diff --git a/net/mac80211/sta_info.c b/net/mac80211/sta_info.c
index 5d71e8d084c4..64cf5589989b 100644
--- a/net/mac80211/sta_info.c
+++ b/net/mac80211/sta_info.c
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
  * Copyright 2006-2007	Jiri Benc <jbenc@suse.cz>
  * Copyright 2013-2014  Intel Mobile Communications GmbH
  * Copyright (C) 2015 - 2017 Intel Deutschland GmbH
- * Copyright (C) 2018-2023 Intel Corporation
+ * Copyright (C) 2018-2024 Intel Corporation
  */
 
 #include <linux/module.h>
@@ -1321,9 +1321,13 @@ static int _sta_info_move_state(struct sta_info *sta,
 		sta->sta.addr, new_state);
 
 	/* notify the driver before the actual changes so it can
-	 * fail the transition
+	 * fail the transition if the state is increasing.
+	 * The driver is required not to fail when the transition
+	 * is decreasing the state, so first, do all the preparation
+	 * work and only then, notify the driver.
 	 */
-	if (test_sta_flag(sta, WLAN_STA_INSERTED)) {
+	if (new_state > sta->sta_state &&
+	    test_sta_flag(sta, WLAN_STA_INSERTED)) {
 		int err = drv_sta_state(sta->local, sta->sdata, sta,
 					sta->sta_state, new_state);
 		if (err)
@@ -1399,6 +1403,16 @@ static int _sta_info_move_state(struct sta_info *sta,
 		break;
 	}
 
+	if (new_state < sta->sta_state &&
+	    test_sta_flag(sta, WLAN_STA_INSERTED)) {
+		int err = drv_sta_state(sta->local, sta->sdata, sta,
+					sta->sta_state, new_state);
+
+		WARN_ONCE(err,
+			  "Driver is not allowed to fail if the sta_state is transitioning down the list: %d\n",
+			  err);
+	}
+
 	sta->sta_state = new_state;
 
 	return 0;