diff --git a/sys/net80211/ieee80211_node.c b/sys/net80211/ieee80211_node.c
index 43f90f860a2d..a739b0586088 100644
--- a/sys/net80211/ieee80211_node.c
+++ b/sys/net80211/ieee80211_node.c
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ ieee80211_node_vdetach(struct ieee80211vap *vap)
 	ieee80211_node_table_reset(&ic->ic_sta, vap);
 	if (vap->iv_bss != NULL) {
 		ieee80211_free_node(vap->iv_bss);
-		vap->iv_bss = NULL;
+		vap->iv_update_bss(vap, NULL);
 	}
 	if (vap->iv_aid_bitmap != NULL) {
 		IEEE80211_FREE(vap->iv_aid_bitmap, M_80211_NODE);
@@ -453,8 +453,7 @@ ieee80211_reset_bss(struct ieee80211vap *vap)
 
 	ni = ieee80211_alloc_node(&ic->ic_sta, vap, vap->iv_myaddr);
 	KASSERT(ni != NULL, ("unable to setup initial BSS node"));
-	obss = vap->iv_bss;
-	vap->iv_bss = ieee80211_ref_node(ni);
+	obss = vap->iv_update_bss(vap, ieee80211_ref_node(ni));
 	if (obss != NULL) {
 		copy_bss(ni, obss);
 		ni->ni_intval = ic->ic_bintval;
@@ -846,7 +845,7 @@ ieee80211_sta_join1(struct ieee80211_node *selbs)
 	/*
 	 * Committed to selbs, setup state.
 	 */
-	obss = vap->iv_bss;
+	obss = vap->iv_update_bss(vap, selbs);	/* NB: caller assumed to bump refcnt */
 	/*
 	 * Check if old+new node have the same address in which
 	 * case we can reassociate when operating in sta mode.
@@ -855,7 +854,6 @@ ieee80211_sta_join1(struct ieee80211_node *selbs)
 	canreassoc = (obss != NULL &&
 		vap->iv_state == IEEE80211_S_RUN &&
 		IEEE80211_ADDR_EQ(obss->ni_macaddr, selbs->ni_macaddr));
-	vap->iv_bss = selbs;		/* NB: caller assumed to bump refcnt */
 	if (obss != NULL) {
 		struct ieee80211_node_table *nt = obss->ni_table;
 
diff --git a/sys/net80211/ieee80211_proto.c b/sys/net80211/ieee80211_proto.c
index 98a04e5251f0..2228983050a2 100644
--- a/sys/net80211/ieee80211_proto.c
+++ b/sys/net80211/ieee80211_proto.c
@@ -249,6 +249,8 @@ static void vap_update_erp_protmode(void *, int);
 static void vap_update_preamble(void *, int);
 static void vap_update_ht_protmode(void *, int);
 static void ieee80211_newstate_cb(void *, int);
+static struct ieee80211_node *vap_update_bss(struct ieee80211vap *,
+    struct ieee80211_node *);
 
 static int
 null_raw_xmit(struct ieee80211_node *ni, struct mbuf *m,
@@ -394,6 +396,7 @@ ieee80211_proto_vattach(struct ieee80211vap *vap)
 	vap->iv_update_beacon = null_update_beacon;
 	vap->iv_deliver_data = ieee80211_deliver_data;
 	vap->iv_protmode = IEEE80211_PROT_CTSONLY;
+	vap->iv_update_bss = vap_update_bss;
 
 	/* attach support for operating mode */
 	ic->ic_vattach[vap->iv_opmode](vap);
@@ -824,6 +827,17 @@ ieee80211_reset_erp(struct ieee80211com *ic)
 	/* XXX TODO: schedule a new per-VAP ERP calculation */
 }
 
+static struct ieee80211_node *
+vap_update_bss(struct ieee80211vap *vap, struct ieee80211_node *ni)
+{
+	struct ieee80211_node *obss;
+
+	obss = vap->iv_bss;
+	vap->iv_bss = ni;
+
+	return (obss);
+}
+
 /*
  * Deferred slot time update.
  *
diff --git a/sys/net80211/ieee80211_var.h b/sys/net80211/ieee80211_var.h
index e70b7f8e2bb6..e9d2d652db40 100644
--- a/sys/net80211/ieee80211_var.h
+++ b/sys/net80211/ieee80211_var.h
@@ -565,6 +565,9 @@ struct ieee80211vap {
 	/* state machine processing */
 	int			(*iv_newstate)(struct ieee80211vap *,
 				    enum ieee80211_state, int);
+	struct ieee80211_node *	(*iv_update_bss)(struct ieee80211vap *,
+				    struct ieee80211_node *);
+
 	/* 802.3 output method for raw frame xmit */
 	int			(*iv_output)(struct ifnet *, struct mbuf *,
 				    const struct sockaddr *, struct route *);
diff --git a/sys/net80211/ieee80211_wds.c b/sys/net80211/ieee80211_wds.c
index b73988b10d5e..464e658797e6 100644
--- a/sys/net80211/ieee80211_wds.c
+++ b/sys/net80211/ieee80211_wds.c
@@ -179,8 +179,7 @@ ieee80211_create_wds(struct ieee80211vap *vap, struct ieee80211_channel *chan)
 			/*
 			 * Committed to new node, setup state.
 			 */
-			obss = vap->iv_bss;
-			vap->iv_bss = ni;
+			obss = vap->iv_update_bss(vap, ni);
 			ni->ni_wdsvap = vap;
 		}
 		IEEE80211_NODE_UNLOCK(nt);
@@ -201,8 +200,7 @@ ieee80211_create_wds(struct ieee80211vap *vap, struct ieee80211_channel *chan)
 		 */
 		ni = ieee80211_node_create_wds(vap, vap->iv_des_bssid, chan);
 		if (ni != NULL) {
-			obss = vap->iv_bss;
-			vap->iv_bss = ieee80211_ref_node(ni);
+			obss = vap->iv_update_bss(vap, ieee80211_ref_node(ni));
 			ni->ni_flags |= IEEE80211_NODE_AREF;
 			if (obss != NULL)
 				ieee80211_free_node(obss);