diff --git a/sys/dev/iwm/if_iwm.c b/sys/dev/iwm/if_iwm.c
index 9237309d3f3e..627fdaa1fab8 100644
--- a/sys/dev/iwm/if_iwm.c
+++ b/sys/dev/iwm/if_iwm.c
@@ -2589,8 +2589,6 @@ iwm_pcie_load_cpu_sections_8000(struct iwm_softc *sc,
 
 	*first_ucode_section = last_read_idx;
 
-	iwm_enable_interrupts(sc);
-
 	if (iwm_nic_lock(sc)) {
 		if (cpu == 1)
 			IWM_WRITE(sc, IWM_FH_UCODE_LOAD_STATUS, 0xFFFF);
@@ -2762,6 +2760,7 @@ iwm_start_fw(struct iwm_softc *sc, const struct iwm_fw_img *fw)
 	 * RF-Kill switch is toggled, we will find out after having loaded
 	 * the firmware and return the proper value to the caller.
 	 */
+	IWM_WRITE(sc, IWM_CSR_INT, 0xFFFFFFFF);
 	iwm_enable_fw_load_int(sc);
 
 	/* really make sure rfkill handshake bits are cleared */
@@ -2775,6 +2774,9 @@ iwm_start_fw(struct iwm_softc *sc, const struct iwm_fw_img *fw)
 	else
 		ret = iwm_pcie_load_given_ucode(sc, fw);
 
+	if (ret == 0)
+		iwm_enable_interrupts(sc);
+
 	/* XXX re-check RF-Kill state */
 
 out:
@@ -3032,11 +3034,19 @@ iwm_run_init_ucode(struct iwm_softc *sc, int justnvm)
 		goto error;
 	}
 
+	ret = iwm_sf_update(sc, NULL, TRUE);
+	if (ret) {
+		device_printf(sc->sc_dev,
+		    "failed to update smart fifo state: %d\n", ret);
+		goto error;
+	}
+
 	/* Send TX valid antennas before triggering calibrations */
-	ret = iwm_send_tx_ant_cfg(sc, iwm_get_valid_tx_ant(sc));
+	uint8_t ant = iwm_get_valid_tx_ant(sc);
+	ret = iwm_send_tx_ant_cfg(sc, ant);
 	if (ret) {
 		device_printf(sc->sc_dev,
-		    "failed to send antennas before calibration: %d\n", ret);
+		    "failed to send antennas (%u) before calibration: %d\n", ant, ret);
 		goto error;
 	}