diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/mvm/debugfs.c b/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/mvm/debugfs.c
index 83e3c116036220ba92671810fea7a95c95dd17c7..55d035b896e91df0c330e017fbf32de489ae1a68 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/mvm/debugfs.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/mvm/debugfs.c
@@ -1479,6 +1479,13 @@ static ssize_t iwl_dbgfs_fw_dbg_clear_write(struct iwl_mvm *mvm,
 	if (mvm->trans->trans_cfg->device_family < IWL_DEVICE_FAMILY_9000)
 		return -EOPNOTSUPP;
 
+	/*
+	 * If the firmware is not running, silently succeed since there is
+	 * no data to clear.
+	 */
+	if (!iwl_mvm_firmware_running(mvm))
+		return count;
+
 	mutex_lock(&mvm->mutex);
 	iwl_fw_dbg_clear_monitor_buf(&mvm->fwrt);
 	mutex_unlock(&mvm->mutex);