diff --git a/src/mesh/model/mesh-wifi-interface-mac.cc b/src/mesh/model/mesh-wifi-interface-mac.cc
index e04f20b0f..d23708125 100644
--- a/src/mesh/model/mesh-wifi-interface-mac.cc
+++ b/src/mesh/model/mesh-wifi-interface-mac.cc
@@ -89,6 +89,11 @@ MeshWifiInterfaceMac::~MeshWifiInterfaceMac ()
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // WifiMac inherited
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+bool
+MeshWifiInterfaceMac::CanForwardPacketsTo (Mac48Address to) const
+{
+  return true;
+}
 void
 MeshWifiInterfaceMac::Enqueue (Ptr<Packet> packet, Mac48Address to, Mac48Address from)
 {
diff --git a/src/mesh/model/mesh-wifi-interface-mac.h b/src/mesh/model/mesh-wifi-interface-mac.h
index d842824ac..01099fc10 100644
--- a/src/mesh/model/mesh-wifi-interface-mac.h
+++ b/src/mesh/model/mesh-wifi-interface-mac.h
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ public:
   virtual void  Enqueue (Ptr<Packet> packet, Mac48Address to);
   virtual bool  SupportsSendFrom () const;
   virtual void  SetLinkUpCallback (Callback<void> linkUp);
+  virtual bool CanForwardPacketsTo (Mac48Address to) const;
 
   /// \name Each mesh point interface must know the mesh point address
   ///@{
diff --git a/src/wave/model/ocb-wifi-mac.cc b/src/wave/model/ocb-wifi-mac.cc
index e010653dd..037de889e 100644
--- a/src/wave/model/ocb-wifi-mac.cc
+++ b/src/wave/model/ocb-wifi-mac.cc
@@ -156,6 +156,12 @@ OcbWifiMac::SetLinkDownCallback (Callback<void> linkDown)
   NS_LOG_WARN ("in OCB mode the like will never down, so linkDown will never be called");
 }
 
+bool
+OcbWifiMac::CanForwardPacketsTo (Mac48Address to) const
+{
+  return true;
+}
+
 void
 OcbWifiMac::Enqueue (Ptr<Packet> packet, Mac48Address to)
 {
diff --git a/src/wave/model/ocb-wifi-mac.h b/src/wave/model/ocb-wifi-mac.h
index 551f54654..f84d660b1 100644
--- a/src/wave/model/ocb-wifi-mac.h
+++ b/src/wave/model/ocb-wifi-mac.h
@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ public:
    * access is granted to this MAC.
    */
   virtual void Enqueue (Ptr<Packet> packet, Mac48Address to);
+  virtual bool CanForwardPacketsTo (Mac48Address to) const;
   /**
     * \param cwmin the min contention window
     * \param cwmax the max contention window
diff --git a/src/wifi/model/adhoc-wifi-mac.cc b/src/wifi/model/adhoc-wifi-mac.cc
index 8bbbb7350..9c23310de 100644
--- a/src/wifi/model/adhoc-wifi-mac.cc
+++ b/src/wifi/model/adhoc-wifi-mac.cc
@@ -70,6 +70,12 @@ AdhocWifiMac::SetAddress (Mac48Address address)
   RegularWifiMac::SetBssid (address);
 }
 
+bool
+AdhocWifiMac::CanForwardPacketsTo (Mac48Address to) const
+{
+  return true;
+}
+
 void
 AdhocWifiMac::Enqueue (Ptr<Packet> packet, Mac48Address to)
 {
diff --git a/src/wifi/model/adhoc-wifi-mac.h b/src/wifi/model/adhoc-wifi-mac.h
index b568b5eff..e2a60c7e7 100644
--- a/src/wifi/model/adhoc-wifi-mac.h
+++ b/src/wifi/model/adhoc-wifi-mac.h
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ public:
   void SetAddress (Mac48Address address) override;
   void SetLinkUpCallback (Callback<void> linkUp) override;
   void Enqueue (Ptr<Packet> packet, Mac48Address to) override;
+  bool CanForwardPacketsTo (Mac48Address to) const override;
 
 private:
   void Receive (Ptr<WifiMacQueueItem> mpdu) override;
diff --git a/src/wifi/model/ap-wifi-mac.cc b/src/wifi/model/ap-wifi-mac.cc
index 22b3b9a90..84541954e 100644
--- a/src/wifi/model/ap-wifi-mac.cc
+++ b/src/wifi/model/ap-wifi-mac.cc
@@ -348,11 +348,17 @@ ApWifiMac::ForwardDown (Ptr<Packet> packet, Mac48Address from,
     }
 }
 
