diff --git a/include/net/mac80211.h b/include/net/mac80211.h
index bc5d8184c489..05dbb9788504 100644
--- a/include/net/mac80211.h
+++ b/include/net/mac80211.h
@@ -4107,7 +4107,7 @@ void ieee80211_send_bar(struct ieee80211_vif *vif, u8 *ra, u16 tid, u16 ssn);
  *	(deprecated; this will be removed once drivers get updated to use
  *	rate_idx_mask)
  * @rate_idx_mask: user-requested (legacy) rate mask
- * @rate_idx_mcs_mask: user-requested MCS rate mask
+ * @rate_idx_mcs_mask: user-requested MCS rate mask (NULL if not in use)
  * @bss: whether this frame is sent out in AP or IBSS mode
  */
 struct ieee80211_tx_rate_control {
@@ -4119,7 +4119,7 @@ struct ieee80211_tx_rate_control {
 	bool rts, short_preamble;
 	u8 max_rate_idx;
 	u32 rate_idx_mask;
-	u8 rate_idx_mcs_mask[IEEE80211_HT_MCS_MASK_LEN];
+	u8 *rate_idx_mcs_mask;
 	bool bss;
 };
 
diff --git a/net/mac80211/cfg.c b/net/mac80211/cfg.c
index fdd95bd751a1..72ab1c0e3ca7 100644
--- a/net/mac80211/cfg.c
+++ b/net/mac80211/cfg.c
@@ -2417,9 +2417,22 @@ static int ieee80211_set_bitrate_mask(struct wiphy *wiphy,
 	}
 
 	for (i = 0; i < IEEE80211_NUM_BANDS; i++) {
+		struct ieee80211_supported_band *sband = wiphy->bands[i];
+		int j;
+
 		sdata->rc_rateidx_mask[i] = mask->control[i].legacy;
 		memcpy(sdata->rc_rateidx_mcs_mask[i], mask->control[i].mcs,
 		       sizeof(mask->control[i].mcs));
+
+		sdata->rc_has_mcs_mask[i] = false;
+		if (!sband)
+			continue;
+
+		for (j = 0; j < IEEE80211_HT_MCS_MASK_LEN; j++)
+			if (~sdata->rc_rateidx_mcs_mask[i][j]) {
+				sdata->rc_has_mcs_mask[i] = true;
+				break;
+			}
 	}
 
 	return 0;
diff --git a/net/mac80211/ieee80211_i.h b/net/mac80211/ieee80211_i.h
index f4a65a340a52..21c1720eee00 100644
--- a/net/mac80211/ieee80211_i.h
+++ b/net/mac80211/ieee80211_i.h
@@ -739,6 +739,8 @@ struct ieee80211_sub_if_data {
 
 	/* bitmap of allowed (non-MCS) rate indexes for rate control */
 	u32 rc_rateidx_mask[IEEE80211_NUM_BANDS];
+
+	bool rc_has_mcs_mask[IEEE80211_NUM_BANDS];
 	u8  rc_rateidx_mcs_mask[IEEE80211_NUM_BANDS][IEEE80211_HT_MCS_MASK_LEN];
 
 	union {
diff --git a/net/mac80211/rate.c b/net/mac80211/rate.c
index dd88381c53b7..5d545dd2d050 100644
--- a/net/mac80211/rate.c
+++ b/net/mac80211/rate.c
@@ -460,9 +460,12 @@ void rate_control_get_rate(struct ieee80211_sub_if_data *sdata,
 	 * the common case.
 	 */
 	mask = sdata->rc_rateidx_mask[info->band];
-	memcpy(mcs_mask, sdata->rc_rateidx_mcs_mask[info->band],
-	       sizeof(mcs_mask));
-	if (mask != (1 << txrc->sband->n_bitrates) - 1) {
+	if (mask != (1 << txrc->sband->n_bitrates) - 1 || txrc->rate_idx_mcs_mask) {
+		if (txrc->rate_idx_mcs_mask)
+			memcpy(mcs_mask, txrc->rate_idx_mcs_mask, sizeof(mcs_mask));
+		else
+			memset(mcs_mask, 0xff, sizeof(mcs_mask));
+
 		if (sta) {
 			/* Filter out rates that the STA does not support */
 			mask &= sta->sta.supp_rates[info->band];
diff --git a/net/mac80211/tx.c b/net/mac80211/tx.c
index bb82c873f774..15c1b286e280 100644
--- a/net/mac80211/tx.c
+++ b/net/mac80211/tx.c
@@ -642,9 +642,11 @@ ieee80211_tx_h_rate_ctrl(struct ieee80211_tx_data *tx)
 		txrc.max_rate_idx = -1;
 	else
 		txrc.max_rate_idx = fls(txrc.rate_idx_mask) - 1;
-	memcpy(txrc.rate_idx_mcs_mask,
-	       tx->sdata->rc_rateidx_mcs_mask[info->band],
-	       sizeof(txrc.rate_idx_mcs_mask));
+
+	if (tx->sdata->rc_has_mcs_mask[info->band])
+		txrc.rate_idx_mcs_mask =
+			tx->sdata->rc_rateidx_mcs_mask[info->band];
+
 	txrc.bss = (tx->sdata->vif.type == NL80211_IFTYPE_AP ||
 		    tx->sdata->vif.type == NL80211_IFTYPE_MESH_POINT ||
 		    tx->sdata->vif.type == NL80211_IFTYPE_ADHOC);
@@ -2508,8 +2510,6 @@ struct sk_buff *ieee80211_beacon_get_tim(struct ieee80211_hw *hw,
 		txrc.max_rate_idx = -1;
 	else
 		txrc.max_rate_idx = fls(txrc.rate_idx_mask) - 1;
-	memcpy(txrc.rate_idx_mcs_mask, sdata->rc_rateidx_mcs_mask[band],
-	       sizeof(txrc.rate_idx_mcs_mask));
 	txrc.bss = true;
 	rate_control_get_rate(sdata, NULL, &txrc);