diff --git a/sys/dev/ath/ath_rate/amrr/amrr.c b/sys/dev/ath/ath_rate/amrr/amrr.c
index 18a3fa5c3bbe..abae54967fbe 100644
--- a/sys/dev/ath/ath_rate/amrr/amrr.c
+++ b/sys/dev/ath/ath_rate/amrr/amrr.c
@@ -210,9 +210,6 @@ ath_rate_update(struct ath_softc *sc, struct ieee80211_node *ni, int rate)
 		(ni->ni_rates.rs_rates[rate] & IEEE80211_RATE_VAL) / 2 : 0);
 
 	ni->ni_txrate = rate;
-	/* XXX management/control frames always go at the lowest speed */
-	an->an_tx_mgtrate = rt->info[0].rateCode;
-	an->an_tx_mgtratesp = an->an_tx_mgtrate | rt->info[0].shortPreamble;
 	/*
 	 * Before associating a node has no rate set setup
 	 * so we can't calculate any transmit codes to use.
@@ -253,7 +250,7 @@ ath_rate_update(struct ath_softc *sc, struct ieee80211_node *ni, int rate)
 				/* NB: only do this if we didn't already do it above */
 				amn->amn_tx_rate3 = rt->info[0].rateCode;
 				amn->amn_tx_rate3sp =
-					an->an_tx_mgtrate | rt->info[0].shortPreamble;
+					amn->amn_tx_rate3 | rt->info[0].shortPreamble;
 			} else {
 				amn->amn_tx_rate3 = amn->amn_tx_rate3sp = 0;
 			}
diff --git a/sys/dev/ath/ath_rate/onoe/onoe.c b/sys/dev/ath/ath_rate/onoe/onoe.c
index 3cf8073d9ad1..dc4fada185bc 100644
--- a/sys/dev/ath/ath_rate/onoe/onoe.c
+++ b/sys/dev/ath/ath_rate/onoe/onoe.c
@@ -194,9 +194,6 @@ ath_rate_update(struct ath_softc *sc, struct ieee80211_node *ni, int rate)
 		(ni->ni_rates.rs_rates[rate] & IEEE80211_RATE_VAL) / 2 : 0);
 
 	ni->ni_txrate = rate;
-	/* XXX management/control frames always go at the lowest speed */
-	an->an_tx_mgtrate = rt->info[0].rateCode;
-	an->an_tx_mgtratesp = an->an_tx_mgtrate | rt->info[0].shortPreamble;
 	/*
 	 * Before associating a node has no rate set setup
 	 * so we can't calculate any transmit codes to use.
@@ -243,7 +240,7 @@ ath_rate_update(struct ath_softc *sc, struct ieee80211_node *ni, int rate)
 			/* NB: only do this if we didn't already do it above */
 			on->on_tx_rate3 = rt->info[0].rateCode;
 			on->on_tx_rate3sp =
-				an->an_tx_mgtrate | rt->info[0].shortPreamble;
+				on->on_tx_rate3 | rt->info[0].shortPreamble;
 		} else {
 			on->on_tx_rate3 = on->on_tx_rate3sp = 0;
 		}
diff --git a/sys/dev/ath/ath_rate/sample/sample.c b/sys/dev/ath/ath_rate/sample/sample.c
index 33407c8c6cde..365070749d47 100644
--- a/sys/dev/ath/ath_rate/sample/sample.c
+++ b/sys/dev/ath/ath_rate/sample/sample.c
@@ -144,28 +144,11 @@ rate_to_ndx(struct sample_node *sn, int rate) {
 	return -1;
 }
 
-/*
- * Setup rate codes for management/control frames.  We force
- * all such frames to the lowest rate.
- */
-static void
-ath_rate_setmgtrates(struct ath_softc *sc, struct ath_node *an)
-{
-	const HAL_RATE_TABLE *rt = sc->sc_currates;
-
-	/* setup rates for management frames */
-	/* XXX management/control frames always go at lowest speed */
-	an->an_tx_mgtrate = rt->info[0].rateCode;
-	an->an_tx_mgtratesp = an->an_tx_mgtrate
-			    | rt->info[0].shortPreamble;
-}
-
 void
 ath_rate_node_init(struct ath_softc *sc, struct ath_node *an)
 {
 	DPRINTF(sc, "%s:\n", __func__);
 	/* NB: assumed to be zero'd by caller */
-	ath_rate_setmgtrates(sc, an);
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/sys/dev/ath/if_ath.c b/sys/dev/ath/if_ath.c
index 93759ff6ed04..0a2e0e8ac1dd 100644
--- a/sys/dev/ath/if_ath.c
+++ b/sys/dev/ath/if_ath.c
@@ -1823,10 +1823,10 @@ ath_beacon_setup(struct ath_softc *sc, struct ath_buf *bf)
 	struct ieee80211com *ic = ni->ni_ic;
 	struct mbuf *m = bf->bf_m;
 	struct ath_hal *ah = sc->sc_ah;
-	struct ath_node *an = ATH_NODE(ni);
 	struct ath_desc *ds;
 	int flags, antenna;
-	u_int8_t rate;
+	const HAL_RATE_TABLE *rt;
+	u_int8_t rix, rate;
 
 	DPRINTF(sc, ATH_DEBUG_BEACON, "%s: m %p len %u\n",
 		__func__, m, m->m_len);
@@ -1858,10 +1858,11 @@ ath_beacon_setup(struct ath_softc *sc, struct ath_buf *bf)
 	 * Calculate rate code.
 	 * XXX everything at min xmit rate
 	 */
+	rix = sc->sc_minrateix;
+	rt = sc->sc_currates;
+	rate = rt->info[rix].rateCode;
 	if (USE_SHPREAMBLE(ic))
-		rate = an->an_tx_mgtratesp;
-	else
-		rate = an->an_tx_mgtrate;
+		rate |= rt->info[rix].shortPreamble;
 	ath_hal_setuptxdesc(ah, ds
 		, m->m_len + IEEE80211_CRC_LEN	/* frame length */
 		, sizeof(struct ieee80211_frame)/* header length */
@@ -3299,12 +3300,11 @@ ath_tx_start(struct ath_softc *sc, struct ieee80211_node *ni, struct ath_buf *bf
 			atype = HAL_PKT_TYPE_ATIM;
 		else
 			atype = HAL_PKT_TYPE_NORMAL;	/* XXX */
-		rix = 0;			/* XXX lowest rate */
-		try0 = ATH_TXMAXTRY;
+		rix = sc->sc_minrateix;
+		txrate = rt->info[rix].rateCode;
 		if (shortPreamble)
-			txrate = an->an_tx_mgtratesp;
-		else
-			txrate = an->an_tx_mgtrate;
+			txrate |= rt->info[rix].shortPreamble;
+		try0 = ATH_TXMAXTRY;
 		/* NB: force all management frames to highest queue */
 		if (ni->ni_flags & IEEE80211_NODE_QOS) {
 			/* NB: force all management frames to highest queue */
@@ -3315,12 +3315,11 @@ ath_tx_start(struct ath_softc *sc, struct ieee80211_node *ni, struct ath_buf *bf
 		break;
 	case IEEE80211_FC0_TYPE_CTL:
 		atype = HAL_PKT_TYPE_PSPOLL;	/* stop setting of duration */
-		rix = 0;			/* XXX lowest rate */
-		try0 = ATH_TXMAXTRY;
+		rix = sc->sc_minrateix;
+		txrate = rt->info[rix].rateCode;
 		if (shortPreamble)
-			txrate = an->an_tx_mgtratesp;
-		else
-			txrate = an->an_tx_mgtrate;
+			txrate |= rt->info[rix].shortPreamble;
+		try0 = ATH_TXMAXTRY;
 		/* NB: force all ctl frames to highest queue */
 		if (ni->ni_flags & IEEE80211_NODE_QOS) {
 			/* NB: force all ctl frames to highest queue */
@@ -4499,6 +4498,8 @@ ath_setcurmode(struct ath_softc *sc, enum ieee80211_phymode mode)
 	 * XXX select protection rate index from rate table.
 	 */
 	sc->sc_protrix = (mode == IEEE80211_MODE_11G ? 1 : 0);
+	/* rate index used to send management frames */
+	sc->sc_minrateix = 0;
 	/* NB: caller is responsible for reseting rate control state */
 #undef N
 }
diff --git a/sys/dev/ath/if_athvar.h b/sys/dev/ath/if_athvar.h
index 7203e3142ae6..ae808336f6af 100644
--- a/sys/dev/ath/if_athvar.h
+++ b/sys/dev/ath/if_athvar.h
@@ -75,8 +75,6 @@
 /* driver-specific node state */
 struct ath_node {
 	struct ieee80211_node an_node;	/* base class */
-	u_int8_t	an_tx_mgtrate;	/* h/w rate for management/ctl frames */
-	u_int8_t	an_tx_mgtratesp;/* short preamble h/w rate for " " */
 	u_int32_t	an_avgrssi;	/* average rssi over all rx frames */
 	HAL_NODE_STATS	an_halstats;	/* rssi statistics used by hal */
 	/* variable-length rate control state follows */
@@ -206,6 +204,7 @@ struct ath_softc {
 		u_int16_t	ledon;		/* softled on time */
 		u_int16_t	ledoff;		/* softled off time */
 	} sc_hwmap[32];				/* h/w rate ix mappings */
+	u_int8_t		sc_minrateix;	/* min h/w rate index */
 	u_int8_t		sc_protrix;	/* protection rate index */
 	u_int			sc_txantenna;	/* tx antenna (fixed or auto) */
 	HAL_INT			sc_imask;	/* interrupt mask copy */