diff --git a/mt76x2_mac.c b/mt76x2_mac.c
index d9fc9a6f..0b4fecc1 100644
--- a/mt76x2_mac.c
+++ b/mt76x2_mac.c
@@ -145,6 +145,16 @@ mt76x2_mac_tx_rate_val(struct mt76x2_dev *dev,
 	return cpu_to_le16(rateval);
 }
 
+void mt76x2_mac_wcid_set_drop(struct mt76x2_dev *dev, u8 idx, bool drop)
+{
+	u32 val = mt76_rr(dev, MT_WCID_DROP(idx));
+	u32 bit = MT_WCID_DROP_MASK(idx);
+
+	/* prevent unnecessary writes */
+	if ((val & bit) != (bit * drop))
+		mt76_wr(dev, MT_WCID_DROP(idx), (val & ~bit) | (bit * drop));
+}
+
 void mt76x2_mac_wcid_set_rate(struct mt76x2_dev *dev, struct mt76_wcid *wcid,
 			      const struct ieee80211_tx_rate *rate)
 {
diff --git a/mt76x2_mac.h b/mt76x2_mac.h
index 7236e572..8a8a25e3 100644
--- a/mt76x2_mac.h
+++ b/mt76x2_mac.h
@@ -173,6 +173,7 @@ int mt76x2_mac_wcid_set_key(struct mt76x2_dev *dev, u8 idx,
 			    struct ieee80211_key_conf *key);
 void mt76x2_mac_wcid_set_rate(struct mt76x2_dev *dev, struct mt76_wcid *wcid,
 			      const struct ieee80211_tx_rate *rate);
+void mt76x2_mac_wcid_set_drop(struct mt76x2_dev *dev, u8 idx, bool drop);
 
 int mt76x2_mac_shared_key_setup(struct mt76x2_dev *dev, u8 vif_idx, u8 key_idx,
 				struct ieee80211_key_conf *key);
diff --git a/mt76x2_main.c b/mt76x2_main.c
index c3de1e73..2cef48ed 100644
--- a/mt76x2_main.c
+++ b/mt76x2_main.c
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ mt76x2_sta_add(struct ieee80211_hw *hw, struct ieee80211_vif *vif,
 	msta->wcid.idx = idx;
 	msta->wcid.hw_key_idx = -1;
 	mt76x2_mac_wcid_setup(dev, idx, mvif->idx, sta->addr);
-	mt76_clear(dev, MT_WCID_DROP(idx), MT_WCID_DROP_MASK(idx));
+	mt76x2_mac_wcid_set_drop(dev, idx, false);
 	for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(sta->txq); i++)
 		mt76x2_txq_init(dev, sta->txq[i]);
 
@@ -288,7 +288,7 @@ mt76x2_sta_remove(struct ieee80211_hw *hw, struct ieee80211_vif *vif,
 	rcu_assign_pointer(dev->wcid[idx], NULL);
 	for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(sta->txq); i++)
 		mt76_txq_remove(&dev->mt76, sta->txq[i]);
-	mt76_set(dev, MT_WCID_DROP(idx), MT_WCID_DROP_MASK(idx));
+	mt76x2_mac_wcid_set_drop(dev, idx, true);
 	mt76_wcid_free(dev->wcid_mask, idx);
 	mt76x2_mac_wcid_setup(dev, idx, 0, NULL);
 	mutex_unlock(&dev->mutex);
@@ -306,11 +306,11 @@ mt76x2_sta_notify(struct ieee80211_hw *hw, struct ieee80211_vif *vif,
 
 	switch (cmd) {
 	case STA_NOTIFY_SLEEP:
-		mt76_set(dev, MT_WCID_DROP(idx), MT_WCID_DROP_MASK(idx));
+		mt76x2_mac_wcid_set_drop(dev, idx, true);
 		mt76_stop_tx_queues(&dev->mt76, sta, true);
 		break;
 	case STA_NOTIFY_AWAKE:
-		mt76_clear(dev, MT_WCID_DROP(idx), MT_WCID_DROP_MASK(idx));
+		mt76x2_mac_wcid_set_drop(dev, idx, false);
 		break;
 	}
 }