diff --git a/include/net/mac80211.h b/include/net/mac80211.h
index e3d57e7a55cc..9386cf9fe714 100644
--- a/include/net/mac80211.h
+++ b/include/net/mac80211.h
@@ -3239,6 +3239,11 @@ enum ieee80211_reconfig_type {
  *	When the scan finishes, ieee80211_scan_completed() must be called;
  *	note that it also must be called when the scan cannot finish due to
  *	any error unless this callback returned a negative error code.
+ *	This callback is also allowed to return the special return value 1,
+ *	this indicates that hardware scan isn't desirable right now and a
+ *	software scan should be done instead. A driver wishing to use this
+ *	capability must ensure its (hardware) scan capabilities aren't
+ *	advertised as more capable than mac80211's software scan is.
  *	The callback can sleep.
  *
  * @cancel_hw_scan: Ask the low-level tp cancel the active hw scan.
diff --git a/net/mac80211/scan.c b/net/mac80211/scan.c
index 5d2a11777718..95413413f98c 100644
--- a/net/mac80211/scan.c
+++ b/net/mac80211/scan.c
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ static bool ieee80211_prep_hw_scan(struct ieee80211_local *local)
 static void __ieee80211_scan_completed(struct ieee80211_hw *hw, bool aborted)
 {
 	struct ieee80211_local *local = hw_to_local(hw);
-	bool hw_scan = local->ops->hw_scan;
+	bool hw_scan = test_bit(SCAN_HW_SCANNING, &local->scanning);
 	bool was_scanning = local->scanning;
 	struct cfg80211_scan_request *scan_req;
 	struct ieee80211_sub_if_data *scan_sdata;
@@ -606,6 +606,7 @@ static int __ieee80211_start_scan(struct ieee80211_sub_if_data *sdata,
 				  struct cfg80211_scan_request *req)
 {
 	struct ieee80211_local *local = sdata->local;
+	bool hw_scan = local->ops->hw_scan;
 	int rc;
 
 	lockdep_assert_held(&local->mtx);
@@ -620,7 +621,8 @@ static int __ieee80211_start_scan(struct ieee80211_sub_if_data *sdata,
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	if (local->ops->hw_scan) {
+ again:
+	if (hw_scan) {
 		u8 *ies;
 
 		local->hw_scan_ies_bufsize = local->scan_ies_len + req->ie_len;
@@ -679,7 +681,7 @@ static int __ieee80211_start_scan(struct ieee80211_sub_if_data *sdata,
 	else
 		memcpy(local->scan_addr, sdata->vif.addr, ETH_ALEN);
 
-	if (local->ops->hw_scan) {
+	if (hw_scan) {
 		__set_bit(SCAN_HW_SCANNING, &local->scanning);
 	} else if ((req->n_channels == 1) &&
 		   (req->channels[0] == local->_oper_chandef.chan)) {
@@ -722,7 +724,7 @@ static int __ieee80211_start_scan(struct ieee80211_sub_if_data *sdata,
 
 	ieee80211_recalc_idle(local);
 
-	if (local->ops->hw_scan) {
+	if (hw_scan) {
 		WARN_ON(!ieee80211_prep_hw_scan(local));
 		rc = drv_hw_scan(local, sdata, local->hw_scan_req);
 	} else {
@@ -740,6 +742,18 @@ static int __ieee80211_start_scan(struct ieee80211_sub_if_data *sdata,
 		RCU_INIT_POINTER(local->scan_sdata, NULL);
 	}
 
+	if (hw_scan && rc == 1) {
+		/*
+		 * we can't fall back to software for P2P-GO
+		 * as it must update NoA etc.
+		 */
+		if (ieee80211_vif_type_p2p(&sdata->vif) ==
+				NL80211_IFTYPE_P2P_GO)
+			return -EOPNOTSUPP;
+		hw_scan = false;
+		goto again;
+	}
+
 	return rc;
 }