return -EIO;
        }
 
+       /*
+        * Synchronous commands from this op-mode must hold
+        * the mutex, this ensures we don't try to send two
+        * (or more) synchronous commands at a time.
+        */
+       if (cmd->flags & CMD_SYNC)
+               lockdep_assert_held(&priv->shrd->mutex);
+
        return iwl_trans_send_cmd(trans(priv), cmd);
 }
 
 
        int cmd_idx;
        int ret;
 
-       lockdep_assert_held(&trans->shrd->mutex);
-
        IWL_DEBUG_INFO(trans, "Attempting to send sync command %s\n",
                        get_cmd_string(cmd->id));
 
                               get_cmd_string(cmd->id));
                return -EIO;
        }
-       set_bit(STATUS_HCMD_ACTIVE, &trans->shrd->status);
+
+       if (WARN_ON(test_and_set_bit(STATUS_HCMD_ACTIVE,
+                                    &trans->shrd->status))) {
+               IWL_ERR(trans, "Command %s: a command is already active!\n",
+                       get_cmd_string(cmd->id));
+               return -EIO;
+       }
+
        IWL_DEBUG_INFO(trans, "Setting HCMD_ACTIVE for command %s\n",
                        get_cmd_string(cmd->id));