diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/carl9170/rx.c b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/carl9170/rx.c
index a0b723078547..9cd93f1d8bef 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/carl9170/rx.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/carl9170/rx.c
@@ -164,9 +164,6 @@ void carl9170_handle_command_response(struct ar9170 *ar, void *buf, u32 len)
 	struct carl9170_rsp *cmd = buf;
 	struct ieee80211_vif *vif;
 
-	if (carl9170_check_sequence(ar, cmd->hdr.seq))
-		return;
-
 	if ((cmd->hdr.cmd & CARL9170_RSP_FLAG) != CARL9170_RSP_FLAG) {
 		if (!(cmd->hdr.cmd & CARL9170_CMD_ASYNC_FLAG))
 			carl9170_cmd_callback(ar, len, buf);
@@ -820,6 +817,9 @@ static void carl9170_rx_untie_cmds(struct ar9170 *ar, const u8 *respbuf,
 		if (unlikely(i > resplen))
 			break;
 
+		if (carl9170_check_sequence(ar, cmd->hdr.seq))
+			break;
+
 		carl9170_handle_command_response(ar, cmd, cmd->hdr.len + 4);
 	}
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/carl9170/usb.c b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/carl9170/usb.c
index 888152ce3eca..307bc0ddff99 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/carl9170/usb.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/carl9170/usb.c
@@ -295,6 +295,13 @@ static void carl9170_usb_rx_irq_complete(struct urb *urb)
 		goto resubmit;
 	}
 
+	/*
+	 * While the carl9170 firmware does not use this EP, the
+	 * firmware loader in the EEPROM unfortunately does.
+	 * Therefore we need to be ready to handle out-of-band
+	 * responses and traps in case the firmware crashed and
+	 * the loader took over again.
+	 */
 	carl9170_handle_command_response(ar, urb->transfer_buffer,
 					 urb->actual_length);