diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/mediatek/mt76/mt7996/mac.c b/drivers/net/wireless/mediatek/mt76/mt7996/mac.c
index d6531b74be1f..837deb41ae13 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/mediatek/mt76/mt7996/mac.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/mediatek/mt76/mt7996/mac.c
@@ -1247,8 +1247,10 @@ mt7996_mac_tx_free(struct mt7996_dev *dev, void *data, int len)
 			idx = FIELD_GET(MT_TXFREE_INFO_WLAN_ID, info);
 			wcid = mt76_wcid_ptr(dev, idx);
 			sta = wcid_to_sta(wcid);
-			if (!sta)
+			if (!sta) {
+				link_sta = NULL;
 				goto next;
+			}
 
 			link_sta = rcu_dereference(sta->link[wcid->link_id]);
 			if (!link_sta)