diff --git a/os_if/linux/nan/src/os_if_nan.c b/os_if/linux/nan/src/os_if_nan.c
index 6a08c88adbdc..06edb07f4b0f 100644
--- a/os_if/linux/nan/src/os_if_nan.c
+++ b/os_if/linux/nan/src/os_if_nan.c
@@ -341,7 +341,8 @@ static int os_if_nan_process_ndp_initiator_req(struct wlan_objmgr_psoc *psoc,
 
 	if (nan_vdev->vdev_mlme.vdev_opmode != QDF_NDI_MODE) {
 		cfg80211_err("Interface found is not NDI");
-		return -EINVAL;
+		ret = -EINVAL;
+		goto initiator_req_failed;
 	}
 
 	state = ucfg_nan_get_ndi_state(nan_vdev);
@@ -422,10 +423,12 @@ static int os_if_nan_process_ndp_initiator_req(struct wlan_objmgr_psoc *psoc,
 		req.service_instance_id, req.ndp_info.ndp_app_info_len,
 		req.ncs_sk_type, req.peer_discovery_mac_addr.bytes);
 
+	req.vdev = nan_vdev;
 	status = ucfg_nan_req_processor(nan_vdev, &req, NDP_INITIATOR_REQ);
 	ret = qdf_status_to_os_return(status);
 initiator_req_failed:
-	wlan_objmgr_vdev_release_ref(nan_vdev, WLAN_NAN_ID);
+	if (ret)
+		wlan_objmgr_vdev_release_ref(nan_vdev, WLAN_NAN_ID);
 
 	return ret;
 }
@@ -461,8 +464,7 @@ static int os_if_nan_process_ndp_responder_req(struct wlan_objmgr_psoc *psoc,
 
 	if (!tb[QCA_WLAN_VENDOR_ATTR_NDP_RESPONSE_CODE]) {
 		cfg80211_err("ndp_rsp is unavailable");
-		ret = -EINVAL;
-		goto responder_req_failed;
+		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 	req.ndp_rsp = nla_get_u32(tb[QCA_WLAN_VENDOR_ATTR_NDP_RESPONSE_CODE]);
 
@@ -484,7 +486,8 @@ static int os_if_nan_process_ndp_responder_req(struct wlan_objmgr_psoc *psoc,
 
 		if (nan_vdev->vdev_mlme.vdev_opmode != QDF_NDI_MODE) {
 			cfg80211_err("Interface found is not NDI");
-			return -ENODEV;
+			ret = -ENODEV;
+			goto responder_req_failed;
 		}
 	} else {
 
@@ -513,8 +516,6 @@ static int os_if_nan_process_ndp_responder_req(struct wlan_objmgr_psoc *psoc,
 		goto responder_req_failed;
 	}
 
-	req.vdev = nan_vdev;
-
 	if (!tb[QCA_WLAN_VENDOR_ATTR_NDP_TRANSACTION_ID]) {
 		cfg80211_err("Transaction ID is unavailable");
 		ret = -EINVAL;
@@ -562,11 +563,13 @@ static int os_if_nan_process_ndp_responder_req(struct wlan_objmgr_psoc *psoc,
 		req.ndp_instance_id, req.ndp_info.ndp_app_info_len,
 		req.ncs_sk_type);
 
+	req.vdev = nan_vdev;
 	status = ucfg_nan_req_processor(nan_vdev, &req, NDP_RESPONDER_REQ);
 	ret = qdf_status_to_os_return(status);
 
 responder_req_failed:
-	wlan_objmgr_vdev_release_ref(nan_vdev, WLAN_NAN_ID);
+	if (ret)
+		wlan_objmgr_vdev_release_ref(nan_vdev, WLAN_NAN_ID);
 
 	return ret;
 
@@ -623,9 +626,11 @@ static int os_if_nan_process_ndp_end_req(struct wlan_objmgr_psoc *psoc,
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
+	req.vdev = nan_vdev;
 	status = ucfg_nan_req_processor(nan_vdev, &req, NDP_END_REQ);
 	ret = qdf_status_to_os_return(status);
-	wlan_objmgr_vdev_release_ref(nan_vdev, WLAN_NAN_ID);
+	if (ret)
+		wlan_objmgr_vdev_release_ref(nan_vdev, WLAN_NAN_ID);
 
 	return ret;
 }
diff --git a/umac/nan/core/src/nan_main.c b/umac/nan/core/src/nan_main.c
index bdedd2fd926b..6cbe0288f0dd 100644
--- a/umac/nan/core/src/nan_main.c
+++ b/umac/nan/core/src/nan_main.c
@@ -187,7 +187,6 @@ static QDF_STATUS nan_serialized_cb(void *cmd,
 
 QDF_STATUS nan_scheduled_msg_handler(struct scheduler_msg *msg)
 {
-	QDF_STATUS ref_status;
 	enum wlan_serialization_status status = 0;
 	struct wlan_serialization_command cmd = {0};
 
@@ -219,14 +218,6 @@ QDF_STATUS nan_scheduled_msg_handler(struct scheduler_msg *msg)
 		return QDF_STATUS_E_INVAL;
 	}
 
-	/* try get ref now, if failure, then vdev may have been deleted */
-	ref_status = wlan_objmgr_vdev_try_get_ref(cmd.vdev, WLAN_NAN_ID);
-	if (QDF_IS_STATUS_ERROR(ref_status)) {
-		nan_alert("couldn't get ref. vdev maybe deleted");
-		return QDF_STATUS_E_INVAL;
-	}
-	/* reference will be released when ser command finishes */
-
 	/* TBD - support more than one req of same type or avoid */
 	cmd.cmd_id = 0;
 	cmd.cmd_cb = nan_serialized_cb;