diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath10k/wow.c b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath10k/wow.c
index a68d8fd853a3..8e02b381990f 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath10k/wow.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath10k/wow.c
@@ -301,8 +301,26 @@ int ath10k_wow_op_resume(struct ieee80211_hw *hw)
 		ath10k_warn(ar, "failed to wakeup from wow: %d\n", ret);
 
 exit:
+	if (ret) {
+		switch (ar->state) {
+		case ATH10K_STATE_ON:
+			ar->state = ATH10K_STATE_RESTARTING;
+			ret = 1;
+			break;
+		case ATH10K_STATE_OFF:
+		case ATH10K_STATE_RESTARTING:
+		case ATH10K_STATE_RESTARTED:
+		case ATH10K_STATE_UTF:
+		case ATH10K_STATE_WEDGED:
+			ath10k_warn(ar, "encountered unexpected device state %d on resume, cannot recover\n",
+				    ar->state);
+			ret = -EIO;
+			break;
+		}
+	}
+
 	mutex_unlock(&ar->conf_mutex);
-	return ret ? 1 : 0;
+	return ret;
 }
 
 int ath10k_wow_init(struct ath10k *ar)