diff --git a/net/mac80211/mlme.c b/net/mac80211/mlme.c
index 9bb0a8613921..5aef4f3dcbf1 100644
--- a/net/mac80211/mlme.c
+++ b/net/mac80211/mlme.c
@@ -5407,33 +5407,24 @@ static void ieee80211_rx_mgmt_assoc_resp(struct ieee80211_sub_if_data *sdata,
 		}
 
 		if (ieee80211_vif_is_mld(&sdata->vif)) {
+			struct ieee80211_mle_basic_common_info *common;
+
 			if (!elems->ml_basic) {
 				sdata_info(sdata,
-					   "MLO association with %pM but no multi-link element in response!\n",
+					   "MLO association with %pM but no (basic) multi-link element in response!\n",
 					   assoc_data->ap_addr);
 				goto abandon_assoc;
 			}
 
-			if (le16_get_bits(elems->ml_basic->control,
-					  IEEE80211_ML_CONTROL_TYPE) !=
-					IEEE80211_ML_CONTROL_TYPE_BASIC) {
+			common = (void *)elems->ml_basic->variable;
+
+			if (memcmp(assoc_data->ap_addr,
+				   common->mld_mac_addr, ETH_ALEN)) {
 				sdata_info(sdata,
-					   "bad multi-link element (control=0x%x)\n",
-					   le16_to_cpu(elems->ml_basic->control));
+					   "AP MLD MAC address mismatch: got %pM expected %pM\n",
+					   common->mld_mac_addr,
+					   assoc_data->ap_addr);
 				goto abandon_assoc;
-			} else {
-				struct ieee80211_mle_basic_common_info *common;
-
-				common = (void *)elems->ml_basic->variable;
-
-				if (memcmp(assoc_data->ap_addr,
-					   common->mld_mac_addr, ETH_ALEN)) {
-					sdata_info(sdata,
-						   "AP MLD MAC address mismatch: got %pM expected %pM\n",
-						   common->mld_mac_addr,
-						   assoc_data->ap_addr);
-					goto abandon_assoc;
-				}
 			}
 		}