diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl3945-base.c b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl3945-base.c
index dc4c48983bcf..3344841b7662 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl3945-base.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl3945-base.c
@@ -1418,9 +1418,16 @@ unsigned int iwl3945_fill_beacon_frame(struct iwl3945_priv *priv,
 	return priv->ibss_beacon->len;
 }
 
-static u8 iwl3945_rate_get_lowest_plcp(int rate_mask)
+static u8 iwl3945_rate_get_lowest_plcp(struct iwl3945_priv *priv)
 {
 	u8 i;
+	int rate_mask;
+
+	/* Set rate mask*/
+	if (priv->staging_rxon.flags & RXON_FLG_BAND_24G_MSK)
+		rate_mask = priv->active_rate_basic & 0xF;
+	else
+		rate_mask = priv->active_rate_basic & 0xFF0;
 
 	for (i = IWL_RATE_1M_INDEX; i != IWL_RATE_INVALID;
 	     i = iwl3945_rates[i].next_ieee) {
@@ -1428,7 +1435,11 @@ static u8 iwl3945_rate_get_lowest_plcp(int rate_mask)
 			return iwl3945_rates[i].plcp;
 	}
 
-	return IWL_RATE_INVALID;
+	/* No valid rate was found. Assign the lowest one */
+	if (priv->staging_rxon.flags & RXON_FLG_BAND_24G_MSK)
+		return IWL_RATE_1M_PLCP;
+	else
+		return IWL_RATE_6M_PLCP;
 }
 
 static int iwl3945_send_beacon_cmd(struct iwl3945_priv *priv)
@@ -1446,16 +1457,7 @@ static int iwl3945_send_beacon_cmd(struct iwl3945_priv *priv)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 	}
 
-	if (!(priv->staging_rxon.flags & RXON_FLG_BAND_24G_MSK)) {
-		rate = iwl3945_rate_get_lowest_plcp(priv->active_rate_basic &
-						0xFF0);
-		if (rate == IWL_INVALID_RATE)
-			rate = IWL_RATE_6M_PLCP;
-	} else {
-		rate = iwl3945_rate_get_lowest_plcp(priv->active_rate_basic & 0xF);
-		if (rate == IWL_INVALID_RATE)
-			rate = IWL_RATE_1M_PLCP;
-	}
+	rate = iwl3945_rate_get_lowest_plcp(priv);
 
 	frame_size = iwl3945_hw_get_beacon_cmd(priv, frame, rate);