diff --git a/include/net/bluetooth/l2cap.h b/include/net/bluetooth/l2cap.h
index cedda399f9c0..1558eccb19db 100644
--- a/include/net/bluetooth/l2cap.h
+++ b/include/net/bluetooth/l2cap.h
@@ -711,6 +711,7 @@ enum {
 	FLAG_DEFER_SETUP,
 	FLAG_LE_CONN_REQ_SENT,
 	FLAG_PENDING_SECURITY,
+	FLAG_HOLD_HCI_CONN,
 };
 
 enum {
diff --git a/net/bluetooth/l2cap_core.c b/net/bluetooth/l2cap_core.c
index 777c41dbfdbe..a6559225bb50 100644
--- a/net/bluetooth/l2cap_core.c
+++ b/net/bluetooth/l2cap_core.c
@@ -546,7 +546,10 @@ void __l2cap_chan_add(struct l2cap_conn *conn, struct l2cap_chan *chan)
 
 	l2cap_chan_hold(chan);
 
-	hci_conn_hold(conn->hcon);
+	/* Only keep a reference for fixed channels if they requested it */
+	if (chan->chan_type != L2CAP_CHAN_FIXED ||
+	    test_bit(FLAG_HOLD_HCI_CONN, &chan->flags))
+		hci_conn_hold(conn->hcon);
 
 	list_add(&chan->list, &conn->chan_l);
 }
@@ -577,7 +580,12 @@ void l2cap_chan_del(struct l2cap_chan *chan, int err)
 
 		chan->conn = NULL;
 
-		if (chan->scid != L2CAP_CID_A2MP)
+		/* Reference was only held for non-fixed channels or
+		 * fixed channels that explicitly requested it using the
+		 * FLAG_HOLD_HCI_CONN flag.
+		 */
+		if (chan->chan_type != L2CAP_CHAN_FIXED ||
+		    test_bit(FLAG_HOLD_HCI_CONN, &chan->flags))
 			hci_conn_drop(conn->hcon);
 
 		if (mgr && mgr->bredr_chan == chan)
diff --git a/net/bluetooth/l2cap_sock.c b/net/bluetooth/l2cap_sock.c
index ed06f88e6f10..31f106e61ca2 100644
--- a/net/bluetooth/l2cap_sock.c
+++ b/net/bluetooth/l2cap_sock.c
@@ -146,6 +146,14 @@ static int l2cap_sock_bind(struct socket *sock, struct sockaddr *addr, int alen)
 	case L2CAP_CHAN_RAW:
 		chan->sec_level = BT_SECURITY_SDP;
 		break;
+	case L2CAP_CHAN_FIXED:
+		/* Fixed channels default to the L2CAP core not holding a
+		 * hci_conn reference for them. For fixed channels mapping to
+		 * L2CAP sockets we do want to hold a reference so set the
+		 * appropriate flag to request it.
+		 */
+		set_bit(FLAG_HOLD_HCI_CONN, &chan->flags);
+		break;
 	}
 
 	bacpy(&chan->src, &la.l2_bdaddr);