diff --git a/net/mac80211/cfg.c b/net/mac80211/cfg.c
index 6b183a3..fbd462c 100644
--- a/net/mac80211/cfg.c
+++ b/net/mac80211/cfg.c
@@ -672,7 +672,7 @@
 
 	err = sta_info_insert(sta);
 	if (err) {
-		sta_info_destroy(sta);
+		/* STA has been freed */
 		rcu_read_unlock();
 		return err;
 	}
diff --git a/net/mac80211/ieee80211.c b/net/mac80211/ieee80211.c
index 8c0f782..5ee431b 100644
--- a/net/mac80211/ieee80211.c
+++ b/net/mac80211/ieee80211.c
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@
 
 		res = sta_info_insert(sta);
 		if (res) {
-			sta_info_destroy(sta);
+			/* STA has been freed */
 			return res;
 		}
 		break;
diff --git a/net/mac80211/ieee80211_sta.c b/net/mac80211/ieee80211_sta.c
index baa6857..00fde11 100644
--- a/net/mac80211/ieee80211_sta.c
+++ b/net/mac80211/ieee80211_sta.c
@@ -1942,7 +1942,6 @@
 		if (err) {
 			printk(KERN_DEBUG "%s: failed to insert STA entry for"
 			       " the AP (error %d)\n", dev->name, err);
-			sta_info_destroy(sta);
 			rcu_read_unlock();
 			return;
 		}
@@ -4172,10 +4171,8 @@
 
 	rate_control_rate_init(sta, local);
 
-	if (sta_info_insert(sta)) {
-		sta_info_destroy(sta);
+	if (sta_info_insert(sta))
 		return NULL;
-	}
 
 	return sta;
 }
diff --git a/net/mac80211/mesh_plink.c b/net/mac80211/mesh_plink.c
index 18fe524..56c54e3 100644
--- a/net/mac80211/mesh_plink.c
+++ b/net/mac80211/mesh_plink.c
@@ -89,6 +89,10 @@
 	sta->plink_retries = 0;
 }
 
+/*
+ * NOTE: This is just an alias for sta_info_alloc(), see notes
+ *       on it in the lifecycle management section!
+ */
 static struct sta_info *mesh_plink_alloc(struct ieee80211_sub_if_data *sdata,
 					 u8 *hw_addr, u64 rates)
 {
@@ -235,7 +239,6 @@
 			return;
 		}
 		if (sta_info_insert(sta)) {
-			sta_info_destroy(sta);
 			rcu_read_unlock();
 			return;
 		}
@@ -506,7 +509,6 @@
 			return;
 		}
 		if (sta_info_insert(sta)) {
-			sta_info_destroy(sta);
 			rcu_read_unlock();
 			return;
 		}
diff --git a/net/mac80211/sta_info.c b/net/mac80211/sta_info.c
index 2a5a2f0..5497ca1 100644
--- a/net/mac80211/sta_info.c
+++ b/net/mac80211/sta_info.c
@@ -36,16 +36,23 @@
  * (which is pretty useless) or insert it into the hash table using
  * sta_info_insert() which demotes the reference from ownership to a regular
  * RCU-protected reference; if the function is called without protection by an
- * RCU critical section the reference is instantly invalidated.
+ * RCU critical section the reference is instantly invalidated. Note that the
+ * caller may not do much with the STA info before inserting it, in particular,
+ * it may not start any mesh peer link management or add encryption keys.
+ *
+ * When the insertion fails (sta_info_insert()) returns non-zero), the
+ * structure will have been freed by sta_info_insert()!
  *
  * Because there are debugfs entries for each station, and adding those
  * must be able to sleep, it is also possible to "pin" a station entry,
  * that means it can be removed from the hash table but not be freed.
- * See the comment in __sta_info_unlink() for more information.
+ * See the comment in __sta_info_unlink() for more information, this is
+ * an internal capability only.
  *
  * In order to remove a STA info structure, the caller needs to first
  * unlink it (sta_info_unlink()) from the list and hash tables and
- * then wait for an RCU synchronisation before it can be freed. Due to
+ * then destroy it while holding the RTNL; sta_info_destroy() will wait
+ * for an RCU grace period to elapse before actually freeing it. Due to
  * the pinning and the possibility of multiple callers trying to remove
  * the same STA info at the same time, sta_info_unlink() can clear the
  * STA info pointer it is passed to indicate that the STA info is owned
@@ -127,12 +134,35 @@
 	return NULL;
 }
 
