char *ie, size_t len);
 
 void ieee80211_mlme_notify_scan_completed(struct ieee80211_local *local);
+void ieee80211_scan_failed(struct ieee80211_local *local);
 int ieee80211_start_scan(struct ieee80211_sub_if_data *scan_sdata,
                         struct cfg80211_scan_request *req);
 struct ieee80211_bss *
 
                                local->int_scan_req.ssids[0].ssid_len = 0;
                        else
                                local->int_scan_req.ssids[0].ssid_len = ifmgd->ssid_len;
-                       ieee80211_start_scan(sdata, &local->int_scan_req);
+
+                       if (ieee80211_start_scan(sdata, &local->int_scan_req))
+                               ieee80211_scan_failed(local);
+
                        ifmgd->state = IEEE80211_STA_MLME_AUTHENTICATE;
                        set_bit(IEEE80211_STA_REQ_AUTH, &ifmgd->request);
                } else {
            ifmgd->state != IEEE80211_STA_MLME_AUTHENTICATE &&
            ifmgd->state != IEEE80211_STA_MLME_ASSOCIATE &&
            test_and_clear_bit(IEEE80211_STA_REQ_SCAN, &ifmgd->request)) {
-               ieee80211_start_scan(sdata, local->scan_req);
+               /*
+                * The call to ieee80211_start_scan can fail but ieee80211_request_scan
+                * (which queued ieee80211_sta_work) did not return an error. Thus, call
+                * ieee80211_scan_failed here if ieee80211_start_scan fails in order to
+                * notify the scan requester.
+                */
+               if (ieee80211_start_scan(sdata, local->scan_req))
+                       ieee80211_scan_failed(local);
                return;
        }
 
 
        return RX_QUEUED;
 }
 
+void ieee80211_scan_failed(struct ieee80211_local *local)
+{
+       if (WARN_ON(!local->scan_req))
+               return;
+
+       /* notify cfg80211 about the failed scan */
+       if (local->scan_req != &local->int_scan_req)
+               cfg80211_scan_done(local->scan_req, true);
+
+       local->scan_req = NULL;
+}
+
 void ieee80211_scan_completed(struct ieee80211_hw *hw, bool aborted)
 {
        struct ieee80211_local *local = hw_to_local(hw);