diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath11k/qmi.c b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath11k/qmi.c
index 99a88ca83deaa..2ae7c6bf091e9 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath11k/qmi.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath11k/qmi.c
@@ -1654,6 +1654,7 @@ static int ath11k_qmi_respond_fw_mem_request(struct ath11k_base *ab)
 	struct qmi_wlanfw_respond_mem_resp_msg_v01 resp;
 	struct qmi_txn txn = {};
 	int ret = 0, i;
+	bool delayed;
 
 	req = kzalloc(sizeof(*req), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!req)
@@ -1666,11 +1667,13 @@ static int ath11k_qmi_respond_fw_mem_request(struct ath11k_base *ab)
 	 * failure to FW and FW will then request mulitple blocks of small
 	 * chunk size memory.
 	 */
-	if (!ab->bus_params.fixed_mem_region && ab->qmi.mem_seg_count <= 2) {
+	if (!ab->bus_params.fixed_mem_region && ab->qmi.target_mem_delayed) {
+		delayed = true;
 		ath11k_dbg(ab, ATH11K_DBG_QMI, "qmi delays mem_request %d\n",
 			   ab->qmi.mem_seg_count);
 		memset(req, 0, sizeof(*req));
 	} else {
+		delayed = false;
 		req->mem_seg_len = ab->qmi.mem_seg_count;
 
 		for (i = 0; i < req->mem_seg_len ; i++) {
@@ -1702,6 +1705,12 @@ static int ath11k_qmi_respond_fw_mem_request(struct ath11k_base *ab)
 	}
 
 	if (resp.resp.result != QMI_RESULT_SUCCESS_V01) {
+		/* the error response is expected when
+		 * target_mem_delayed is true.
+		 */
+		if (delayed && resp.resp.error == 0)
+			goto out;
+
 		ath11k_warn(ab, "Respond mem req failed, result: %d, err: %d\n",
 			    resp.resp.result, resp.resp.error);
 		ret = -EINVAL;
@@ -1736,6 +1745,8 @@ static int ath11k_qmi_alloc_target_mem_chunk(struct ath11k_base *ab)
 	int i;
 	struct target_mem_chunk *chunk;
 
+	ab->qmi.target_mem_delayed = false;
+
 	for (i = 0; i < ab->qmi.mem_seg_count; i++) {
 		chunk = &ab->qmi.target_mem[i];
 		chunk->vaddr = dma_alloc_coherent(ab->dev,
@@ -1743,6 +1754,15 @@ static int ath11k_qmi_alloc_target_mem_chunk(struct ath11k_base *ab)
 						  &chunk->paddr,
 						  GFP_KERNEL);
 		if (!chunk->vaddr) {
+			if (ab->qmi.mem_seg_count <= 2) {
+				ath11k_dbg(ab, ATH11K_DBG_QMI,
+					   "qmi dma allocation failed (%d B type %u), will try later with small size\n",
+					    chunk->size,
+					    chunk->type);
+				ath11k_qmi_free_target_mem_chunk(ab);
+				ab->qmi.target_mem_delayed = true;
+				return 0;
+			}
 			ath11k_err(ab, "failed to alloc memory, size: 0x%x, type: %u\n",
 				   chunk->size,
 				   chunk->type);
@@ -2467,7 +2487,7 @@ static void ath11k_qmi_msg_mem_request_cb(struct qmi_handle *qmi_hdl,
 				    ret);
 			return;
 		}
-	} else if (msg->mem_seg_len > 2) {
+	} else {
 		ret = ath11k_qmi_alloc_target_mem_chunk(ab);
 		if (ret) {
 			ath11k_warn(ab, "qmi failed to alloc target memory: %d\n",
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath11k/qmi.h b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath11k/qmi.h
index b0a818f0401b9..59f1452b3544c 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath11k/qmi.h
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath11k/qmi.h
@@ -121,6 +121,7 @@ struct ath11k_qmi {
 	struct target_mem_chunk target_mem[ATH11K_QMI_WLANFW_MAX_NUM_MEM_SEG_V01];
 	u32 mem_seg_count;
 	u32 target_mem_mode;
+	bool target_mem_delayed;
 	u8 cal_done;
 	struct target_info target;
 	struct m3_mem_region m3_mem;