diff --git a/ath/if_ath.c b/ath/if_ath.c
index ae60a88..8a7bac1 100644
--- a/ath/if_ath.c
+++ b/ath/if_ath.c
@@ -3123,8 +3123,7 @@ ath_hardstart(struct sk_buff *skb, struct net_device *dev)
 			requeue = 1;
 			goto hardstart_fail;
 		}
-		/* If the clone works, bump the reference count for our copy. */
-		SKB_CB(skb)->ni = ieee80211_ref_node(SKB_CB(skb_orig)->ni);
+		ieee80211_skb_copy_noderef(skb_orig, skb);
 		ieee80211_dev_kfree_skb(&skb_orig);
 	} else {
 		if (SKB_CB(skb)->ni != NULL) 
@@ -6006,10 +6005,7 @@ ath_skb_removepad(struct sk_buff *skb, unsigned int copy_skb)
 				tskb = skb_copy(skb, GFP_ATOMIC);
 				if (tskb == NULL)
 					return NULL;
-				/* Reference any node from the source skb. */
-				if (SKB_CB(skb)->ni != NULL)
-					SKB_CB(tskb)->ni = ieee80211_ref_node(
-							SKB_CB(skb)->ni);
+				ieee80211_skb_copy_noderef(skb, tskb);
 			}
 			memmove(tskb->data + padbytes, tskb->data, headersize);
 			skb_pull(tskb, padbytes);
diff --git a/net80211/ieee80211_monitor.c b/net80211/ieee80211_monitor.c
index 4926b63..ff52576 100644
--- a/net80211/ieee80211_monitor.c
+++ b/net80211/ieee80211_monitor.c
@@ -387,10 +387,8 @@ ieee80211_input_monitor(struct ieee80211com *ic, struct sk_buff *skb,
 			/* XXX stat+msg */
 			continue;
 		}
-		/* We duplicate the reference after skb_copy */
-		if (SKB_CB(skb)->ni != NULL) {
-			SKB_CB(skb1)->ni = ieee80211_ref_node(SKB_CB(skb)->ni);
-		}
+		ieee80211_skb_copy_noderef(skb, skb1);
+
 		if (vap->iv_monitor_txf_len && tx) {
 			/* truncate transmit feedback packets */
 			skb_trim(skb1, vap->iv_monitor_txf_len);
diff --git a/net80211/ieee80211_output.c b/net80211/ieee80211_output.c
index cc7726f..5cbdf2b 100644
--- a/net80211/ieee80211_output.c
+++ b/net80211/ieee80211_output.c
@@ -631,11 +631,6 @@ ieee80211_skbhdr_adjust(struct ieee80211vap *vap, int hdrsize,
 		if (skb_headroom(skb) < need_headroom) {
 			struct sk_buff *tmp = skb;
 			skb = skb_realloc_headroom(skb, need_headroom);
-			/* Increment reference count after copy */
-			if (NULL != skb && SKB_CB(tmp)->ni != NULL) {
-				SKB_CB(skb)->ni = ieee80211_ref_node(SKB_CB(tmp)->ni);
-			}
-			ieee80211_dev_kfree_skb(&tmp);
 			if (skb == NULL) {
 				IEEE80211_DPRINTF(vap, IEEE80211_MSG_OUTPUT,
 					"%s: cannot expand storage (head1)\n",
@@ -643,10 +638,11 @@ ieee80211_skbhdr_adjust(struct ieee80211vap *vap, int hdrsize,
 				vap->iv_stats.is_tx_nobuf++;
 				ieee80211_dev_kfree_skb(&skb2);
 				return NULL;
-			}
+			} else
+				ieee80211_skb_copy_noderef(tmp, skb);
+			ieee80211_dev_kfree_skb(&tmp);
 			/* NB: cb[] area was copied, but not next ptr. must do that
-			 *     prior to return on success.
-			 */
+			 *     prior to return on success. */
 		}
 
 		/* second skb with header and tail adjustments possible */
@@ -668,11 +664,6 @@ ieee80211_skbhdr_adjust(struct ieee80211vap *vap, int hdrsize,
 			struct sk_buff *tmp = skb2;
 
 			skb2 = skb_realloc_headroom(skb2, inter_headroom);
-			/* Increment reference count after copy */
-			if (NULL != skb2 && SKB_CB(tmp)->ni != NULL) {
-				SKB_CB(skb2)->ni = ieee80211_ref_node(SKB_CB(tmp)->ni);
-			}
-			ieee80211_dev_kfree_skb(&tmp);
 			if (skb2 == NULL) {
 				IEEE80211_DPRINTF(vap, IEEE80211_MSG_OUTPUT,
 					"%s: cannot expand storage (head2)\n",
@@ -681,7 +672,9 @@ ieee80211_skbhdr_adjust(struct ieee80211vap *vap, int hdrsize,
 				/* this shouldn't happen, but don't send first ff either */
 				ieee80211_dev_kfree_skb(&skb);
 				skb = NULL;
-			}
+			} else
+				ieee80211_skb_copy_noderef(tmp, skb);
+			ieee80211_dev_kfree_skb(&tmp);
 		}
 		if (skb) {
 			skb->next = skb2;
@@ -708,15 +701,13 @@ ieee80211_skbhdr_adjust(struct ieee80211vap *vap, int hdrsize,
 		struct sk_buff *tmp = skb;
 		skb = skb_realloc_headroom(skb, need_headroom);
 		/* Increment reference count after copy */
-		if (NULL != skb && SKB_CB(tmp)->ni != NULL) {
-			SKB_CB(skb)->ni = ieee80211_ref_node(SKB_CB(tmp)->ni);
-		}
-		ieee80211_dev_kfree_skb(&tmp);
 		if (skb == NULL) {
 			IEEE80211_DPRINTF(vap, IEEE80211_MSG_OUTPUT,
 				"%s: cannot expand storage (head)\n", __func__);
 			vap->iv_stats.is_tx_nobuf++;
-		}
+		} else
+			ieee80211_skb_copy_noderef(tmp, skb);
+		ieee80211_dev_kfree_skb(&tmp);
 	}
 
 	return skb;