diff --git a/components/umac/mlme/connection_mgr/core/src/wlan_cm_roam_offload.c b/components/umac/mlme/connection_mgr/core/src/wlan_cm_roam_offload.c
index 3751da8e7b9d..e20a603d3f10 100644
--- a/components/umac/mlme/connection_mgr/core/src/wlan_cm_roam_offload.c
+++ b/components/umac/mlme/connection_mgr/core/src/wlan_cm_roam_offload.c
@@ -1104,6 +1104,10 @@ cm_roam_switch_to_roam_sync(struct wlan_objmgr_pdev *pdev,
 					    WLAN_ROAM_SYNCH_IN_PROG);
 			break;
 		}
+		/*
+		 * transition to WLAN_ROAM_SYNCH_IN_PROG not allowed otherwise
+		 * if we're already RSO stopped, fall through to return failure
+		 */
 	case WLAN_ROAM_INIT:
 	case WLAN_ROAM_DEINIT:
 	case WLAN_ROAM_SYNCH_IN_PROG:
diff --git a/core/hdd/src/wlan_hdd_cfg80211.c b/core/hdd/src/wlan_hdd_cfg80211.c
index 2e56d10128f6..e9fc54649684 100644
--- a/core/hdd/src/wlan_hdd_cfg80211.c
+++ b/core/hdd/src/wlan_hdd_cfg80211.c
@@ -20255,6 +20255,7 @@ static void wlan_hdd_wait_for_roaming(mac_handle_t mac_handle,
 	struct hdd_context *hdd_ctx;
 	unsigned long rc;
 	struct hdd_station_ctx *sta_ctx = WLAN_HDD_GET_STATION_CTX_PTR(adapter);
+	QDF_STATUS status;
 
 	if (adapter->device_mode != QDF_STA_MODE)
 		return;
@@ -20265,18 +20266,16 @@ static void wlan_hdd_wait_for_roaming(mac_handle_t mac_handle,
 	if (sta_ctx->conn_info.conn_state != eConnectionState_Associated)
 		return;
 
-	sme_stop_roaming(mac_handle, adapter->vdev_id,
-			 REASON_DRIVER_DISABLED,
-			 RSO_INVALID_REQUESTOR);
 	/*
 	 * If firmware has already started roaming process, driver
 	 * needs to wait for processing of this disconnect request.
 	 *
 	 */
 	INIT_COMPLETION(adapter->roaming_comp_var);
-	if (hdd_is_roaming_in_progress(hdd_ctx) ||
-	    sme_neighbor_middle_of_roaming(mac_handle,
-					   adapter->vdev_id)) {
+	status = sme_abort_roaming(mac_handle, adapter->vdev_id);
+	if (QDF_STATUS_E_BUSY == status) {
+		hdd_warn("roaming on-going, wait for %d ms before postingg RSO stop cmd",
+			 WLAN_WAIT_TIME_STOP_ROAM);
 		rc = wait_for_completion_timeout(&adapter->roaming_comp_var,
 				msecs_to_jiffies(WLAN_WAIT_TIME_STOP_ROAM));
 		if (!rc) {
@@ -20285,10 +20284,13 @@ static void wlan_hdd_wait_for_roaming(mac_handle_t mac_handle,
 				adapter->vdev_id);
 		}
 
+		sme_stop_roaming(mac_handle, adapter->vdev_id,
+				 REASON_DRIVER_DISABLED, RSO_INVALID_REQUESTOR);
+
 		if (adapter->roam_ho_fail) {
 			INIT_COMPLETION(adapter->disconnect_comp_var);
-			hdd_conn_set_connection_state(adapter,
-					eConnectionState_Disconnecting);
+			hdd_conn_set_connection_state(
+				adapter, eConnectionState_Disconnecting);
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/core/sme/inc/sme_api.h b/core/sme/inc/sme_api.h
index c0877ce31037..8ea15a2f512a 100644
--- a/core/sme/inc/sme_api.h
+++ b/core/sme/inc/sme_api.h
@@ -995,6 +995,24 @@ QDF_STATUS sme_start_roaming(mac_handle_t mac_handle, uint8_t sessionId,
 			     uint8_t reason,
 			     enum wlan_cm_rso_control_requestor requestor);
 
