diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/pcie/rx.c b/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/pcie/rx.c
index d519e7ebdbe8..e965cc588850 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/pcie/rx.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/pcie/rx.c
@@ -1144,6 +1144,14 @@ void iwl_pcie_rx_free(struct iwl_trans *trans)
 	kfree(trans_pcie->rxq);
 }
 
+static void iwl_pcie_rx_move_to_allocator(struct iwl_rxq *rxq,
+					  struct iwl_rb_allocator *rba)
+{
+	spin_lock(&rba->lock);
+	list_splice_tail_init(&rxq->rx_used, &rba->rbd_empty);
+	spin_unlock(&rba->lock);
+}
+
 /*
  * iwl_pcie_rx_reuse_rbd - Recycle used RBDs
  *
@@ -1175,9 +1183,7 @@ static void iwl_pcie_rx_reuse_rbd(struct iwl_trans *trans,
 	if ((rxq->used_count % RX_CLAIM_REQ_ALLOC) == RX_POST_REQ_ALLOC) {
 		/* Move the 2 RBDs to the allocator ownership.
 		 Allocator has another 6 from pool for the request completion*/
-		spin_lock(&rba->lock);
-		list_splice_tail_init(&rxq->rx_used, &rba->rbd_empty);
-		spin_unlock(&rba->lock);
+		iwl_pcie_rx_move_to_allocator(rxq, rba);
 
 		atomic_inc(&rba->req_pending);
 		queue_work(rba->alloc_wq, &rba->rx_alloc);
@@ -1400,10 +1406,18 @@ static void iwl_pcie_rx_handle(struct iwl_trans *trans, int queue)
 		IWL_DEBUG_RX(trans, "Q %d: HW = SW = %d\n", rxq->id, r);
 
 	while (i != r) {
+		struct iwl_rb_allocator *rba = &trans_pcie->rba;
 		struct iwl_rx_mem_buffer *rxb;
+		/* number of RBDs still waiting for page allocation */
+		u32 rb_pending_alloc =
+			atomic_read(&trans_pcie->rba.req_pending) *
+			RX_CLAIM_REQ_ALLOC;
 
-		if (unlikely(rxq->used_count == rxq->queue_size / 2))
+		if (unlikely(rb_pending_alloc >= rxq->queue_size / 2 &&
+			     !emergency)) {
+			iwl_pcie_rx_move_to_allocator(rxq, rba);
 			emergency = true;
+		}
 
 		rxb = iwl_pcie_get_rxb(trans, rxq, i);
 		if (!rxb)
@@ -1425,17 +1439,13 @@ static void iwl_pcie_rx_handle(struct iwl_trans *trans, int queue)
 			iwl_pcie_rx_allocator_get(trans, rxq);
 
 		if (rxq->used_count % RX_CLAIM_REQ_ALLOC == 0 && !emergency) {
-			struct iwl_rb_allocator *rba = &trans_pcie->rba;
-
 			/* Add the remaining empty RBDs for allocator use */
-			spin_lock(&rba->lock);
-			list_splice_tail_init(&rxq->rx_used, &rba->rbd_empty);
-			spin_unlock(&rba->lock);
+			iwl_pcie_rx_move_to_allocator(rxq, rba);
 		} else if (emergency) {
 			count++;
 			if (count == 8) {
 				count = 0;
-				if (rxq->used_count < rxq->queue_size / 3)
+				if (rb_pending_alloc < rxq->queue_size / 3)
 					emergency = false;
 
 				rxq->read = i;