diff --git a/net/mac80211/ibss.c b/net/mac80211/ibss.c
index e8df4ce33984..60b5230778a3 100644
--- a/net/mac80211/ibss.c
+++ b/net/mac80211/ibss.c
@@ -351,10 +351,8 @@ static void __ieee80211_sta_join_ibss(struct ieee80211_sub_if_data *sdata,
 	bss_change |= BSS_CHANGED_ERP_SLOT;
 
 	/* cf. IEEE 802.11 9.2.12 */
-	if (chan->band == NL80211_BAND_2GHZ && have_higher_than_11mbit)
-		sdata->flags |= IEEE80211_SDATA_OPERATING_GMODE;
-	else
-		sdata->flags &= ~IEEE80211_SDATA_OPERATING_GMODE;
+	sdata->deflink.operating_11g_mode =
+		chan->band == NL80211_BAND_2GHZ && have_higher_than_11mbit;
 
 	ieee80211_set_wmm_default(&sdata->deflink, true, false);
 
diff --git a/net/mac80211/ieee80211_i.h b/net/mac80211/ieee80211_i.h
index 877f2441b74b..baaff4c7a79c 100644
--- a/net/mac80211/ieee80211_i.h
+++ b/net/mac80211/ieee80211_i.h
@@ -726,7 +726,6 @@ struct ieee80211_if_mesh {
  * enum ieee80211_sub_if_data_flags - virtual interface flags
  *
  * @IEEE80211_SDATA_ALLMULTI: interface wants all multicast packets
- * @IEEE80211_SDATA_OPERATING_GMODE: operating in G-only mode
  * @IEEE80211_SDATA_DONT_BRIDGE_PACKETS: bridge packets between
  *	associated stations and deliver multicast frames both
  *	back to wireless media and to the local net stack.
@@ -737,7 +736,6 @@ struct ieee80211_if_mesh {
  */
 enum ieee80211_sub_if_data_flags {
 	IEEE80211_SDATA_ALLMULTI		= BIT(0),
-	IEEE80211_SDATA_OPERATING_GMODE		= BIT(2),
 	IEEE80211_SDATA_DONT_BRIDGE_PACKETS	= BIT(3),
 	IEEE80211_SDATA_DISCONNECT_RESUME	= BIT(4),
 	IEEE80211_SDATA_IN_DRIVER		= BIT(5),
@@ -884,6 +882,7 @@ struct ieee80211_link_data_managed {
 	bool have_beacon;
 	bool tracking_signal_avg;
 	bool disable_wmm_tracking;
+	bool operating_11g_mode;
 
 	bool csa_waiting_bcn;
 	bool csa_ignored_same_chan;
@@ -946,6 +945,9 @@ struct ieee80211_link_data {
 
 	struct work_struct csa_finalize_work;
 	bool csa_block_tx; /* write-protected by sdata_lock and local->mtx */
+
+	bool operating_11g_mode;
+
 	struct cfg80211_chan_def csa_chandef;
 
 	struct work_struct color_change_finalize_work;
diff --git a/net/mac80211/mlme.c b/net/mac80211/mlme.c
index 3986bf70fc5c..6822bf1c3cae 100644
--- a/net/mac80211/mlme.c
+++ b/net/mac80211/mlme.c
@@ -5810,11 +5810,8 @@ static int ieee80211_prep_connection(struct ieee80211_sub_if_data *sdata,
 		link->conf->basic_rates = basic_rates;
 
