diff --git a/mt7996/mac.c b/mt7996/mac.c
index 3ddb8f78..f1810d38 100644
--- a/mt7996/mac.c
+++ b/mt7996/mac.c
@@ -2503,6 +2503,7 @@ void mt7996_mac_reset_work(struct work_struct *work)
 	if (mtk_wed_device_active(&dev->mt76.mmio.wed))
 		mtk_wed_device_stop(&dev->mt76.mmio.wed);
 
+	mt7996_npu_hw_stop(dev);
 	ieee80211_stop_queues(mt76_hw(dev));
 
 	set_bit(MT76_RESET, &dev->mphy.state);
@@ -2529,8 +2530,6 @@ void mt7996_mac_reset_work(struct work_struct *work)
 
 	mutex_lock(&dev->mt76.mutex);
 
-	mt7996_npu_hw_stop(dev);
-
 	mt76_wr(dev, MT_MCU_INT_EVENT, MT_MCU_INT_EVENT_DMA_STOPPED);
 
 	if (mt7996_wait_reset_state(dev, MT_MCU_CMD_RESET_DONE)) {
diff --git a/mt7996/npu.c b/mt7996/npu.c
index 1422533e..9c3b241a 100644
--- a/mt7996/npu.c
+++ b/mt7996/npu.c
@@ -320,33 +320,38 @@ unlock:
 int mt7996_npu_hw_stop(struct mt7996_dev *dev)
 {
 	struct airoha_npu *npu;
-	int i, err;
+	int i, err = 0;
 	u32 info;
 
+	mutex_lock(&dev->mt76.mutex);
+
 	npu = rcu_dereference_protected(dev->mt76.mmio.npu, &dev->mt76.mutex);
 	if (!npu)
-		return 0;
+		goto unlock;
 
 	err = mt76_npu_send_msg(npu, 4, WLAN_FUNC_SET_WAIT_INODE_TXRX_REG_ADDR,
 				0, GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (err)
-		return err;
+		goto unlock;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
 		err = mt76_npu_get_msg(npu, 3, WLAN_FUNC_GET_WAIT_NPU_INFO,
 				       &info, GFP_KERNEL);
-		if (err)
-			continue;
+		if (!err && !info)
+			break;
 
-		if (info) {
-			err = -ETIMEDOUT;
-			continue;
-		}
+		err = -ETIMEDOUT;
+		usleep_range(10000, 15000);
 	}
 
 	if (!err)
 		err = mt76_npu_send_msg(npu, 6,
 					WLAN_FUNC_SET_WAIT_INODE_TXRX_REG_ADDR,
 					0, GFP_KERNEL);
+	else
+		dev_err(dev->mt76.dev, "npu stop failed\n");
+unlock:
+	mutex_unlock(&dev->mt76.mutex);
+
 	return err;
 }