+/**
+ * sme_abort_roaming() - Try to stop RSO if conditions allowable
+ * This function checks if the current roaming state machine allows RSO stop
+ * cmd to be issued, and stops roaming if allowed, otherwise, indicate to
+ * the caller that a wait is required.
+ *
+ * @mac_handle - The handle returned by mac_open
+ * @session_id - Session identifier
+ *
+ * Returns:
+ * QDF_STATUS_E_BUSY if roam_synch is in progress and upper layer has to wait
+ *                   before RSO stop cmd can be issued;
+ * QDF_STATUS_SUCCESS if roam_synch is not outstanding. RSO stop cmd will be
+ *                    issued with the global SME lock held in this case, and
+ *                    uppler layer doesn't have to do any wait.
+ */
+QDF_STATUS sme_abort_roaming(mac_handle_t mac_handle, uint8_t session_id);
+
 /**
  * sme_set_pcl_for_first_connected_vdev  - Set the vdev pcl for the connected
  * STA vdev
diff --git a/core/sme/src/common/sme_api.c b/core/sme/src/common/sme_api.c
index d7a3596b59db..5d9f231bc9a9 100644
--- a/core/sme/src/common/sme_api.c
+++ b/core/sme/src/common/sme_api.c
@@ -6371,11 +6371,11 @@ QDF_STATUS sme_start_roaming(mac_handle_t mac_handle, uint8_t vdev_id,
  * sme_stop_roaming() - Stop roaming for a given sessionId
  *  This is a synchronous call
  *
- * @mac_handle      - The handle returned by mac_open
+ * @mac_handle - The handle returned by mac_open
  * @sessionId - Session Identifier
  *
  * Return QDF_STATUS_SUCCESS on success
- *	   Other status on failure
+ *        Other status on failure
  */
 QDF_STATUS sme_stop_roaming(mac_handle_t mac_handle, uint8_t session_id,
 			    uint8_t reason,
@@ -6392,6 +6392,12 @@ QDF_STATUS sme_stop_roaming(mac_handle_t mac_handle, uint8_t session_id,
 		return QDF_STATUS_E_FAILURE;
 	}
 
+	status = sme_acquire_global_lock(&mac_ctx->sme);
+	if (QDF_IS_STATUS_ERROR(status)) {
+		sme_err("Failed to acquire global SME lock!");
+		return status;
+	}
+
 	if (reason == REASON_DRIVER_DISABLED && requestor)
 		mlme_set_operations_bitmap(mac_ctx->psoc, session_id,
 					   requestor, false);
@@ -6400,9 +6406,37 @@ QDF_STATUS sme_stop_roaming(mac_handle_t mac_handle, uint8_t session_id,
 					    WLAN_ROAM_RSO_STOPPED,
 					    REASON_DRIVER_DISABLED);
 
+	sme_release_global_lock(&mac_ctx->sme);
 	return status;
 }
 
+QDF_STATUS sme_abort_roaming(mac_handle_t mac_handle, uint8_t session_id)
+{
+	struct mac_context *mac_ctx = MAC_CONTEXT(mac_handle);
+	QDF_STATUS status;
+
+	status = sme_acquire_global_lock(&mac_ctx->sme);
+	if (QDF_IS_STATUS_ERROR(status)) {
+		sme_err("Failed to acquire global SME lock!");
+		return status;
+	}
+
+	if (MLME_IS_ROAM_SYNCH_IN_PROGRESS(mac_ctx->psoc, session_id) ||
+	    sme_neighbor_middle_of_roaming(mac_handle, session_id)) {
+		sme_release_global_lock(&mac_ctx->sme);
+		return QDF_STATUS_E_BUSY;
+	}
+
+	/* RSO stop cmd will be issued with global SME lock held to avoid
+	 * any racing conditions with wma/csr layer
+	 */
+	sme_stop_roaming(mac_handle, session_id, REASON_DRIVER_DISABLED,
+			 RSO_INVALID_REQUESTOR);
+
+	sme_release_global_lock(&mac_ctx->sme);
+	return QDF_STATUS_SUCCESS;
+}
+
 /*
  * sme_start_roaming() - Start roaming for a given sessionId
  *  This is a synchronous call
diff --git a/core/sme/src/csr/csr_api_roam.c b/core/sme/src/csr/csr_api_roam.c
index ffbc8bff7471..cad33327894e 100644
--- a/core/sme/src/csr/csr_api_roam.c
+++ b/core/sme/src/csr/csr_api_roam.c
@@ -19008,6 +19008,11 @@ csr_roam_switch_to_roam_sync(struct mac_context *mac, uint8_t vdev_id,
 					    WLAN_ROAM_SYNCH_IN_PROG);
 			break;
 		}
+
+		/*
+		 * transition to WLAN_ROAM_SYNCH_IN_PROG not allowed otherwise
+		 * if we're already RSO stopped, fall through to return failure
+		 */
 	case WLAN_ROAM_INIT:
 	case WLAN_ROAM_DEINIT:
 	case WLAN_ROAM_SYNCH_IN_PROG: