diff --git a/sys/net80211/ieee80211_amrr.c b/sys/net80211/ieee80211_amrr.c
index e8eed090f7ba..611105869999 100644
--- a/sys/net80211/ieee80211_amrr.c
+++ b/sys/net80211/ieee80211_amrr.c
@@ -110,9 +110,12 @@ amrr_init(struct ieee80211vap *vap)
 
 	KASSERT(vap->iv_rs == NULL, ("%s called multiple times", __func__));
 
-	vap->iv_rs = malloc(sizeof(struct ieee80211_amrr), M_80211_RATECTL,
-	    M_WAITOK|M_ZERO);
-	amrr = vap->iv_rs;
+	amrr = vap->iv_rs = malloc(sizeof(struct ieee80211_amrr),
+	    M_80211_RATECTL, M_NOWAIT|M_ZERO);
+	if (amrr == NULL) {
+		if_printf(vap->iv_ifp, "couldn't alloc ratectl structure\n");
+		return;
+	}
 	amrr->amrr_min_success_threshold = IEEE80211_AMRR_MIN_SUCCESS_THRESHOLD;
 	amrr->amrr_max_success_threshold = IEEE80211_AMRR_MAX_SUCCESS_THRESHOLD;
 	amrr_setinterval(vap, 500 /* ms */);
@@ -136,9 +139,13 @@ amrr_node_init(struct ieee80211_node *ni)
 	KASSERT(ni->ni_rctls == NULL, ("%s: ni_rctls already initialized",
 	    __func__));
 
-	ni->ni_rctls = malloc(sizeof(struct ieee80211_amrr_node),
-	    M_80211_RATECTL, M_WAITOK|M_ZERO);
-	amn = ni->ni_rctls;
+	ni->ni_rctls = amn = malloc(sizeof(struct ieee80211_amrr_node),
+	    M_80211_RATECTL, M_NOWAIT|M_ZERO);
+	if (amn == NULL) {
+		if_printf(vap->iv_ifp, "couldn't alloc per-node ratectl "
+		    "structure\n");
+		return;
+	}
 	amn->amn_amrr = amrr;
 	amn->amn_success = 0;
 	amn->amn_recovery = 0;
diff --git a/sys/net80211/ieee80211_rssadapt.c b/sys/net80211/ieee80211_rssadapt.c
index e90ad578bb24..ad329e0470df 100644
--- a/sys/net80211/ieee80211_rssadapt.c
+++ b/sys/net80211/ieee80211_rssadapt.c
@@ -128,9 +128,12 @@ rssadapt_init(struct ieee80211vap *vap)
 	KASSERT(vap->iv_rs == NULL, ("%s: iv_rs already initialized",
 	    __func__));
 	
-	rs = malloc(sizeof(struct ieee80211_rssadapt), M_80211_RATECTL,
-	    M_WAITOK|M_ZERO);
-	vap->iv_rs = rs;
+	vap->iv_rs = rs = malloc(sizeof(struct ieee80211_rssadapt),
+	    M_80211_RATECTL, M_NOWAIT|M_ZERO);
+	if (rs == NULL) {
+		if_printf(vap->iv_ifp, "couldn't alloc ratectl structure\n");
+		return;
+	}
 	rs->vap = vap;
 	rssadapt_setinterval(vap, 500 /* msecs */);
 	rssadapt_sysctlattach(vap, vap->iv_sysctl, vap->iv_oid);
@@ -162,12 +165,17 @@ static void
 rssadapt_node_init(struct ieee80211_node *ni)
 {
 	struct ieee80211_rssadapt_node *ra;
-	struct ieee80211_rssadapt *rsa = ni->ni_vap->iv_rs;
+	struct ieee80211vap *vap = ni->ni_vap;
+	struct ieee80211_rssadapt *rsa = vap->iv_rs;
 	const struct ieee80211_rateset *rs = &ni->ni_rates;
 
-	ra = malloc(sizeof(struct ieee80211_rssadapt_node), M_80211_RATECTL,
-	    M_WAITOK|M_ZERO);
-	ni->ni_rctls = ra;
+	ni->ni_rctls = ra = malloc(sizeof(struct ieee80211_rssadapt_node),
+	    M_80211_RATECTL, M_NOWAIT|M_ZERO);
+	if (ra == NULL) {
+		if_printf(vap->iv_ifp, "couldn't alloc per-node ratectl "
+		    "structure\n");
+		return;
+	}
 	ra->ra_rs = rsa;
 	ra->ra_rates = *rs;
 	rssadapt_updatestats(ra);