diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/iwl-drv.c b/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/iwl-drv.c
index 2abfc986701f8e..c620911a11933a 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/iwl-drv.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/iwl-drv.c
@@ -1413,25 +1413,35 @@ _iwl_op_mode_start(struct iwl_drv *drv, struct iwlwifi_opmode_table *op)
 	const struct iwl_op_mode_ops *ops = op->ops;
 	struct dentry *dbgfs_dir = NULL;
 	struct iwl_op_mode *op_mode = NULL;
+	int retry, max_retry = !!iwlwifi_mod_params.fw_restart * IWL_MAX_INIT_RETRY;
 
 	/* also protects start/stop from racing against each other */
 	lockdep_assert_held(&iwlwifi_opmode_table_mtx);
 
+	for (retry = 0; retry <= max_retry; retry++) {
+
 #ifdef CONFIG_IWLWIFI_DEBUGFS
-	drv->dbgfs_op_mode = debugfs_create_dir(op->name,
-						drv->dbgfs_drv);
-	dbgfs_dir = drv->dbgfs_op_mode;
+		drv->dbgfs_op_mode = debugfs_create_dir(op->name,
+							drv->dbgfs_drv);
+		dbgfs_dir = drv->dbgfs_op_mode;
 #endif
 
-	op_mode = ops->start(drv->trans, drv->trans->cfg,
-			     &drv->fw, dbgfs_dir);
-	if (op_mode)
-		return op_mode;
+		op_mode = ops->start(drv->trans, drv->trans->cfg,
+				     &drv->fw, dbgfs_dir);
+
+		if (op_mode)
+			return op_mode;
+
+		if (test_bit(STATUS_TRANS_DEAD, &drv->trans->status))
+			break;
+
+		IWL_ERR(drv, "retry init count %d\n", retry);
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_IWLWIFI_DEBUGFS
-	debugfs_remove_recursive(drv->dbgfs_op_mode);
-	drv->dbgfs_op_mode = NULL;
+		debugfs_remove_recursive(drv->dbgfs_op_mode);
+		drv->dbgfs_op_mode = NULL;
 #endif
+	}
 
 	return NULL;
 }
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/iwl-drv.h b/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/iwl-drv.h
index 1549ff42954978..6a1d31892417b4 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/iwl-drv.h
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/iwl-drv.h
@@ -98,6 +98,9 @@ void iwl_drv_stop(struct iwl_drv *drv);
 #define VISIBLE_IF_IWLWIFI_KUNIT static
 #endif
 
+/* max retry for init flow */
+#define IWL_MAX_INIT_RETRY 2
+
 #define FW_NAME_PRE_BUFSIZE	64
 struct iwl_trans;
 const char *iwl_drv_get_fwname_pre(struct iwl_trans *trans, char *buf);
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/mvm/mac80211.c b/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/mvm/mac80211.c
index 39b8159045017b..80b9a115245fe8 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/mvm/mac80211.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/mvm/mac80211.c
@@ -1293,12 +1293,14 @@ int iwl_mvm_mac_start(struct ieee80211_hw *hw)
 {
 	struct iwl_mvm *mvm = IWL_MAC80211_GET_MVM(hw);
 	int ret;
+	int retry, max_retry = 0;
 
 	mutex_lock(&mvm->mutex);
 
 	/* we are starting the mac not in error flow, and restart is enabled */
 	if (!test_bit(IWL_MVM_STATUS_HW_RESTART_REQUESTED, &mvm->status) &&
 	    iwlwifi_mod_params.fw_restart) {
+		max_retry = IWL_MAX_INIT_RETRY;
 		/*
 		 * This will prevent mac80211 recovery flows to trigger during
 		 * init failures
@@ -1306,7 +1308,13 @@ int iwl_mvm_mac_start(struct ieee80211_hw *hw)
 		set_bit(IWL_MVM_STATUS_STARTING, &mvm->status);
 	}
 
-	ret = __iwl_mvm_mac_start(mvm);
+	for (retry = 0; retry <= max_retry; retry++) {
+		ret = __iwl_mvm_mac_start(mvm);
+		if (!ret)
+			break;
+
+		IWL_ERR(mvm, "mac start retry %d\n", retry);
+	}
 	clear_bit(IWL_MVM_STATUS_STARTING, &mvm->status);
 
 	mutex_unlock(&mvm->mutex);