diff --git a/core/hdd/src/wlan_hdd_main.c b/core/hdd/src/wlan_hdd_main.c
index 7864f9f96f97..a5b59835804e 100644
--- a/core/hdd/src/wlan_hdd_main.c
+++ b/core/hdd/src/wlan_hdd_main.c
@@ -4517,7 +4517,6 @@ static void hdd_uninit(struct net_device *dev)
 	hdd_deinit_adapter(hdd_ctx, adapter, true);
 
 	/* after uninit our adapter structure will no longer be valid */
-	adapter->dev = NULL;
 	adapter->magic = 0;
 
 exit:
@@ -8561,7 +8560,12 @@ void hdd_adapter_dev_put_debug(struct hdd_adapter *adapter,
 		QDF_BUG(0);
 	}
 
-	dev_put(adapter->dev);
+	if (adapter->dev) {
+		dev_put(adapter->dev);
+	} else {
+		hdd_err("adapter->dev is NULL");
+		QDF_BUG(0);
+	}
 }
 
 QDF_STATUS hdd_get_front_adapter(struct hdd_context *hdd_ctx,