diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/dvm/mac80211.c b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/dvm/mac80211.c
index 75f6f6cfdd47..0fccf725a2e6 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/dvm/mac80211.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/dvm/mac80211.c
@@ -151,8 +151,7 @@ int iwlagn_mac_setup_register(struct iwl_priv *priv,
 		    IEEE80211_HW_QUEUE_CONTROL |
 		    IEEE80211_HW_SUPPORTS_PS |
 		    IEEE80211_HW_SUPPORTS_DYNAMIC_PS |
-		    IEEE80211_HW_WANT_MONITOR_VIF |
-		    IEEE80211_HW_SCAN_WHILE_IDLE;
+		    IEEE80211_HW_WANT_MONITOR_VIF;
 
 	hw->offchannel_tx_hw_queue = IWL_AUX_QUEUE;
 	hw->radiotap_mcs_details |= IEEE80211_RADIOTAP_MCS_HAVE_FMT;
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/mvm/mac80211.c b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/mvm/mac80211.c
index ce6127caabdf..bbb8a5b35662 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/mvm/mac80211.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/mvm/mac80211.c
@@ -113,7 +113,6 @@ int iwl_mvm_mac_setup_register(struct iwl_mvm *mvm)
 		    IEEE80211_HW_REPORTS_TX_ACK_STATUS |
 		    IEEE80211_HW_QUEUE_CONTROL |
 		    IEEE80211_HW_WANT_MONITOR_VIF |
-		    IEEE80211_HW_SCAN_WHILE_IDLE |
 		    IEEE80211_HW_NEED_DTIM_BEFORE_ASSOC |
 		    IEEE80211_HW_SUPPORTS_PS |
 		    IEEE80211_HW_SUPPORTS_DYNAMIC_PS |
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/ti/wl1251/event.c b/drivers/net/wireless/ti/wl1251/event.c
index 5ec50a476a69..74ae8e1c2e33 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/ti/wl1251/event.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/ti/wl1251/event.c
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@
 static int wl1251_event_scan_complete(struct wl1251 *wl,
 				      struct event_mailbox *mbox)
 {
+	int ret = 0;
+
 	wl1251_debug(DEBUG_EVENT, "status: 0x%x, channels: %d",
 		     mbox->scheduled_scan_status,
 		     mbox->scheduled_scan_channels);
@@ -37,9 +39,11 @@ static int wl1251_event_scan_complete(struct wl1251 *wl,
 		ieee80211_scan_completed(wl->hw, false);
 		wl1251_debug(DEBUG_MAC80211, "mac80211 hw scan completed");
 		wl->scanning = false;
+		if (wl->hw->conf.flags & IEEE80211_CONF_IDLE)
+			ret = wl1251_ps_set_mode(wl, STATION_IDLE);
 	}
 
-	return 0;
+	return ret;
 }
 
 static void wl1251_event_mbox_dump(struct event_mailbox *mbox)
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/ti/wl1251/main.c b/drivers/net/wireless/ti/wl1251/main.c
index f47e8b0482ad..bbbf68cf50a7 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/ti/wl1251/main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/ti/wl1251/main.c
@@ -623,7 +623,7 @@ static int wl1251_op_config(struct ieee80211_hw *hw, u32 changed)
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (changed & IEEE80211_CONF_CHANGE_IDLE) {
+	if (changed & IEEE80211_CONF_CHANGE_IDLE && !wl->scanning) {
 		if (conf->flags & IEEE80211_CONF_IDLE) {
 			ret = wl1251_ps_set_mode(wl, STATION_IDLE);
 			if (ret < 0)
@@ -895,11 +895,21 @@ static int wl1251_op_hw_scan(struct ieee80211_hw *hw,
 	if (ret < 0)
 		goto out;
 
+	if (hw->conf.flags & IEEE80211_CONF_IDLE) {
+		ret = wl1251_ps_set_mode(wl, STATION_ACTIVE_MODE);
+		if (ret < 0)
+			goto out_sleep;
+		ret = wl1251_join(wl, wl->bss_type, wl->channel,
+				  wl->beacon_int, wl->dtim_period);
+		if (ret < 0)
+			goto out_sleep;
+	}
+
 	skb = ieee80211_probereq_get(wl->hw, wl->vif, ssid, ssid_len,
 				     req->ie_len);
 	if (!skb) {
 		ret = -ENOMEM;
-		goto out;
+		goto out_idle;
 	}
 	if (req->ie_len)
 		memcpy(skb_put(skb, req->ie_len), req->ie, req->ie_len);
@@ -908,11 +918,11 @@ static int wl1251_op_hw_scan(struct ieee80211_hw *hw,
 				      skb->len);
 	dev_kfree_skb(skb);
 	if (ret < 0)
-		goto out_sleep;
+		goto out_idle;
 
 	ret = wl1251_cmd_trigger_scan_to(wl, 0);
 	if (ret < 0)
-		goto out_sleep;
+		goto out_idle;
 
 	wl->scanning = true;
 
@@ -920,9 +930,13 @@ static int wl1251_op_hw_scan(struct ieee80211_hw *hw,
 			      req->n_channels, WL1251_SCAN_NUM_PROBES);
 	if (ret < 0) {
 		wl->scanning = false;
-		goto out_sleep;
+		goto out_idle;
 	}
+	goto out_sleep;
 
