diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath12k/mac.c b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath12k/mac.c
index de5fb7d9ed52..64a748c873f3 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath12k/mac.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath12k/mac.c
@@ -3480,25 +3480,18 @@ static struct ath12k_link_vif *ath12k_mac_assign_link_vif(struct ath12k_hw *ah,
 	if (arvif)
 		return arvif;
 
-	if (!vif->valid_links) {
-		/* Use deflink for Non-ML VIFs and mark the link id as 0
-		 */
-		link_id = 0;
+	/* If this is the first link arvif being created for an ML VIF
+	 * use the preallocated deflink memory except for scan arvifs
+	 */
+	if (!ahvif->links_map && link_id != ATH12K_DEFAULT_SCAN_LINK) {
 		arvif = &ahvif->deflink;
+
+		if (vif->type == NL80211_IFTYPE_STATION)
+			arvif->is_sta_assoc_link = true;
 	} else {
-		/* If this is the first link arvif being created for an ML VIF
-		 * use the preallocated deflink memory except for scan arvifs
-		 */
-		if (!ahvif->links_map && link_id != ATH12K_DEFAULT_SCAN_LINK) {
-			arvif = &ahvif->deflink;
-			if (vif->type == NL80211_IFTYPE_STATION)
-				arvif->is_sta_assoc_link = true;
-		} else {
-			arvif = (struct ath12k_link_vif *)
-			kzalloc(sizeof(struct ath12k_link_vif), GFP_KERNEL);
-			if (!arvif)
-				return NULL;
-		}
+		arvif = kzalloc(sizeof(*arvif), GFP_KERNEL);
+		if (!arvif)
+			return NULL;
 	}
 
 	ath12k_mac_init_arvif(ahvif, arvif, link_id);