diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/iwl-trans.c b/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/iwl-trans.c
index 3c9d91496c82..3b3dcaf33c9d 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/iwl-trans.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/iwl-trans.c
@@ -347,7 +347,6 @@ void __releases(nic_access)
 iwl_trans_release_nic_access(struct iwl_trans *trans)
 {
 	iwl_trans_pcie_release_nic_access(trans);
-	__release(nic_access);
 }
 IWL_EXPORT_SYMBOL(iwl_trans_release_nic_access);
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/pcie/drv.c b/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/pcie/drv.c
index 9dd0e0a51ce5..a3cabee35d47 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/pcie/drv.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/pcie/drv.c
@@ -1652,10 +1652,24 @@ static int _iwl_pci_resume(struct device *device, bool restore)
 	 * need to reset it completely.
 	 * Note: MAC (bits 0:7) will be cleared upon suspend even with wowlan,
 	 * so assume that any bits there mean that the device is usable.
+	 * For older devices, just try silently to grab the NIC.
 	 */
-	if (trans->trans_cfg->device_family >= IWL_DEVICE_FAMILY_BZ &&
-	    !iwl_read32(trans, CSR_FUNC_SCRATCH))
-		device_was_powered_off = true;
+	if (trans->trans_cfg->device_family >= IWL_DEVICE_FAMILY_BZ) {
+		if (!iwl_read32(trans, CSR_FUNC_SCRATCH))
+			device_was_powered_off = true;
+	} else {
+		/*
+		 * bh are re-enabled by iwl_trans_pcie_release_nic_access,
+		 * so re-enable them if _iwl_trans_pcie_grab_nic_access fails.
+		 */
+		local_bh_disable();
+		if (_iwl_trans_pcie_grab_nic_access(trans, true)) {
+			iwl_trans_pcie_release_nic_access(trans);
+		} else {
+			device_was_powered_off = true;
+			local_bh_enable();
+		}
+	}
 
 	if (restore || device_was_powered_off) {
 		trans->state = IWL_TRANS_NO_FW;
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/pcie/internal.h b/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/pcie/internal.h
index ebe9b25cc53a..6019114a5d1a 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/pcie/internal.h
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/pcie/internal.h
@@ -558,10 +558,10 @@ void iwl_trans_pcie_free(struct iwl_trans *trans);
 void iwl_trans_pcie_free_pnvm_dram_regions(struct iwl_dram_regions *dram_regions,
 					   struct device *dev);
 
-bool __iwl_trans_pcie_grab_nic_access(struct iwl_trans *trans);
-#define _iwl_trans_pcie_grab_nic_access(trans)			\
+bool __iwl_trans_pcie_grab_nic_access(struct iwl_trans *trans, bool silent);
+#define _iwl_trans_pcie_grab_nic_access(trans, silent)		\
 	__cond_lock(nic_access_nobh,				\
-		    likely(__iwl_trans_pcie_grab_nic_access(trans)))
+		    likely(__iwl_trans_pcie_grab_nic_access(trans, silent)))
 
 /*****************************************************
 * RX
@@ -1102,7 +1102,8 @@ void iwl_trans_pcie_set_bits_mask(struct iwl_trans *trans, u32 reg,
 int iwl_trans_pcie_read_config32(struct iwl_trans *trans, u32 ofs,
 				 u32 *val);
 bool iwl_trans_pcie_grab_nic_access(struct iwl_trans *trans);
-void iwl_trans_pcie_release_nic_access(struct iwl_trans *trans);
+void __releases(nic_access_nobh)
+iwl_trans_pcie_release_nic_access(struct iwl_trans *trans);
 
 /* transport gen 1 exported functions */
 void iwl_trans_pcie_fw_alive(struct iwl_trans *trans, u32 scd_addr);
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/pcie/trans.c b/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/pcie/trans.c
index d19b3bd0866b..18d7d59ae581 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/pcie/trans.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/pcie/trans.c
@@ -2191,7 +2191,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(iwl_trans_pcie_remove);
  * This version doesn't disable BHs but rather assumes they're
  * already disabled.
  */
-bool __iwl_trans_pcie_grab_nic_access(struct iwl_trans *trans)
+bool __iwl_trans_pcie_grab_nic_access(struct iwl_trans *trans, bool silent)
 {
 	int ret;
 	struct iwl_trans_pcie *trans_pcie = IWL_TRANS_GET_PCIE_TRANS(trans);
@@ -2243,6 +2243,11 @@ bool __iwl_trans_pcie_grab_nic_access(struct iwl_trans *trans)
 	if (unlikely(ret < 0)) {
 		u32 cntrl = iwl_read32(trans, CSR_GP_CNTRL);
 
+		if (silent) {
+			spin_unlock(&trans_pcie->reg_lock);
+			return false;
+		}
+
 		WARN_ONCE(1,
 			  "Timeout waiting for hardware access (CSR_GP_CNTRL 0x%08x)\n",
 			  cntrl);
@@ -2273,7 +2278,7 @@ bool iwl_trans_pcie_grab_nic_access(struct iwl_trans *trans)
 	bool ret;
 
 	local_bh_disable();
-	ret = __iwl_trans_pcie_grab_nic_access(trans);
+	ret = __iwl_trans_pcie_grab_nic_access(trans, false);
 	if (ret) {
 		/* keep BHs disabled until iwl_trans_pcie_release_nic_access */
 		return ret;
@@ -2282,7 +2287,8 @@ bool iwl_trans_pcie_grab_nic_access(struct iwl_trans *trans)
 	return false;
 }
 
-void iwl_trans_pcie_release_nic_access(struct iwl_trans *trans)
+void __releases(nic_access_nobh)
+iwl_trans_pcie_release_nic_access(struct iwl_trans *trans)
 {
 	struct iwl_trans_pcie *trans_pcie = IWL_TRANS_GET_PCIE_TRANS(trans);
 
@@ -2309,6 +2315,7 @@ void iwl_trans_pcie_release_nic_access(struct iwl_trans *trans)
 	 * scheduled on different CPUs (after we drop reg_lock).
 	 */
 out:
+	__release(nic_access_nobh);
 	spin_unlock_bh(&trans_pcie->reg_lock);
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/pcie/tx.c b/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/pcie/tx.c
index 9fcdd06e126a..f0213a6b8cf5 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/pcie/tx.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/pcie/tx.c
@@ -1021,7 +1021,7 @@ static int iwl_pcie_set_cmd_in_flight(struct iwl_trans *trans,
 	 * returned. This needs to be done only on NICs that have
 	 * apmg_wake_up_wa set (see above.)
 	 */
-	if (!_iwl_trans_pcie_grab_nic_access(trans))
+	if (!_iwl_trans_pcie_grab_nic_access(trans, false))
 		return -EIO;
 
 	/*