diff --git a/tests/test-bss.c b/tests/test-bss.c
index 3e0900140..97af7e4a1 100644
--- a/tests/test-bss.c
+++ b/tests/test-bss.c
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ void test_parse_basic_ml(struct wpa_supplicant *wpa_s, u8 mld_id)
 					     &missing_links, NULL, &ap_mld_id);
 
 	ASSERT_CMP_INT(ret, ==, 0);
-	ASSERT_CMP_INT(bss.bss.n_mld_links, ==, 1);
+	ASSERT_CMP_INT(bss.bss.valid_links, ==, 1);
 	ASSERT_CMP_INT(missing_links, ==, 0x0002);
 	ASSERT_CMP_INT(ap_mld_id, ==, mld_id);
 }
diff --git a/wpa_supplicant/bss.c b/wpa_supplicant/bss.c
index 3a061ea60..9e34135e1 100644
--- a/wpa_supplicant/bss.c
+++ b/wpa_supplicant/bss.c
@@ -1510,9 +1510,6 @@ wpa_bss_parse_ml_rnr_ap_info(struct wpa_supplicant *wpa_s,
 	for (i = 0; i < count; i++) {
 		u8 bss_params;
 
-		if (bss->n_mld_links >= MAX_NUM_MLD_LINKS)
-			return;
-
 		if (end - pos < ap_info->tbtt_info_len)
 			break;
 
@@ -1520,6 +1517,8 @@ wpa_bss_parse_ml_rnr_ap_info(struct wpa_supplicant *wpa_s,
 		mld_params = pos + mld_params_offset;
 
 		link_id = *(mld_params + 1) & EHT_ML_LINK_ID_MSK;
+		if (link_id >= MAX_NUM_MLD_LINKS)
+			return;
 
 		if (*mld_params != mbssid_idx) {
 			wpa_printf(MSG_DEBUG,
@@ -1543,13 +1542,12 @@ wpa_bss_parse_ml_rnr_ap_info(struct wpa_supplicant *wpa_s,
 					   wpa_s, neigh_bss->bssid)) {
 				struct mld_link *l;
 
-				l = &bss->mld_links[bss->n_mld_links];
-				l->link_id = link_id;
+				bss->valid_links |= BIT(link_id);
+				l = &bss->mld_links[link_id];
 				os_memcpy(l->bssid, pos + 1, ETH_ALEN);
 				l->freq = neigh_bss->freq;
 				l->disabled = mld_params[2] &
 					RNR_TBTT_INFO_MLD_PARAM2_LINK_DISABLED;
-				bss->n_mld_links++;
 			}
 		}
 
@@ -1675,15 +1673,15 @@ int wpa_bss_parse_basic_ml_element(struct wpa_supplicant *wpa_s,
 		os_memcpy(ap_mld_addr, ml_basic_common_info->mld_addr,
 			  ETH_ALEN);
 
-	bss->n_mld_links = 0;
-	l = &bss->mld_links[bss->n_mld_links];
 	link_id = ml_basic_common_info->variable[0] & EHT_ML_LINK_ID_MSK;
-	l->link_id = link_id;
+
+	bss->mld_link_id = link_id;
+	seen = bss->valid_links = BIT(link_id);
+
+	l = &bss->mld_links[link_id];
 	os_memcpy(l->bssid, bss->bssid, ETH_ALEN);
 	l->freq = bss->freq;
 
-	seen = BIT(link_id);
-	bss->n_mld_links++;
 
 	/*
 	 * The AP MLD ID in the RNR corresponds to the MBSSID index, see
@@ -1733,13 +1731,12 @@ int wpa_bss_parse_basic_ml_element(struct wpa_supplicant *wpa_s,
 		}
 	}
 
-	wpa_printf(MSG_DEBUG, "MLD: n_mld_links=%u (unresolved: 0x%04hx)",
-		   bss->n_mld_links, missing);
+	wpa_printf(MSG_DEBUG, "MLD: valid_links=%04hx (unresolved: 0x%04hx)",
+		   bss->valid_links, missing);
 