+/**
+ * __sta_info_free - internal STA free helper
+ *
+ * @sta: STA info to free
+ *
+ * This function must undo everything done by sta_info_alloc()
+ * that may happen before sta_info_insert().
+ */
+static void __sta_info_free(struct ieee80211_local *local,
+			    struct sta_info *sta)
+{
+	DECLARE_MAC_BUF(mbuf);
+
+	rate_control_free_sta(sta->rate_ctrl, sta->rate_ctrl_priv);
+	rate_control_put(sta->rate_ctrl);
+
+#ifdef CONFIG_MAC80211_VERBOSE_DEBUG
+	printk(KERN_DEBUG "%s: Destroyed STA %s\n",
+	       wiphy_name(local->hw.wiphy), print_mac(mbuf, sta->addr));
+#endif /* CONFIG_MAC80211_VERBOSE_DEBUG */
+
+	kfree(sta);
+}
+
 void sta_info_destroy(struct sta_info *sta)
 {
 	struct ieee80211_local *local;
 	struct sk_buff *skb;
 	int i;
-	DECLARE_MAC_BUF(mbuf);
 
 	ASSERT_RTNL();
 	might_sleep();
@@ -182,15 +212,7 @@
 		spin_unlock_bh(&sta->ampdu_mlme.ampdu_tx);
 	}
 
-	rate_control_free_sta(sta->rate_ctrl, sta->rate_ctrl_priv);
-	rate_control_put(sta->rate_ctrl);
-
-#ifdef CONFIG_MAC80211_VERBOSE_DEBUG
-	printk(KERN_DEBUG "%s: Destroyed STA %s\n",
-	       wiphy_name(local->hw.wiphy), print_mac(mbuf, sta->addr));
-#endif /* CONFIG_MAC80211_VERBOSE_DEBUG */
-
-	kfree(sta);
+	__sta_info_free(local, sta);
 }
 
 
@@ -266,6 +288,7 @@
 	struct ieee80211_local *local = sta->local;
 	struct ieee80211_sub_if_data *sdata = sta->sdata;
 	unsigned long flags;
+	int err = 0;
 	DECLARE_MAC_BUF(mac);
 
 	/*
@@ -273,20 +296,23 @@
 	 * something inserts a STA (on one CPU) without holding the RTNL
 	 * and another CPU turns off the net device.
 	 */
-	if (unlikely(!netif_running(sdata->dev)))
-		return -ENETDOWN;
+	if (unlikely(!netif_running(sdata->dev))) {
+		err = -ENETDOWN;
+		goto out_free;
+	}
 
-	if (WARN_ON(compare_ether_addr(sta->addr, sdata->dev->dev_addr) == 0))
-		return -EINVAL;
-
-	if (WARN_ON(is_multicast_ether_addr(sta->addr)))
-		return -EINVAL;
+	if (WARN_ON(compare_ether_addr(sta->addr, sdata->dev->dev_addr) == 0 ||
+	            is_multicast_ether_addr(sta->addr))) {
+		err = -EINVAL;
+		goto out_free;
+	}
 
 	spin_lock_irqsave(&local->sta_lock, flags);
 	/* check if STA exists already */
 	if (__sta_info_find(local, sta->addr)) {
 		spin_unlock_irqrestore(&local->sta_lock, flags);
-		return -EEXIST;
+		err = -EEXIST;
+		goto out_free;
 	}
 	list_add(&sta->list, &local->sta_list);
 	local->num_sta++;
@@ -309,9 +335,13 @@
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&local->sta_lock, flags);
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_MAC80211_DEBUGFS
-	/* debugfs entry adding might sleep, so schedule process
+	/*
+	 * Debugfs entry adding might sleep, so schedule process
 	 * context task for adding entry for STAs that do not yet
-	 * have one. */
+	 * have one.
+	 * NOTE: due to auto-freeing semantics this may only be done
+	 *       if the insertion is successful!
+	 */
 	queue_work(local->hw.workqueue, &local->sta_debugfs_add);
 #endif
 
@@ -319,6 +349,10 @@
 		mesh_accept_plinks_update(sdata);
 
 	return 0;
+ out_free:
+	BUG_ON(!err);
+	__sta_info_free(local, sta);
+	return err;
 }
 
 static inline void __bss_tim_set(struct ieee80211_if_ap *bss, u16 aid)