diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/mvm/mld-mac80211.c b/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/mvm/mld-mac80211.c
index 9aa08d289680..a5c38f389c69 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/mvm/mld-mac80211.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/mvm/mld-mac80211.c
@@ -331,23 +331,18 @@ __iwl_mvm_mld_assign_vif_chanctx(struct iwl_mvm *mvm,
 	if (ret)
 		goto out;
 
-	/* Initialize rate control for the AP station, since we might be
-	 * doing a link switch here - we cannot initialize it before since
-	 * this needs the phy context assigned (and in FW?), and we cannot
-	 * do it later because it needs to be initialized as soon as we're
-	 * able to TX on the link, i.e. when active.
+	/*
+	 * if link switching (link not active yet) we'll activate it in
+	 * firmware later on link-info change, which mac80211 guarantees
+	 * for link switch after the stations are set up
 	 */
-	if (mvmvif->ap_sta) {
-		struct ieee80211_link_sta *link_sta;
-
-		rcu_read_lock();
-		link_sta = rcu_dereference(mvmvif->ap_sta->link[link_id]);
-
-		if (!WARN_ON_ONCE(!link_sta))
-			iwl_mvm_rs_rate_init(mvm, vif, mvmvif->ap_sta,
-					     link_conf, link_sta,
-					     phy_ctxt->channel->band);
-		rcu_read_unlock();
+	if (ieee80211_vif_link_active(vif, link_conf->link_id)) {
+		ret = iwl_mvm_link_changed(mvm, vif, link_conf,
+					   LINK_CONTEXT_MODIFY_ACTIVE |
+					   LINK_CONTEXT_MODIFY_RATES_INFO,
+					   true);
+		if (ret)
+			goto out;
 	}
 
 	if (vif->type == NL80211_IFTYPE_STATION)
@@ -355,14 +350,6 @@ __iwl_mvm_mld_assign_vif_chanctx(struct iwl_mvm *mvm,
 							link_conf,
 							false);
 
-	/* then activate */
-	ret = iwl_mvm_link_changed(mvm, vif, link_conf,
-				   LINK_CONTEXT_MODIFY_ACTIVE |
-				   LINK_CONTEXT_MODIFY_RATES_INFO,
-				   true);
-	if (ret)
-		goto out;
-
 	/*
 	 * Power state must be updated before quotas,
 	 * otherwise fw will complain.
@@ -775,6 +762,11 @@ iwl_mvm_mld_link_info_changed_station(struct iwl_mvm *mvm,
 	if (WARN_ON_ONCE(!mvmvif->link[link_conf->link_id]))
 		return;
 
+	/* not yet marked active in vif means during link switch */
+	if (!ieee80211_vif_link_active(vif, link_conf->link_id) &&
+	    vif->cfg.assoc && mvmvif->link[link_conf->link_id]->phy_ctxt)
+		link_changes |= LINK_CONTEXT_MODIFY_ACTIVE;
+
 	has_he = link_conf->he_support && !iwlwifi_mod_params.disable_11ax;
 	has_eht = link_conf->eht_support && !iwlwifi_mod_params.disable_11be;
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/mvm/mld-sta.c b/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/mvm/mld-sta.c
index 28a9d90ad1cd..99eb1e1db1bb 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/mvm/mld-sta.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/mvm/mld-sta.c
@@ -1182,6 +1182,9 @@ int iwl_mvm_mld_update_sta_links(struct iwl_mvm *mvm,
 		link_sta_added_to_fw |= BIT(link_id);
 
 		iwl_mvm_rs_add_sta_link(mvm, mvm_sta_link);
+
+		iwl_mvm_rs_rate_init(mvm, vif, sta, link_conf, link_sta,
+				     link_conf->chanreq.oper.chan->band);
 	}
 
 	if (sta_mask_added) {
diff --git a/net/mac80211/link.c b/net/mac80211/link.c
index 503bdea904bc..e8def387d0f8 100644
--- a/net/mac80211/link.c
+++ b/net/mac80211/link.c
@@ -388,6 +388,37 @@ static int _ieee80211_set_active_links(struct ieee80211_sub_if_data *sdata,
 						 jiffies);
 	}
 
+	for_each_set_bit(link_id, &add, IEEE80211_MLD_MAX_NUM_LINKS) {
+		struct ieee80211_link_data *link;
+
+		link = sdata_dereference(sdata->link[link_id], sdata);
+
+		/*
+		 * This call really should not fail. Unfortunately, it appears
+		 * that this may happen occasionally with some drivers. Should
+		 * it happen, we are stuck in a bad place as going backwards is
+		 * not really feasible.
+		 *
+		 * So lets just tell link_use_channel that it must not fail to
+		 * assign the channel context (from mac80211's perspective) and
+		 * assume the driver is going to trigger a recovery flow if it
+		 * had a failure.
+		 * That really is not great nor guaranteed to work. But at least
+		 * the internal mac80211 state remains consistent and there is
+		 * a chance that we can recover.
+		 */
+		ret = _ieee80211_link_use_channel(link,
+						  &link->conf->chanreq,
+						  IEEE80211_CHANCTX_SHARED,
+						  true);
+		WARN_ON_ONCE(ret);
+
+		/*
+		 * inform about the link info changed parameters after all
+		 * stations are also added
+		 */
+	}
+
 	list_for_each_entry(sta, &local->sta_list, list) {
 		if (sdata != sta->sdata)
 			continue;
@@ -431,26 +462,6 @@ static int _ieee80211_set_active_links(struct ieee80211_sub_if_data *sdata,
 
 		link = sdata_dereference(sdata->link[link_id], sdata);
 
-		/*
-		 * This call really should not fail. Unfortunately, it appears
-		 * that this may happen occasionally with some drivers. Should
-		 * it happen, we are stuck in a bad place as going backwards is
-		 * not really feasible.
-		 *
-		 * So lets just tell link_use_channel that it must not fail to
-		 * assign the channel context (from mac80211's perspective) and
-		 * assume the driver is going to trigger a recovery flow if it
-		 * had a failure.
-		 * That really is not great nor guaranteed to work. But at least
-		 * the internal mac80211 state remains consistent and there is
-		 * a chance that we can recover.
-		 */
-		ret = _ieee80211_link_use_channel(link,
-						  &link->conf->chanreq,
-						  IEEE80211_CHANCTX_SHARED,
-						  true);
-		WARN_ON_ONCE(ret);
-
 		ieee80211_mgd_set_link_qos_params(link);
 		ieee80211_link_info_change_notify(sdata, link,
 						  BSS_CHANGED_ERP_CTS_PROT |