diff --git a/sys/dev/ath/if_ath_tx.c b/sys/dev/ath/if_ath_tx.c
index 1fd3adef738e..69d0b5c00848 100644
--- a/sys/dev/ath/if_ath_tx.c
+++ b/sys/dev/ath/if_ath_tx.c
@@ -288,7 +288,7 @@ ath_txfrag_setup(struct ath_softc *sc, ath_bufhead *frags,
 			ath_txfrag_cleanup(sc, frags, ni);
 			break;
 		}
-		ieee80211_node_incref(ni);
+		(void) ieee80211_ref_node(ni);
 		TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(frags, bf, bf_list);
 	}
 	ATH_TXBUF_UNLOCK(sc);
diff --git a/sys/dev/usb/wlan/if_uath.c b/sys/dev/usb/wlan/if_uath.c
index 378dd717a3eb..04190821d9b9 100644
--- a/sys/dev/usb/wlan/if_uath.c
+++ b/sys/dev/usb/wlan/if_uath.c
@@ -1657,7 +1657,7 @@ uath_txfrag_setup(struct uath_softc *sc, uath_datahead *frags,
 			uath_txfrag_cleanup(sc, frags, ni);
 			break;
 		}
-		ieee80211_node_incref(ni);
+		(void) ieee80211_ref_node(ni);
 		STAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(frags, bf, next);
 	}
 
diff --git a/sys/dev/wpi/if_wpi.c b/sys/dev/wpi/if_wpi.c
index c9c2a8f6854e..5ceb037803b8 100644
--- a/sys/dev/wpi/if_wpi.c
+++ b/sys/dev/wpi/if_wpi.c
@@ -2768,7 +2768,7 @@ wpi_cmd2(struct wpi_softc *sc, struct wpi_buf *buf)
 		ring->pending = 0;
 		sc->sc_update_tx_ring(sc, ring);
 	} else
-		ieee80211_node_incref(data->ni);
+		(void) ieee80211_ref_node(data->ni);
 
 end:	DPRINTF(sc, WPI_DEBUG_TRACE, error ? TRACE_STR_END_ERR : TRACE_STR_END,
 	    __func__);