diff --git a/sys/dev/ath/if_ath_spectral.c b/sys/dev/ath/if_ath_spectral.c
index 12fb87a7d801..0dc0114de08f 100644
--- a/sys/dev/ath/if_ath_spectral.c
+++ b/sys/dev/ath/if_ath_spectral.c
@@ -82,13 +82,20 @@ struct ath_spectral_state {
  */
 
 /*
- * Attach DFS to the given interface
+ * Attach spectral to the given interface
  */
 int
 ath_spectral_attach(struct ath_softc *sc)
 {
 	struct ath_spectral_state *ss;
 
+	/*
+	 * If spectral isn't supported, don't error - just
+	 * quietly complete.
+	 */
+	if (! ath_hal_spectral_supported(sc->sc_ah))
+		return (0);
+
 	ss = malloc(sizeof(struct ath_spectral_state),
 	    M_TEMP, M_WAITOK | M_ZERO);
 
@@ -106,11 +113,15 @@ ath_spectral_attach(struct ath_softc *sc)
 }
 
 /*
- * Detach DFS from the given interface
+ * Detach spectral from the given interface
  */
 int
 ath_spectral_detach(struct ath_softc *sc)
 {
+
+	if (! ath_hal_spectral_supported(sc->sc_ah))
+		return (0);
+
 	if (sc->sc_spectral != NULL) {
 		free(sc->sc_spectral, M_TEMP);
 	}
@@ -148,6 +159,9 @@ ath_ioctl_spectral(struct ath_softc *sc, struct ath_diag *ad)
 	HAL_SPECTRAL_PARAM *pe;
 	struct ath_spectral_state *ss = sc->sc_spectral;
 
+	if (! ath_hal_spectral_supported(sc->sc_ah))
+		return (EINVAL);
+
 	if (ad->ad_id & ATH_DIAG_IN) {
 		/*
 		 * Copy in data.
diff --git a/sys/dev/ath/if_athvar.h b/sys/dev/ath/if_athvar.h
index 12252ed5df28..2e170a3cb241 100644
--- a/sys/dev/ath/if_athvar.h
+++ b/sys/dev/ath/if_athvar.h
@@ -1303,6 +1303,8 @@ void	ath_intr(void *);
 #define	ath_hal_get_chan_ext_busy(_ah) \
 	((*(_ah)->ah_get11nExtBusy)((_ah)))
 
+#define	ath_hal_spectral_supported(_ah) \
+	(ath_hal_getcapability(_ah, HAL_CAP_SPECTRAL_SCAN, 0, NULL) == HAL_OK)
 #define	ath_hal_spectral_get_config(_ah, _p) \
 	((*(_ah)->ah_spectralGetConfig)((_ah), (_p)))
 #define	ath_hal_spectral_configure(_ah, _p) \