diff --git a/src/drivers/driver_nl80211.c b/src/drivers/driver_nl80211.c
index 5cff47fab..9d8137e00 100644
--- a/src/drivers/driver_nl80211.c
+++ b/src/drivers/driver_nl80211.c
@@ -2603,9 +2603,11 @@ static void wpa_driver_nl80211_deinit(struct i802_bss *bss)
 			wpa_printf(MSG_INFO, "nl80211: Failed to remove "
 				   "interface %s from bridge %s: %s",
 				   bss->ifname, bss->brname, strerror(errno));
-		if (drv->rtnl_sk)
-			nl80211_handle_destroy(drv->rtnl_sk);
 	}
+
+	if (drv->rtnl_sk)
+		nl80211_handle_destroy(drv->rtnl_sk);
+
 	if (bss->added_bridge) {
 		if (linux_set_iface_flags(drv->global->ioctl_sock, bss->brname,
 					  0) < 0)
@@ -6610,8 +6612,10 @@ static int i802_check_bridge(struct wpa_driver_nl80211_data *drv,
 	bss->br_ifindex = br_ifindex;
 
 	if (linux_br_get(in_br, ifname) == 0) {
-		if (os_strcmp(in_br, brname) == 0)
+		if (os_strcmp(in_br, brname) == 0) {
+			bss->already_in_bridge = 1;
 			return 0; /* already in the bridge */
+		}
 
 		wpa_printf(MSG_DEBUG, "nl80211: Removing interface %s from "
 			   "bridge %s", ifname, in_br);
@@ -6708,7 +6712,7 @@ static void *i802_init(struct hostapd_data *hapd,
 		add_ifidx(drv, br_ifindex, drv->ifindex);
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_LIBNL3_ROUTE
-	if (bss->added_if_into_bridge) {
+	if (bss->added_if_into_bridge || bss->already_in_bridge) {
 		drv->rtnl_sk = nl_socket_alloc();
 		if (drv->rtnl_sk == NULL) {
 			wpa_printf(MSG_ERROR, "nl80211: Failed to allocate nl_sock");
@@ -8500,7 +8504,7 @@ static int wpa_driver_nl80211_status(void *priv, char *buf, size_t buflen)
 			  "brname=%s\n"
 			  "addr=" MACSTR "\n"
 			  "freq=%d\n"
-			  "%s%s%s%s%s",
+			  "%s%s%s%s%s%s",
 			  bss->ifindex,
 			  bss->ifname,
 			  bss->brname,
@@ -8509,6 +8513,7 @@ static int wpa_driver_nl80211_status(void *priv, char *buf, size_t buflen)
 			  bss->beacon_set ? "beacon_set=1\n" : "",
 			  bss->added_if_into_bridge ?
 			  "added_if_into_bridge=1\n" : "",
+			  bss->already_in_bridge ? "already_in_bridge=1\n" : "",
 			  bss->added_bridge ? "added_bridge=1\n" : "",
 			  bss->in_deinit ? "in_deinit=1\n" : "",
 			  bss->if_dynamic ? "if_dynamic=1\n" : "");
diff --git a/src/drivers/driver_nl80211.h b/src/drivers/driver_nl80211.h
index 4bdeaa066..5ac0c7dfc 100644
--- a/src/drivers/driver_nl80211.h
+++ b/src/drivers/driver_nl80211.h
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ struct i802_bss {
 	char brname[IFNAMSIZ];
 	unsigned int beacon_set:1;
 	unsigned int added_if_into_bridge:1;
+	unsigned int already_in_bridge:1;
 	unsigned int added_bridge:1;
 	unsigned int in_deinit:1;
 	unsigned int wdev_id_set:1;