diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/mediatek/mt76/mt7615/main.c b/drivers/net/wireless/mediatek/mt76/mt7615/main.c
index 1ee6dda579a8..8fefcfba83b1 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/mediatek/mt76/mt7615/main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/mediatek/mt76/mt7615/main.c
@@ -178,6 +178,21 @@ static int mt7615_set_key(struct ieee80211_hw *hw, enum set_key_cmd cmd,
 	    !(key->flags & IEEE80211_KEY_FLAG_PAIRWISE))
 		return -EOPNOTSUPP;
 
+	/* fall back to sw encryption for unsupported ciphers */
+	switch (key->cipher) {
+	case WLAN_CIPHER_SUITE_WEP40:
+	case WLAN_CIPHER_SUITE_WEP104:
+	case WLAN_CIPHER_SUITE_TKIP:
+	case WLAN_CIPHER_SUITE_CCMP:
+	case WLAN_CIPHER_SUITE_CCMP_256:
+	case WLAN_CIPHER_SUITE_GCMP:
+	case WLAN_CIPHER_SUITE_GCMP_256:
+	case WLAN_CIPHER_SUITE_SMS4:
+		break;
+	default:
+		return -EOPNOTSUPP;
+	}
+
 	if (cmd == SET_KEY) {
 		key->hw_key_idx = wcid->idx;
 		wcid->hw_key_idx = idx;