diff --git a/sys/dev/netif/ath/ath/if_ath.c b/sys/dev/netif/ath/ath/if_ath.c
index 2f22372..ebdc7d4 100644
--- a/sys/dev/netif/ath/ath/if_ath.c
+++ b/sys/dev/netif/ath/ath/if_ath.c
@@ -1730,14 +1730,23 @@ static struct ath_buf *
 _ath_getbuf_locked(struct ath_softc *sc)
 {
 	struct ath_buf *bf;
-
+	int tries = 0;
+start:
 	bf = STAILQ_FIRST(&sc->sc_txbuf);
-	if (bf != NULL && (bf->bf_flags & ATH_BUF_BUSY) == 0)
-		STAILQ_REMOVE_HEAD(&sc->sc_txbuf, bf_list);
-	else
-		bf = NULL;
+	if (bf != NULL) {
+		if ((bf->bf_flags & ATH_BUF_BUSY) == 0) {
+			STAILQ_REMOVE_HEAD(&sc->sc_txbuf, bf_list);
+			kprintf("ath: making orphan xmit buffer\n");
+			if (++tries == 4)
+				return (NULL);
+			goto start;
+		} else {
+			STAILQ_REMOVE_HEAD(&sc->sc_txbuf, bf_list);
+		}
+	}
+
 	if (bf == NULL) {
-		kprintf("ath: ran out of descriptors\n");
+		kprintf("ath: ran out of xmit buffers\n");
 		DPRINTF(sc, ATH_DEBUG_XMIT, "%s: %s\n", __func__,
 		    STAILQ_FIRST(&sc->sc_txbuf) == NULL ?
 			"out of xmit buffers" : "xmit buffer busy");