diff --git a/net/mac80211/ieee80211_i.h b/net/mac80211/ieee80211_i.h
index ecbc8e0cb3e700..fbb91f1aebb2a9 100644
--- a/net/mac80211/ieee80211_i.h
+++ b/net/mac80211/ieee80211_i.h
@@ -972,6 +972,7 @@ int ieee80211_sta_set_extra_ie(struct ieee80211_sub_if_data *sdata,
 			       char *ie, size_t len);
 
 void ieee80211_mlme_notify_scan_completed(struct ieee80211_local *local);
+void ieee80211_scan_failed(struct ieee80211_local *local);
 int ieee80211_start_scan(struct ieee80211_sub_if_data *scan_sdata,
 			 struct cfg80211_scan_request *req);
 struct ieee80211_bss *
diff --git a/net/mac80211/mlme.c b/net/mac80211/mlme.c
index eeb6da8505c6ba..841b8450b3de78 100644
--- a/net/mac80211/mlme.c
+++ b/net/mac80211/mlme.c
@@ -1720,7 +1720,10 @@ static int ieee80211_sta_config_auth(struct ieee80211_sub_if_data *sdata)
 				local->int_scan_req.ssids[0].ssid_len = 0;
 			else
 				local->int_scan_req.ssids[0].ssid_len = ifmgd->ssid_len;
-			ieee80211_start_scan(sdata, &local->int_scan_req);
+
+			if (ieee80211_start_scan(sdata, &local->int_scan_req))
+				ieee80211_scan_failed(local);
+
 			ifmgd->state = IEEE80211_STA_MLME_AUTHENTICATE;
 			set_bit(IEEE80211_STA_REQ_AUTH, &ifmgd->request);
 		} else {
@@ -1757,7 +1760,14 @@ static void ieee80211_sta_work(struct work_struct *work)
 	    ifmgd->state != IEEE80211_STA_MLME_AUTHENTICATE &&
 	    ifmgd->state != IEEE80211_STA_MLME_ASSOCIATE &&
 	    test_and_clear_bit(IEEE80211_STA_REQ_SCAN, &ifmgd->request)) {
-		ieee80211_start_scan(sdata, local->scan_req);
+		/*
+		 * The call to ieee80211_start_scan can fail but ieee80211_request_scan
+		 * (which queued ieee80211_sta_work) did not return an error. Thus, call
+		 * ieee80211_scan_failed here if ieee80211_start_scan fails in order to
+		 * notify the scan requester.
+		 */
+		if (ieee80211_start_scan(sdata, local->scan_req))
+			ieee80211_scan_failed(local);
 		return;
 	}
 
diff --git a/net/mac80211/scan.c b/net/mac80211/scan.c
index 0e81e1633a669b..5030a3c87509a2 100644
--- a/net/mac80211/scan.c
+++ b/net/mac80211/scan.c
@@ -202,6 +202,18 @@ ieee80211_scan_rx(struct ieee80211_sub_if_data *sdata, struct sk_buff *skb,
 	return RX_QUEUED;
 }
 
+void ieee80211_scan_failed(struct ieee80211_local *local)
+{
+	if (WARN_ON(!local->scan_req))
+		return;
+
+	/* notify cfg80211 about the failed scan */
+	if (local->scan_req != &local->int_scan_req)
+		cfg80211_scan_done(local->scan_req, true);
+
+	local->scan_req = NULL;
+}
+
 void ieee80211_scan_completed(struct ieee80211_hw *hw, bool aborted)
 {
 	struct ieee80211_local *local = hw_to_local(hw);