diff --git a/core/mac/inc/sir_api.h b/core/mac/inc/sir_api.h
index 7d933620f875..9ce1452e5df4 100644
--- a/core/mac/inc/sir_api.h
+++ b/core/mac/inc/sir_api.h
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 2012-2020 The Linux Foundation. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2022 Qualcomm Innovation Center, Inc. All rights reserved.
  *
  * Permission to use, copy, modify, and/or distribute this software for
  * any purpose with or without fee is hereby granted, provided that the
@@ -5667,6 +5668,12 @@ struct sir_sae_info {
  * @vdev_id: vdev id
  * @sae_status: SAE status, 0: Success, Non-zero: Failure.
  * @peer_mac_addr: peer MAC address
+ * @result_code: This carries the reason of the SAE auth failure.
+ *               Currently, SAE authentication failure may happen due to
+ *               1. Authentication failure detected as part of SAE auth frame
+ *                  exchanges and validation.
+ *               2. Deauth received from AP while SAE authentication is in
+ *                  progress.
  */
 struct sir_sae_msg {
 	uint16_t message_type;
@@ -5674,6 +5681,7 @@ struct sir_sae_msg {
 	uint16_t vdev_id;
 	uint8_t sae_status;
 	tSirMacAddr peer_mac_addr;
+	tSirResultCodes result_code;
 };
 
 #ifdef WLAN_FEATURE_MOTION_DETECTION
diff --git a/core/mac/src/pe/lim/lim_process_deauth_frame.c b/core/mac/src/pe/lim/lim_process_deauth_frame.c
index cb1d7ff412b2..beedd3ac5fdf 100644
--- a/core/mac/src/pe/lim/lim_process_deauth_frame.c
+++ b/core/mac/src/pe/lim/lim_process_deauth_frame.c
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 2011-2021 The Linux Foundation. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2022 Qualcomm Innovation Center, Inc. All rights reserved.
  *
  * Permission to use, copy, modify, and/or distribute this software for
  * any purpose with or without fee is hereby granted, provided that the
@@ -38,6 +39,7 @@
 #include "lim_ser_des_utils.h"
 #include "sch_api.h"
 #include "lim_send_messages.h"
+#include "cds_ieee80211_common.h"
 
 /**
  * lim_process_deauth_frame
@@ -85,7 +87,9 @@ lim_process_deauth_frame(struct mac_context *mac, uint8_t *pRxPacketInfo,
 
 	if (LIM_IS_STA_ROLE(pe_session) &&
 	    ((eLIM_SME_WT_DISASSOC_STATE == pe_session->limSmeState) ||
-	     (eLIM_SME_WT_DEAUTH_STATE == pe_session->limSmeState))) {
+	     (eLIM_SME_WT_DEAUTH_STATE == pe_session->limSmeState) ||
+	     (pe_session->limMlmState == eLIM_MLM_WT_SAE_AUTH_STATE &&
+	      pe_session->limSmeState == eLIM_SME_WT_AUTH_STATE))) {
 		/*Every 15th deauth frame will be logged in kmsg */
 		if (!(mac->lim.deauthMsgCnt & 0xF)) {
 			pe_debug("received Deauth frame in DEAUTH_WT_STATE"
@@ -320,6 +324,40 @@ lim_process_deauth_frame(struct mac_context *mac, uint8_t *pRxPacketInfo,
 
 } /*** end lim_process_deauth_frame() ***/
 
+#ifdef WLAN_FEATURE_SAE
+/*
+ * lim_process_sae_auth_msg() - Process auth msg after recieving deauth
+ * @mac_ctx: Global MAC context
+ * @pe_session: PE session entry pointer
+ * @addr: peer address/ source address
+ *
+ * Return: None
+ */
+static void lim_process_sae_auth_msg(struct mac_context *mac_ctx,
+				     struct pe_session *pe_session,
+				     tSirMacAddr addr)
+{
+	struct sir_sae_msg *sae_msg;
+
+	sae_msg = qdf_mem_malloc(sizeof(*sae_msg));
+	if (!sae_msg)
+		return;
+
+	sae_msg->vdev_id = pe_session->vdev_id;
+	sae_msg->sae_status = IEEE80211_STATUS_UNSPECIFIED;
+	sae_msg->result_code = eSIR_SME_DEAUTH_WHILE_JOIN;
+	qdf_mem_copy(sae_msg->peer_mac_addr, addr, QDF_MAC_ADDR_SIZE);
+	lim_process_sae_msg(mac_ctx, sae_msg);
+
+	qdf_mem_free(sae_msg);
+}
+#else
+static inline void lim_process_sae_auth_msg(struct mac_context *mac_ctx,
+					    struct pe_session *pe_session,
+					    tSirMacAddr addr)
+{}
+#endif
+
 void lim_perform_deauth(struct mac_context *mac_ctx, struct pe_session *pe_session,
 			uint16_t rc, tSirMacAddr addr, int32_t frame_rssi)
 {
@@ -477,6 +515,18 @@ void lim_perform_deauth(struct mac_context *mac_ctx, struct pe_session *pe_sessi
 				QDF_MAC_ADDR_REF(addr));
 			break;
 
