--- a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/main.c
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ void ath9k_ps_restore(struct ath_softc *
 	if (--sc->ps_usecount != 0)
 		goto unlock;
 
-	if (sc->ps_idle)
+	if (sc->ps_idle && !(sc->ps_flags & PS_WAIT_FOR_TX_ACK))
 		mode = ATH9K_PM_FULL_SLEEP;
 	else if (sc->ps_enabled &&
 		 !(sc->ps_flags & (PS_WAIT_FOR_BEACON |
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/xmit.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/xmit.c
@@ -1983,7 +1983,7 @@ static void ath_tx_complete(struct ath_s
 		skb_pull(skb, padsize);
 	}
 
-	if (sc->ps_flags & PS_WAIT_FOR_TX_ACK) {
+	if ((sc->ps_flags & PS_WAIT_FOR_TX_ACK) && !txq->axq_depth) {
 		sc->ps_flags &= ~PS_WAIT_FOR_TX_ACK;
 		ath_dbg(common, ATH_DBG_PS,
 			"Going back to sleep after having received TX status (0x%lx)\n",