
 
+static bool iwl_mvm_mld_can_activate_links(struct ieee80211_hw *hw,
+					   struct ieee80211_vif *vif,
+					   u16 desired_links)
+{
+	struct iwl_mvm *mvm = IWL_MAC80211_GET_MVM(hw);
+
+	return hweight16(desired_links) <= iwl_mvm_max_active_links(mvm, vif);
+}
+
 const struct ieee80211_ops iwl_mvm_mld_hw_ops = {
 	.tx = iwl_mvm_mac_tx,
 	.wake_tx_queue = iwl_mvm_mac_wake_tx_queue,
@@ -1317,4 +1318,5 @@ const struct ieee80211_ops iwl_mvm_mld_hw_ops = {
 
 	.change_vif_links = iwl_mvm_mld_change_vif_links,
 	.change_sta_links = iwl_mvm_mld_change_sta_links,
+	.can_activate_links = iwl_mvm_mld_can_activate_links,
 };