+		case eLIM_MLM_WT_SAE_AUTH_STATE:
+			pe_debug("received Deauth frame state %X with "
+				 "reasonCode=%d from " QDF_MAC_ADDR_FMT,
+				 pe_session->limMlmState, rc,
+				 QDF_MAC_ADDR_REF(addr));
+
+			/* this will be treated as SAE authenticaton failure
+			 * and connect failure to userspace.
+			 */
+			lim_process_sae_auth_msg(mac_ctx, pe_session, addr);
+			return;
+
 		default:
 			pe_err("received Deauth frame in state %X with "
 				"reasonCode=%d from " QDF_MAC_ADDR_FMT,
diff --git a/core/mac/src/pe/lim/lim_process_message_queue.c b/core/mac/src/pe/lim/lim_process_message_queue.c
index 03a692c566bb..199866886095 100644
--- a/core/mac/src/pe/lim/lim_process_message_queue.c
+++ b/core/mac/src/pe/lim/lim_process_message_queue.c
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 2011-2020 The Linux Foundation. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2022 Qualcomm Innovation Center, Inc. All rights reserved.
  *
  * Permission to use, copy, modify, and/or distribute this software for
  * any purpose with or without fee is hereby granted, provided that the
@@ -97,8 +98,9 @@ static void lim_process_sae_msg_sta(struct mac_context *mac,
 						    STATUS_SUCCESS,
 						    session);
 		else
-			lim_restore_from_auth_state(mac, eSIR_SME_AUTH_REFUSED,
-				STATUS_UNSPECIFIED_FAILURE, session);
+			lim_restore_from_auth_state(mac, sae_msg->result_code,
+						    STATUS_UNSPECIFIED_FAILURE,
+						    session);
 		break;
 	default:
 		/* SAE msg is received in unexpected state */
@@ -190,7 +192,7 @@ static void lim_process_sae_msg_ap(struct mac_context *mac,
  *
  * Return: None
  */
-static void lim_process_sae_msg(struct mac_context *mac, struct sir_sae_msg *body)
+void lim_process_sae_msg(struct mac_context *mac, struct sir_sae_msg *body)
 {
 	struct sir_sae_msg *sae_msg = body;
 	struct pe_session *session;
@@ -226,9 +228,6 @@ static void lim_process_sae_msg(struct mac_context *mac, struct sir_sae_msg *bod
 	else
 		pe_debug("SAE message on unsupported interface");
 }
-#else
-static inline void lim_process_sae_msg(struct mac_context *mac, void *body)
-{}
 #endif
 
 /**
diff --git a/core/mac/src/pe/lim/lim_process_mlm_rsp_messages.c b/core/mac/src/pe/lim/lim_process_mlm_rsp_messages.c
index 7cd59f0a9fbf..0028143b26ca 100644
--- a/core/mac/src/pe/lim/lim_process_mlm_rsp_messages.c
+++ b/core/mac/src/pe/lim/lim_process_mlm_rsp_messages.c
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 2012-2021 The Linux Foundation. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2022 Qualcomm Innovation Center, Inc. All rights reserved.
  *
  * Permission to use, copy, modify, and/or distribute this software for
  * any purpose with or without fee is hereby granted, provided that the
@@ -582,8 +583,12 @@ void lim_process_mlm_auth_cnf(struct mac_context *mac_ctx, uint32_t *msg)
 			 * password is used. Then AP will still reject the
 			 * authentication even correct password is used unless
 			 * STA send deauth to AP upon authentication failure.
+			 *
+			 * Do not send deauth mgmt frame when already in Deauth
+			 * state while joining.
 			 */
-			if (auth_type == eSIR_AUTH_TYPE_SAE) {
+			if (auth_type == eSIR_AUTH_TYPE_SAE &&
+			    auth_cnf->resultCode != eSIR_SME_DEAUTH_WHILE_JOIN) {
 				pe_debug("Send deauth for SAE auth failure");
 				lim_send_deauth_mgmt_frame(mac_ctx,
 						       auth_cnf->protStatusCode,
diff --git a/core/mac/src/pe/lim/lim_utils.h b/core/mac/src/pe/lim/lim_utils.h
index aa9280a0a620..93921bdf09db 100644
--- a/core/mac/src/pe/lim/lim_utils.h
+++ b/core/mac/src/pe/lim/lim_utils.h
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 2012-2020 The Linux Foundation. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2022 Qualcomm Innovation Center, Inc. All rights reserved.
  *
  * Permission to use, copy, modify, and/or distribute this software for
  * any purpose with or without fee is hereby granted, provided that the
@@ -2241,4 +2242,19 @@ void lim_process_tpe_ie_from_beacon(struct mac_context *mac,
  * Return: void
  */
 void lim_send_conc_params_update(void);
+
+#ifdef WLAN_FEATURE_SAE
+/**
+ * lim_process_sae_msg() - Process SAE message
+ * @mac: Global MAC pointer
+ * @body: Buffer pointer
+ *
+ * Return: None
+ */
+void lim_process_sae_msg(struct mac_context *mac, struct sir_sae_msg *body);
+#else
+static inline void lim_process_sae_msg(struct mac_context *mac, void *body);
+{}
+#endif
+
 #endif /* __LIM_UTILS_H */
diff --git a/core/sme/src/common/sme_api.c b/core/sme/src/common/sme_api.c
index b2677e0833a8..cef5746de8bf 100644
--- a/core/sme/src/common/sme_api.c
+++ b/core/sme/src/common/sme_api.c
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 2012-2020 The Linux Foundation. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2022 Qualcomm Innovation Center, Inc. All rights reserved.
  *
  * Permission to use, copy, modify, and/or distribute this software for
  * any purpose with or without fee is hereby granted, provided that the
@@ -16026,6 +16027,7 @@ QDF_STATUS sme_handle_sae_msg(mac_handle_t mac_handle,
 		sae_msg->length = sizeof(*sae_msg);
 		sae_msg->vdev_id = session_id;
 		sae_msg->sae_status = sae_status;
+		sae_msg->result_code = eSIR_SME_AUTH_REFUSED;
 		qdf_mem_copy(sae_msg->peer_mac_addr,
 			     peer_mac_addr.bytes,
 			     QDF_MAC_ADDR_SIZE);