diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/mvm/scan.c b/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/mvm/scan.c
index 9a15642f80dd..ea1e177c2ea1 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/mvm/scan.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/mvm/scan.c
@@ -1298,6 +1298,10 @@ int iwl_mvm_sched_scan_start(struct iwl_mvm *mvm,
 		return -EBUSY;
 	}
 
+	/* we don't support "match all" in the firmware */
+	if (!req->n_match_sets)
+		return -EOPNOTSUPP;
+
 	ret = iwl_mvm_check_running_scans(mvm, type);
 	if (ret)
 		return ret;