diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/pcie/internal.h b/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/pcie/internal.h
index 7805a42948af..a7eebe400b5b 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/pcie/internal.h
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/pcie/internal.h
@@ -386,7 +386,7 @@ struct iwl_trans_pcie {
 	dma_addr_t iml_dma_addr;
 	struct iwl_trans *trans;
 
-	struct net_device napi_dev;
+	struct net_device *napi_dev;
 
 	/* INT ICT Table */
 	__le32 *ict_tbl;
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/pcie/rx.c b/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/pcie/rx.c
index 9c2461ba13c5..984d7bcd381f 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/pcie/rx.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/pcie/rx.c
@@ -1000,6 +1000,11 @@ void iwl_pcie_rx_init_rxb_lists(struct iwl_rxq *rxq)
 
 static int iwl_pcie_rx_handle(struct iwl_trans *trans, int queue, int budget);
 
+static inline struct iwl_trans_pcie *iwl_netdev_to_trans_pcie(struct net_device *dev)
+{
+	return *(struct iwl_trans_pcie **)netdev_priv(dev);
+}
+
 static int iwl_pcie_napi_poll(struct napi_struct *napi, int budget)
 {
 	struct iwl_rxq *rxq = container_of(napi, struct iwl_rxq, napi);
@@ -1007,7 +1012,7 @@ static int iwl_pcie_napi_poll(struct napi_struct *napi, int budget)
 	struct iwl_trans *trans;
 	int ret;
 
-	trans_pcie = container_of(napi->dev, struct iwl_trans_pcie, napi_dev);
+	trans_pcie = iwl_netdev_to_trans_pcie(napi->dev);
 	trans = trans_pcie->trans;
 
 	ret = iwl_pcie_rx_handle(trans, rxq->id, budget);
@@ -1034,7 +1039,7 @@ static int iwl_pcie_napi_poll_msix(struct napi_struct *napi, int budget)
 	struct iwl_trans *trans;
 	int ret;
 
-	trans_pcie = container_of(napi->dev, struct iwl_trans_pcie, napi_dev);
+	trans_pcie = iwl_netdev_to_trans_pcie(napi->dev);
 	trans = trans_pcie->trans;
 
 	ret = iwl_pcie_rx_handle(trans, rxq->id, budget);
@@ -1131,7 +1136,7 @@ static int _iwl_pcie_rx_init(struct iwl_trans *trans)
 			if (trans_pcie->msix_enabled)
 				poll = iwl_pcie_napi_poll_msix;
 
-			netif_napi_add(&trans_pcie->napi_dev, &rxq->napi,
+			netif_napi_add(trans_pcie->napi_dev, &rxq->napi,
 				       poll);
 			napi_enable(&rxq->napi);
 		}
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/pcie/trans.c b/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/pcie/trans.c
index 6c76b2dd6878..e5af3d7dfbb1 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/pcie/trans.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/pcie/trans.c
@@ -1986,13 +1986,6 @@ static void iwl_trans_pcie_configure(struct iwl_trans *trans,
 	trans->command_groups = trans_cfg->command_groups;
 	trans->command_groups_size = trans_cfg->command_groups_size;
 
-	/* Initialize NAPI here - it should be before registering to mac80211
-	 * in the opmode but after the HW struct is allocated.
-	 * As this function may be called again in some corner cases don't
-	 * do anything if NAPI was already initialized.
-	 */
-	if (trans_pcie->napi_dev.reg_state != NETREG_DUMMY)
-		init_dummy_netdev(&trans_pcie->napi_dev);
 
 	trans_pcie->fw_reset_handshake = trans_cfg->fw_reset_handshake;
 }
@@ -2057,6 +2050,8 @@ void iwl_trans_pcie_free(struct iwl_trans *trans)
 		iwl_pcie_tx_free(trans);
 	iwl_pcie_rx_free(trans);
 
+	free_netdev(trans_pcie->napi_dev);
+
 	if (trans_pcie->rba.alloc_wq) {
 		destroy_workqueue(trans_pcie->rba.alloc_wq);
 		trans_pcie->rba.alloc_wq = NULL;
@@ -3594,7 +3589,7 @@ struct iwl_trans *iwl_trans_pcie_alloc(struct pci_dev *pdev,
 			       const struct pci_device_id *ent,
 			       const struct iwl_cfg_trans_params *cfg_trans)
 {
-	struct iwl_trans_pcie *trans_pcie;
+	struct iwl_trans_pcie *trans_pcie, **priv;
 	struct iwl_trans *trans;
 	int ret, addr_size;
 	const struct iwl_trans_ops *ops = &trans_ops_pcie_gen2;
@@ -3623,6 +3618,20 @@ struct iwl_trans *iwl_trans_pcie_alloc(struct pci_dev *pdev,
 
 	trans_pcie = IWL_TRANS_GET_PCIE_TRANS(trans);
 
+	/* Initialize NAPI here - it should be before registering to mac80211
+	 * in the opmode but after the HW struct is allocated.
+	 */
+	trans_pcie->napi_dev = alloc_netdev(sizeof(struct iwl_trans_pcie *),
+					    "dummy", NET_NAME_UNKNOWN,
+					    init_dummy_netdev);
+	if (!trans_pcie->napi_dev) {
+		ret = -ENOMEM;
+		goto out_free_trans;
+	}
+	/* The private struct in netdev is a pointer to struct iwl_trans_pcie */
+	priv = netdev_priv(trans_pcie->napi_dev);
+	*priv = trans_pcie;
+
 	trans_pcie->trans = trans;
 	trans_pcie->opmode_down = true;
 	spin_lock_init(&trans_pcie->irq_lock);
@@ -3637,7 +3646,7 @@ struct iwl_trans *iwl_trans_pcie_alloc(struct pci_dev *pdev,
 						   WQ_HIGHPRI | WQ_UNBOUND, 0);
 	if (!trans_pcie->rba.alloc_wq) {
 		ret = -ENOMEM;
-		goto out_free_trans;
+		goto out_free_ndev;
 	}
 	INIT_WORK(&trans_pcie->rba.rx_alloc, iwl_pcie_rx_allocator_work);
 
@@ -3757,6 +3766,8 @@ struct iwl_trans *iwl_trans_pcie_alloc(struct pci_dev *pdev,
 	iwl_pcie_free_ict(trans);
 out_no_pci:
 	destroy_workqueue(trans_pcie->rba.alloc_wq);
+out_free_ndev:
+	free_netdev(trans_pcie->napi_dev);
 out_free_trans:
 	iwl_trans_free(trans);
 	return ERR_PTR(ret);
