diff --git a/include/net/cfg80211.h b/include/net/cfg80211.h
index 3a4b684f89bf7..ed3bc2a78d82c 100644
--- a/include/net/cfg80211.h
+++ b/include/net/cfg80211.h
@@ -7231,7 +7231,7 @@ struct cfg80211_rx_assoc_resp {
 	int uapsd_queues;
 	const u8 *ap_mld_addr;
 	struct {
-		const u8 *addr;
+		u8 addr[ETH_ALEN] __aligned(2);
 		struct cfg80211_bss *bss;
 		u16 status;
 	} links[IEEE80211_MLD_MAX_NUM_LINKS];
diff --git a/net/mac80211/mlme.c b/net/mac80211/mlme.c
index f93eb38ae0b8d..46d46cfab6c84 100644
--- a/net/mac80211/mlme.c
+++ b/net/mac80211/mlme.c
@@ -5429,17 +5429,18 @@ static void ieee80211_rx_mgmt_assoc_resp(struct ieee80211_sub_if_data *sdata,
 	for (link_id = 0; link_id < IEEE80211_MLD_MAX_NUM_LINKS; link_id++) {
 		struct ieee80211_link_data *link;
 
-		link = sdata_dereference(sdata->link[link_id], sdata);
-		if (!link)
-			continue;
-
 		if (!assoc_data->link[link_id].bss)
 			continue;
 
 		resp.links[link_id].bss = assoc_data->link[link_id].bss;
-		resp.links[link_id].addr = link->conf->addr;
+		ether_addr_copy(resp.links[link_id].addr,
+				assoc_data->link[link_id].addr);
 		resp.links[link_id].status = assoc_data->link[link_id].status;
 
+		link = sdata_dereference(sdata->link[link_id], sdata);
+		if (!link)
+			continue;
+
 		/* get uapsd queues configuration - same for all links */
 		resp.uapsd_queues = 0;
 		for (ac = 0; ac < IEEE80211_NUM_ACS; ac++)
diff --git a/net/wireless/mlme.c b/net/wireless/mlme.c
index 775cac4d61006..3e2c398abddcc 100644
--- a/net/wireless/mlme.c
+++ b/net/wireless/mlme.c
@@ -52,7 +52,8 @@ void cfg80211_rx_assoc_resp(struct net_device *dev,
 		cr.links[link_id].bssid = data->links[link_id].bss->bssid;
 		cr.links[link_id].addr = data->links[link_id].addr;
 		/* need to have local link addresses for MLO connections */
-		WARN_ON(cr.ap_mld_addr && !cr.links[link_id].addr);
+		WARN_ON(cr.ap_mld_addr &&
+			!is_valid_ether_addr(cr.links[link_id].addr));
 
 		BUG_ON(!cr.links[link_id].bss->channel);