diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/mvm/link.c b/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/mvm/link.c
index f13f13e6b71a..9f69e04594e4 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/mvm/link.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/mvm/link.c
@@ -46,6 +46,27 @@ static int iwl_mvm_link_cmd_send(struct iwl_mvm *mvm,
 	return ret;
 }
 
+int iwl_mvm_set_link_mapping(struct iwl_mvm *mvm, struct ieee80211_vif *vif,
+			     struct ieee80211_bss_conf *link_conf)
+{
+	struct iwl_mvm_vif *mvmvif = iwl_mvm_vif_from_mac80211(vif);
+	struct iwl_mvm_vif_link_info *link_info =
+		mvmvif->link[link_conf->link_id];
+
+	if (link_info->fw_link_id == IWL_MVM_FW_LINK_ID_INVALID) {
+		link_info->fw_link_id = iwl_mvm_get_free_fw_link_id(mvm,
+								    mvmvif);
+		if (link_info->fw_link_id >=
+		    ARRAY_SIZE(mvm->link_id_to_link_conf))
+			return -EINVAL;
+
+		rcu_assign_pointer(mvm->link_id_to_link_conf[link_info->fw_link_id],
+				   link_conf);
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 int iwl_mvm_add_link(struct iwl_mvm *mvm, struct ieee80211_vif *vif,
 		     struct ieee80211_bss_conf *link_conf)
 {
@@ -55,19 +76,14 @@ int iwl_mvm_add_link(struct iwl_mvm *mvm, struct ieee80211_vif *vif,
 	struct iwl_link_config_cmd cmd = {};
 	unsigned int cmd_id = WIDE_ID(MAC_CONF_GROUP, LINK_CONFIG_CMD);
 	u8 cmd_ver = iwl_fw_lookup_cmd_ver(mvm->fw, cmd_id, 1);
+	int ret;
 
 	if (WARN_ON_ONCE(!link_info))
 		return -EINVAL;
 
-	if (link_info->fw_link_id == IWL_MVM_FW_LINK_ID_INVALID) {
-		link_info->fw_link_id = iwl_mvm_get_free_fw_link_id(mvm,
-								    mvmvif);
-		if (link_info->fw_link_id >= ARRAY_SIZE(mvm->link_id_to_link_conf))
-			return -EINVAL;
-
-		rcu_assign_pointer(mvm->link_id_to_link_conf[link_info->fw_link_id],
-				   link_conf);
-	}
+	ret = iwl_mvm_set_link_mapping(mvm, vif, link_conf);
+	if (ret)
+		return ret;
 
 	/* Update SF - Disable if needed. if this fails, SF might still be on
 	 * while many macs are bound, which is forbidden - so fail the binding.
@@ -248,6 +264,24 @@ send_cmd:
 	return ret;
 }
 
+int iwl_mvm_unset_link_mapping(struct iwl_mvm *mvm, struct ieee80211_vif *vif,
+			       struct ieee80211_bss_conf *link_conf)
+{
+	struct iwl_mvm_vif *mvmvif = iwl_mvm_vif_from_mac80211(vif);
+	struct iwl_mvm_vif_link_info *link_info =
+		mvmvif->link[link_conf->link_id];
+
+	/* mac80211 thought we have the link, but it was never configured */
+	if (WARN_ON(!link_info ||
+		    link_info->fw_link_id >=
+		    ARRAY_SIZE(mvm->link_id_to_link_conf)))
+		return -EINVAL;
+
+	RCU_INIT_POINTER(mvm->link_id_to_link_conf[link_info->fw_link_id],
+			 NULL);
+	return 0;
+}
+
 int iwl_mvm_remove_link(struct iwl_mvm *mvm, struct ieee80211_vif *vif,
 			struct ieee80211_bss_conf *link_conf)
 {
@@ -257,13 +291,10 @@ int iwl_mvm_remove_link(struct iwl_mvm *mvm, struct ieee80211_vif *vif,
 	struct iwl_link_config_cmd cmd = {};
 	int ret;
 
-	/* mac80211 thought we have the link, but it was never configured */
-	if (WARN_ON(!link_info ||
-		    link_info->fw_link_id >= ARRAY_SIZE(mvm->link_id_to_link_conf)))
+	ret = iwl_mvm_unset_link_mapping(mvm, vif, link_conf);
+	if (ret)
 		return 0;
 
-	RCU_INIT_POINTER(mvm->link_id_to_link_conf[link_info->fw_link_id],
-			 NULL);
 	cmd.link_id = cpu_to_le32(link_info->fw_link_id);
 	iwl_mvm_release_fw_link_id(mvm, link_info->fw_link_id);
 	link_info->fw_link_id = IWL_MVM_FW_LINK_ID_INVALID;
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/mvm/mac80211.c b/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/mvm/mac80211.c
index 69227954e281..8f4b063d6243 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/mvm/mac80211.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/mvm/mac80211.c
@@ -1577,8 +1577,14 @@ static int iwl_mvm_mac_add_interface(struct ieee80211_hw *hw,
 	mvmvif->mvm = mvm;
 
 	/* the first link always points to the default one */
+	mvmvif->deflink.fw_link_id = IWL_MVM_FW_LINK_ID_INVALID;
+	mvmvif->deflink.active = 0;
 	mvmvif->link[0] = &mvmvif->deflink;
 
+	ret = iwl_mvm_set_link_mapping(mvm, vif, &vif->bss_conf);
+	if (ret)
+		goto out;
+
 	/*
 	 * Not much to do here. The stack will not allow interface
 	 * types or combinations that we didn't advertise, so we
@@ -1783,6 +1789,7 @@ static void iwl_mvm_mac_remove_interface(struct ieee80211_hw *hw,
 		mvm->p2p_device_vif = NULL;
 	}
 
+	iwl_mvm_unset_link_mapping(mvm, vif, &vif->bss_conf);
 	iwl_mvm_mac_ctxt_remove(mvm, vif);
 
 	RCU_INIT_POINTER(mvm->vif_id_to_mac[mvmvif->id], NULL);
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/mvm/mvm.h b/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/mvm/mvm.h
index a10b48947bca..f6d334eb93b7 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/mvm/mvm.h
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/mvm/mvm.h
@@ -1918,11 +1918,15 @@ int iwl_mvm_binding_remove_vif(struct iwl_mvm *mvm, struct ieee80211_vif *vif);
 u32 iwl_mvm_get_lmac_id(struct iwl_mvm *mvm, enum nl80211_band band);
 
 /* Links */
+int iwl_mvm_set_link_mapping(struct iwl_mvm *mvm, struct ieee80211_vif *vif,
+			     struct ieee80211_bss_conf *link_conf);
 int iwl_mvm_add_link(struct iwl_mvm *mvm, struct ieee80211_vif *vif,
 		     struct ieee80211_bss_conf *link_conf);
 int iwl_mvm_link_changed(struct iwl_mvm *mvm, struct ieee80211_vif *vif,
 			 struct ieee80211_bss_conf *link_conf,
 			 u32 changes, bool active);
+int iwl_mvm_unset_link_mapping(struct iwl_mvm *mvm, struct ieee80211_vif *vif,
+			       struct ieee80211_bss_conf *link_conf);
 int iwl_mvm_remove_link(struct iwl_mvm *mvm, struct ieee80211_vif *vif,
 			struct ieee80211_bss_conf *link_conf);
 int iwl_mvm_disable_link(struct iwl_mvm *mvm, struct ieee80211_vif *vif,