diff --git a/mt7603/mcu.c b/mt7603/mcu.c
index 6cd947df6..f787c9d30 100644
--- a/mt7603/mcu.c
+++ b/mt7603/mcu.c
@@ -17,8 +17,18 @@ static int
 mt7603_mcu_parse_response(struct mt76_dev *mdev, int cmd,
 			  struct sk_buff *skb, int seq)
 {
-	struct mt7603_mcu_rxd *rxd = (struct mt7603_mcu_rxd *)skb->data;
+	struct mt7603_dev *dev = container_of(mdev, struct mt7603_dev, mt76);
+	struct mt7603_mcu_rxd *rxd;
+
+	if (!skb) {
+		dev_err(mdev->dev,
+			"MCU message %d (seq %d) timed out\n",
+			cmd, seq);
+		dev->mcu_hang = MT7603_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT;
+		return -ETIMEDOUT;
+	}
 
+	rxd = (struct mt7603_mcu_rxd *)skb->data;
 	if (seq != rxd->seq)
 		return -EAGAIN;
 
@@ -85,15 +95,6 @@ mt7603_mcu_msg_send(struct mt76_dev *mdev, int cmd, const void *data,
 
 	while (wait_resp) {
 		skb = mt76_mcu_get_response(&dev->mt76, expires);
-		if (!skb) {
-			dev_err(mdev->dev,
-				"MCU message %d (seq %d) timed out\n",
-				cmd, seq);
-			dev->mcu_hang = MT7603_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT;
-			ret = -ETIMEDOUT;
-			break;
-		}
-
 		ret = mt7603_mcu_parse_response(mdev, cmd, skb, seq);
 		dev_kfree_skb(skb);
 		if (ret != -EAGAIN)
diff --git a/mt7615/mcu.c b/mt7615/mcu.c
index 60053f68d..c90b173fc 100644
--- a/mt7615/mcu.c
+++ b/mt7615/mcu.c
@@ -182,9 +182,16 @@ static int __mt7615_mcu_msg_send(struct mt7615_dev *dev, struct sk_buff *skb,
 int mt7615_mcu_parse_response(struct mt76_dev *mdev, int cmd,
 			      struct sk_buff *skb, int seq)
 {
-	struct mt7615_mcu_rxd *rxd = (struct mt7615_mcu_rxd *)skb->data;
+	struct mt7615_mcu_rxd *rxd;
 	int ret = 0;
 
+	if (!skb) {
+		dev_err(mdev->dev, "Message %ld (seq %d) timeout\n",
+			cmd & MCU_CMD_MASK, seq);
+		return -ETIMEDOUT;
+	}
+
+	rxd = (struct mt7615_mcu_rxd *)skb->data;
 	if (seq != rxd->seq)
 		return -EAGAIN;
 
@@ -238,12 +245,6 @@ int mt7615_mcu_wait_response(struct mt7615_dev *dev, int cmd, int seq)
 
 	while (true) {
 		skb = mt76_mcu_get_response(&dev->mt76, expires);
-		if (!skb) {
-			dev_err(dev->mt76.dev, "Message %ld (seq %d) timeout\n",
-				cmd & MCU_CMD_MASK, seq);
-			return -ETIMEDOUT;
-		}
-
 		ret = mt7615_mcu_parse_response(&dev->mt76, cmd, skb, seq);
 		dev_kfree_skb(skb);
 		if (ret != -EAGAIN)
diff --git a/mt76x02_mcu.c b/mt76x02_mcu.c
index e35b3a253..3b2184254 100644
--- a/mt76x02_mcu.c
+++ b/mt76x02_mcu.c
@@ -13,8 +13,18 @@
 int mt76x02_mcu_parse_response(struct mt76_dev *mdev, int cmd,
 			       struct sk_buff *skb, int seq)
 {
-	u32 *rxfce = (u32 *)skb->cb;
+	struct mt76x02_dev *dev = container_of(mdev, struct mt76x02_dev, mt76);
+	u32 *rxfce;
+
+	if (!skb) {
+		dev_err(mdev->dev,
+			"MCU message %d (seq %d) timed out\n", cmd,
+			seq);
+		dev->mcu_timeout = 1;
+		return -ETIMEDOUT;
+	}
 
+	rxfce = (u32 *)skb->cb;
 	if (seq != FIELD_GET(MT_RX_FCE_INFO_CMD_SEQ, *rxfce))
 		return -EAGAIN;
 
@@ -57,15 +67,6 @@ int mt76x02_mcu_msg_send(struct mt76_dev *mdev, int cmd, const void *data,
 
 	while (wait_resp) {
 		skb = mt76_mcu_get_response(&dev->mt76, expires);
-		if (!skb) {
-			dev_err(mdev->dev,
-				"MCU message %d (seq %d) timed out\n", cmd,
-				seq);
-			ret = -ETIMEDOUT;
-			dev->mcu_timeout = 1;
-			break;
-		}
-
 		ret = mt76x02_mcu_parse_response(mdev, cmd, skb, seq);
 		dev_kfree_skb(skb);
 		if (ret != -EAGAIN)
diff --git a/mt7915/mcu.c b/mt7915/mcu.c
index e4c1d3f3d..115b34a5f 100644
--- a/mt7915/mcu.c
+++ b/mt7915/mcu.c
@@ -313,9 +313,16 @@ mt7915_mcu_parse_response(struct mt76_dev *mdev, int cmd,
 			  struct sk_buff *skb, int seq)
 {
 	struct mt7915_dev *dev = container_of(mdev, struct mt7915_dev, mt76);
-	struct mt7915_mcu_rxd *rxd = (struct mt7915_mcu_rxd *)skb->data;
+	struct mt7915_mcu_rxd *rxd;
 	int ret = 0;
 
+	if (!skb) {
+		dev_err(mdev->dev, "Message %d (seq %d) timeout\n",
+			cmd, seq);
+		return -ETIMEDOUT;
+	}
+
+	rxd = (struct mt7915_mcu_rxd *)skb->data;
 	if (seq != rxd->seq)
 		return -EAGAIN;
 
@@ -347,12 +354,6 @@ mt7915_mcu_wait_response(struct mt7915_dev *dev, int cmd, int seq)
 
 	while (true) {
 		skb = mt76_mcu_get_response(&dev->mt76, expires);
-		if (!skb) {
-			dev_err(dev->mt76.dev, "Message %d (seq %d) timeout\n",
-				cmd, seq);
-			return -ETIMEDOUT;
-		}
-
 		ret = mt7915_mcu_parse_response(&dev->mt76, cmd, skb, seq);
 		dev_kfree_skb(skb);
 		if (ret != -EAGAIN)