 		/* cf. IEEE 802.11 9.2.12 */
-		if (cbss->channel->band == NL80211_BAND_2GHZ &&
-		    have_higher_than_11mbit)
-			sdata->flags |= IEEE80211_SDATA_OPERATING_GMODE;
-		else
-			sdata->flags &= ~IEEE80211_SDATA_OPERATING_GMODE;
+		link->operating_11g_mode = sband->band == NL80211_BAND_2GHZ &&
+					   have_higher_than_11mbit;
 
 skip_rates:
 		memcpy(link->u.mgd.bssid, cbss->bssid, ETH_ALEN);
diff --git a/net/mac80211/ocb.c b/net/mac80211/ocb.c
index 2ca2164a3098..8664fee699e9 100644
--- a/net/mac80211/ocb.c
+++ b/net/mac80211/ocb.c
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ int ieee80211_ocb_join(struct ieee80211_sub_if_data *sdata,
 	if (ifocb->joined == true)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
-	sdata->flags |= IEEE80211_SDATA_OPERATING_GMODE;
+	sdata->deflink.operating_11g_mode = true;
 	sdata->deflink.smps_mode = IEEE80211_SMPS_OFF;
 	sdata->deflink.needed_rx_chains = sdata->local->rx_chains;
 
diff --git a/net/mac80211/tx.c b/net/mac80211/tx.c
index b9cb71dfa6cf..f10318cadd4c 100644
--- a/net/mac80211/tx.c
+++ b/net/mac80211/tx.c
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ static __le16 ieee80211_duration(struct ieee80211_tx_data *tx,
 		case NL80211_BAND_2GHZ:
 		case NL80211_BAND_LC: {
 			u32 flag;
-			if (tx->sdata->flags & IEEE80211_SDATA_OPERATING_GMODE)
+			if (tx->sdata->deflink.operating_11g_mode)
 				flag = IEEE80211_RATE_MANDATORY_G;
 			else
 				flag = IEEE80211_RATE_MANDATORY_B;
diff --git a/net/mac80211/util.c b/net/mac80211/util.c
index b6ddcbbb22e8..a6963feaf75d 100644
--- a/net/mac80211/util.c
+++ b/net/mac80211/util.c
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ __le16 ieee80211_generic_frame_duration(struct ieee80211_hw *hw,
 	if (vif) {
 		sdata = vif_to_sdata(vif);
 		short_preamble = sdata->vif.bss_conf.use_short_preamble;
-		if (sdata->flags & IEEE80211_SDATA_OPERATING_GMODE)
+		if (sdata->deflink.operating_11g_mode)
 			erp = rate->flags & IEEE80211_RATE_ERP_G;
 		shift = ieee80211_vif_get_shift(vif);
 	}
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ __le16 ieee80211_rts_duration(struct ieee80211_hw *hw,
 	if (vif) {
 		sdata = vif_to_sdata(vif);
 		short_preamble = sdata->vif.bss_conf.use_short_preamble;
-		if (sdata->flags & IEEE80211_SDATA_OPERATING_GMODE)
+		if (sdata->deflink.operating_11g_mode)
 			erp = rate->flags & IEEE80211_RATE_ERP_G;
 		shift = ieee80211_vif_get_shift(vif);
 	}
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ __le16 ieee80211_ctstoself_duration(struct ieee80211_hw *hw,
 	if (vif) {
 		sdata = vif_to_sdata(vif);
 		short_preamble = sdata->vif.bss_conf.use_short_preamble;
-		if (sdata->flags & IEEE80211_SDATA_OPERATING_GMODE)
+		if (sdata->deflink.operating_11g_mode)
 			erp = rate->flags & IEEE80211_RATE_ERP_G;
 		shift = ieee80211_vif_get_shift(vif);
 	}
@@ -1614,7 +1614,7 @@ void ieee80211_set_wmm_default(struct ieee80211_link_data *link,
 	chanctx_conf = rcu_dereference(link->conf->chanctx_conf);
 	use_11b = (chanctx_conf &&
 		   chanctx_conf->def.chan->band == NL80211_BAND_2GHZ) &&
-		 !(sdata->flags & IEEE80211_SDATA_OPERATING_GMODE);
+		 !link->operating_11g_mode;
 	rcu_read_unlock();
 
 	is_ocb = (sdata->vif.type == NL80211_IFTYPE_OCB);
