diff --git a/sys/dev/wtap/if_wtap.c b/sys/dev/wtap/if_wtap.c
index 94399300da1b..6adc5b328e48 100644
--- a/sys/dev/wtap/if_wtap.c
+++ b/sys/dev/wtap/if_wtap.c
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ wtap_newstate(struct ieee80211vap *vap, enum ieee80211_state nstate, int arg)
 
 	DWTAP_PRINTF("%s\n", __func__);
 
-	ni = vap->iv_bss;
+	ni = ieee80211_ref_node(vap->iv_bss);
 	/*
 	 * Invoke the parent method to do net80211 work.
 	 */
@@ -278,7 +278,8 @@ wtap_newstate(struct ieee80211vap *vap, enum ieee80211_state nstate, int arg)
 
 	if (nstate == IEEE80211_S_RUN) {
 		/* NB: collect bss node again, it may have changed */
-		ni = vap->iv_bss;
+		ieee80211_free_node(ni);
+		ni = ieee80211_ref_node(vap->iv_bss);
 		switch (vap->iv_opmode) {
 		case IEEE80211_M_MBSS:
 			error = wtap_beacon_alloc(sc, ni);
@@ -294,9 +295,11 @@ wtap_newstate(struct ieee80211vap *vap, enum ieee80211_state nstate, int arg)
 	} else if (nstate == IEEE80211_S_INIT) {
 		callout_stop(&avp->av_swba);
 	}
+	ieee80211_free_node(ni);
 	return 0;
 bad:
 	printf("%s: bad\n", __func__);
+	ieee80211_free_node(ni);
 	return error;
 }
 
@@ -319,6 +322,7 @@ wtap_vap_create(struct ieee80211com *ic, const char name[IFNAMSIZ],
 	 struct ieee80211vap *vap;
 	 struct wtap_vap *avp;
 	 int error;
+	struct ieee80211_node *ni;
 
 	 DWTAP_PRINTF("%s\n", __func__);
 
@@ -347,7 +351,9 @@ wtap_vap_create(struct ieee80211com *ic, const char name[IFNAMSIZ],
 	    (const char *)ic->ic_ifp->if_xname);
 
 	/* TODO this is a hack to force it to choose the rate we want */
-	vap->iv_bss->ni_txrate = 130;
+	ni = ieee80211_ref_node(vap->iv_bss);
+	ni->ni_txrate = 130;
+	ieee80211_free_node(ni);
 	return vap;
 }