+out_idle:
+	if (hw->conf.flags & IEEE80211_CONF_IDLE)
+		ret = wl1251_ps_set_mode(wl, STATION_IDLE);
 out_sleep:
 	wl1251_ps_elp_sleep(wl);
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/ti/wlcore/main.c b/drivers/net/wireless/ti/wlcore/main.c
index 28a37576d568..2c2ff3e1f849 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/ti/wlcore/main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/ti/wlcore/main.c
@@ -5636,7 +5636,6 @@ static int wl1271_init_ieee80211(struct wl1271 *wl)
 		IEEE80211_HW_AP_LINK_PS |
 		IEEE80211_HW_AMPDU_AGGREGATION |
 		IEEE80211_HW_TX_AMPDU_SETUP_IN_HW |
-		IEEE80211_HW_SCAN_WHILE_IDLE |
 		IEEE80211_HW_QUEUE_CONTROL;
 
 	wl->hw->wiphy->cipher_suites = cipher_suites;
diff --git a/include/net/mac80211.h b/include/net/mac80211.h
index 8d25769b3259..86ad2c341525 100644
--- a/include/net/mac80211.h
+++ b/include/net/mac80211.h
@@ -1363,10 +1363,6 @@ struct ieee80211_tx_control {
  *	setup strictly in HW. mac80211 should not attempt to do this in
  *	software.
  *
- * @IEEE80211_HW_SCAN_WHILE_IDLE: The device can do hw scan while
- *	being idle (i.e. mac80211 doesn't have to go idle-off during the
- *	the scan).
- *
  * @IEEE80211_HW_WANT_MONITOR_VIF: The driver would like to be informed of
  *	a virtual monitor interface when monitor interfaces are the only
  *	active interfaces.
@@ -1408,7 +1404,6 @@ enum ieee80211_hw_flags {
 	IEEE80211_HW_SUPPORTS_PER_STA_GTK		= 1<<21,
 	IEEE80211_HW_AP_LINK_PS				= 1<<22,
 	IEEE80211_HW_TX_AMPDU_SETUP_IN_HW		= 1<<23,
-	IEEE80211_HW_SCAN_WHILE_IDLE			= 1<<24,
 	IEEE80211_HW_P2P_DEV_ADDR_FOR_INTF		= 1<<25,
 	IEEE80211_HW_TIMING_BEACON_ONLY			= 1<<26,
 };
diff --git a/net/mac80211/debugfs.c b/net/mac80211/debugfs.c
index 8e6040998ba6..b0e32d628114 100644
--- a/net/mac80211/debugfs.c
+++ b/net/mac80211/debugfs.c
@@ -151,8 +151,6 @@ static ssize_t hwflags_read(struct file *file, char __user *user_buf,
 		sf += snprintf(buf + sf, mxln - sf, "AP_LINK_PS\n");
 	if (local->hw.flags & IEEE80211_HW_TX_AMPDU_SETUP_IN_HW)
 		sf += snprintf(buf + sf, mxln - sf, "TX_AMPDU_SETUP_IN_HW\n");
-	if (local->hw.flags & IEEE80211_HW_SCAN_WHILE_IDLE)
-		sf += snprintf(buf + sf, mxln - sf, "SCAN_WHILE_IDLE\n");
 
 	rv = simple_read_from_buffer(user_buf, count, ppos, buf, strlen(buf));
 	kfree(buf);
diff --git a/net/mac80211/iface.c b/net/mac80211/iface.c
index deb78e864af6..3ece8eb6d2df 100644
--- a/net/mac80211/iface.c
+++ b/net/mac80211/iface.c
@@ -151,12 +151,8 @@ static u32 __ieee80211_recalc_idle(struct ieee80211_local *local)
 		}
 	}
 
-	sdata = rcu_dereference_protected(local->scan_sdata,
-					  lockdep_is_held(&local->mtx));
-	if (sdata && !(local->hw.flags & IEEE80211_HW_SCAN_WHILE_IDLE)) {
-		scanning = true;
-		sdata->vif.bss_conf.idle = false;
-	}
+	scanning = test_bit(SCAN_SW_SCANNING, &local->scanning) ||
+		   test_bit(SCAN_ONCHANNEL_SCANNING, &local->scanning);
 
 	list_for_each_entry(sdata, &local->interfaces, list) {
 		if (sdata->vif.type == NL80211_IFTYPE_MONITOR ||
diff --git a/net/mac80211/main.c b/net/mac80211/main.c
index 2220331f4b7c..38b3468bc515 100644
--- a/net/mac80211/main.c
+++ b/net/mac80211/main.c
@@ -696,9 +696,6 @@ int ieee80211_register_hw(struct ieee80211_hw *hw)
 		return -EINVAL;
 #endif
 
-	if ((hw->flags & IEEE80211_HW_SCAN_WHILE_IDLE) && !local->ops->hw_scan)
-		return -EINVAL;
-
 	if (!local->use_chanctx) {
 		for (i = 0; i < local->hw.wiphy->n_iface_combinations; i++) {
 			const struct ieee80211_iface_combination *comb;