if (!priv->pending_tx_pkts)
                return 0;
 
-       retry = 0;
+       retry = 1;
        rc = 0;
 
        spin_lock_bh(&priv->tx_lock);
 
                spin_lock_bh(&priv->tx_lock);
 
-               if (timeout) {
+               if (timeout || !priv->pending_tx_pkts) {
                        WARN_ON(priv->pending_tx_pkts);
                        if (retry)
                                wiphy_notice(hw->wiphy, "tx rings drained\n");
                        break;
                }
 
+               if (retry) {
+                       mwl8k_tx_start(priv);
+                       retry = 0;
+                       continue;
+               }
+
                if (priv->pending_tx_pkts < oldcount) {
                        wiphy_notice(hw->wiphy,
                                     "waiting for tx rings to drain (%d -> %d pkts)\n",
                                mwl8k_remove_stream(hw, stream);
                                spin_unlock(&priv->stream_lock);
                        }
+                       mwl8k_tx_start(priv);
                        spin_unlock_bh(&priv->tx_lock);
                        pci_unmap_single(priv->pdev, dma, skb->len,
                                         PCI_DMA_TODEVICE);