-	for (i = 0; i < bss->n_mld_links; i++) {
+	for_each_link(bss->valid_links, i) {
 		wpa_printf(MSG_DEBUG, "MLD: link=%u, bssid=" MACSTR,
-			   bss->mld_links[i].link_id,
-			   MAC2STR(bss->mld_links[i].bssid));
+			   i, MAC2STR(bss->mld_links[i].bssid));
 	}
 
 	if (missing_links)
diff --git a/wpa_supplicant/bss.h b/wpa_supplicant/bss.h
index c06c20acf..cc0496324 100644
--- a/wpa_supplicant/bss.h
+++ b/wpa_supplicant/bss.h
@@ -126,11 +126,12 @@ struct wpa_bss {
 	size_t beacon_ie_len;
 	/** MLD address of the AP */
 	u8 mld_addr[ETH_ALEN];
+	/** Link ID of this affiliated AP of the AP MLD */
+	u8 mld_link_id;
 
 	/** An array of MLD links */
-	u8 n_mld_links;
+	u16 valid_links;
 	struct mld_link {
-		u8 link_id;
 		u8 bssid[ETH_ALEN];
 		int freq;
 
diff --git a/wpa_supplicant/events.c b/wpa_supplicant/events.c
index cdc17b3c9..9346a4f61 100644
--- a/wpa_supplicant/events.c
+++ b/wpa_supplicant/events.c
@@ -1155,19 +1155,18 @@ static void owe_trans_ssid(struct wpa_supplicant *wpa_s, struct wpa_bss *bss,
 
 
 static bool wpas_valid_ml_bss(struct wpa_supplicant *wpa_s, struct wpa_bss *bss)
-
 {
 	u16 removed_links;
 
 	if (wpa_bss_parse_basic_ml_element(wpa_s, bss, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL))
 		return true;
 
-	if (bss->n_mld_links == 0)
+	if (!bss->valid_links)
 		return true;
 
 	/* Check if the current BSS is going to be removed */
 	removed_links = wpa_bss_parse_reconf_ml_element(wpa_s, bss);
-	if (BIT(bss->mld_links[0].link_id) & removed_links)
+	if (BIT(bss->mld_link_id) & removed_links)
 		return false;
 
 	return true;
diff --git a/wpa_supplicant/sme.c b/wpa_supplicant/sme.c
index d12ffb3ce..045ea6d62 100644
--- a/wpa_supplicant/sme.c
+++ b/wpa_supplicant/sme.c
@@ -517,21 +517,23 @@ out:
 static void wpas_sme_set_mlo_links(struct wpa_supplicant *wpa_s,
 				   struct wpa_bss *bss)
 {
-	int i;
+	u8 i;
 
 	wpa_s->valid_links = 0;
+	wpa_s->mlo_assoc_link_id = bss->mld_link_id;
 
-	for (i = 0; i < bss->n_mld_links; i++) {
-		u8 link_id = bss->mld_links[i].link_id;
+	for_each_link(bss->valid_links, i) {
 		const u8 *bssid = bss->mld_links[i].bssid;
 
-		if (i == 0)
-			wpa_s->mlo_assoc_link_id = link_id;
-		wpa_s->valid_links |= BIT(link_id);
-		os_memcpy(wpa_s->links[link_id].bssid, bssid, ETH_ALEN);
-		wpa_s->links[link_id].freq = bss->mld_links[i].freq;
-		wpa_s->links[link_id].bss = wpa_bss_get_bssid(wpa_s, bssid);
-		wpa_s->links[link_id].disabled = bss->mld_links[i].disabled;
+		wpa_s->valid_links |= BIT(i);
+		os_memcpy(wpa_s->links[i].bssid, bssid, ETH_ALEN);
+		wpa_s->links[i].freq = bss->mld_links[i].freq;
+		wpa_s->links[i].disabled = bss->mld_links[i].disabled;
+
+		if (bss->mld_link_id == i)
+			wpa_s->links[i].bss = bss;
+		else
+			wpa_s->links[i].bss = wpa_bss_get_bssid(wpa_s, bssid);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -572,7 +574,7 @@ static void sme_send_authentication(struct wpa_supplicant *wpa_s,
 	if ((wpa_s->drv_flags2 & WPA_DRIVER_FLAGS2_MLO) &&
 	    !wpa_bss_parse_basic_ml_element(wpa_s, bss, wpa_s->ap_mld_addr,
 					    NULL, ssid, NULL) &&
-	    bss->n_mld_links) {
+	    bss->valid_links) {
 		wpa_printf(MSG_DEBUG, "MLD: In authentication");
 		wpas_sme_set_mlo_links(wpa_s, bss);