+bool
+ApWifiMac::CanForwardPacketsTo (Mac48Address to) const
+{
+  return (to.IsGroup () || m_stationManager->IsAssociated (to));
+}
+
 void
 ApWifiMac::Enqueue (Ptr<Packet> packet, Mac48Address to, Mac48Address from)
 {
   NS_LOG_FUNCTION (this << packet << to << from);
-  if (to.IsGroup () || m_stationManager->IsAssociated (to))
+  if (CanForwardPacketsTo (to))
     {
       ForwardDown (packet, from, to);
     }
diff --git a/src/wifi/model/ap-wifi-mac.h b/src/wifi/model/ap-wifi-mac.h
index 14c6312df..a2d3d1f5d 100644
--- a/src/wifi/model/ap-wifi-mac.h
+++ b/src/wifi/model/ap-wifi-mac.h
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ public:
   virtual ~ApWifiMac ();
 
   void SetLinkUpCallback (Callback<void> linkUp) override;
+  bool CanForwardPacketsTo (Mac48Address to) const override;
   void Enqueue (Ptr<Packet> packet, Mac48Address to) override;
   void Enqueue (Ptr<Packet> packet, Mac48Address to, Mac48Address from) override;
   bool SupportsSendFrom (void) const override;
diff --git a/src/wifi/model/qos-txop.cc b/src/wifi/model/qos-txop.cc
index d0e194644..254b3dc1f 100644
--- a/src/wifi/model/qos-txop.cc
+++ b/src/wifi/model/qos-txop.cc
@@ -394,6 +394,12 @@ QosTxop::PeekNextMpdu (uint8_t tid, Mac48Address recipient, Ptr<const WifiMacQue
           NS_LOG_DEBUG ("Skipping in flight MPDU: " << *item);
           item = peek ();
         }
+      else if (item->GetHeader ().HasData ()
+               && !m_mac->CanForwardPacketsTo (item->GetHeader ().GetAddr1 ()))
+        {
+          NS_LOG_DEBUG ("Skipping frame that cannot be forwarded: " << *item);
+          item = peek ();
+        }
       else
         {
           break;
diff --git a/src/wifi/model/sta-wifi-mac.cc b/src/wifi/model/sta-wifi-mac.cc
index a58524bca..a38038674 100644
--- a/src/wifi/model/sta-wifi-mac.cc
+++ b/src/wifi/model/sta-wifi-mac.cc
@@ -454,11 +454,17 @@ StaWifiMac::IsWaitAssocResp (void) const
   return m_state == WAIT_ASSOC_RESP;
 }
 
+bool
+StaWifiMac::CanForwardPacketsTo (Mac48Address to) const
+{
+  return (IsAssociated ());
+}
+
 void
 StaWifiMac::Enqueue (Ptr<Packet> packet, Mac48Address to)
 {
   NS_LOG_FUNCTION (this << packet << to);
-  if (!IsAssociated ())
+  if (!CanForwardPacketsTo (to))
     {
       NotifyTxDrop (packet);
       TryToEnsureAssociated ();
diff --git a/src/wifi/model/sta-wifi-mac.h b/src/wifi/model/sta-wifi-mac.h
index 0010b52ef..238847fc6 100644
--- a/src/wifi/model/sta-wifi-mac.h
+++ b/src/wifi/model/sta-wifi-mac.h
@@ -130,6 +130,7 @@ public:
    * access is granted to this MAC.
    */
   void Enqueue (Ptr<Packet> packet, Mac48Address to) override;
+  bool CanForwardPacketsTo (Mac48Address to) const override;
 
   /**
    * \param phy the physical layer attached to this MAC.
diff --git a/src/wifi/model/wifi-mac.h b/src/wifi/model/wifi-mac.h
index 119dad406..d8b25876e 100644
--- a/src/wifi/model/wifi-mac.h
+++ b/src/wifi/model/wifi-mac.h
@@ -148,6 +148,14 @@ public:
    */
   virtual bool GetShortSlotTimeSupported (void) const = 0;
 
+  /**
+   * Return true if packets can be forwarded to the given destination,
+   * false otherwise.
+   *
+   * \param to the address to which the packet should be sent
+   * \return whether packets can be forwarded to the given destination
+   */
+  virtual bool CanForwardPacketsTo (Mac48Address to) const = 0;
   /**
    * \param packet the packet to send.
    * \param to the address to which the packet should be sent.
diff --git a/src/wifi/test/wifi-aggregation-test.cc b/src/wifi/test/wifi-aggregation-test.cc
index ebafd5c2f..49e158a08 100644
--- a/src/wifi/test/wifi-aggregation-test.cc
+++ b/src/wifi/test/wifi-aggregation-test.cc
@@ -133,6 +133,7 @@ AmpduAggregationTest::DoRun (void)
   fem->SetAckManager (ackManager);
   m_mac->SetWifiPhy (m_phy);
   m_device->SetMac (m_mac);
+  m_mac->SetState (StaWifiMac::ASSOCIATED);
 
   /*
    * Configure MPDU aggregation.
@@ -381,6 +382,7 @@ TwoLevelAggregationTest::DoRun (void)
   fem->SetAckManager (ackManager);
   m_mac->SetWifiPhy (m_phy);
   m_device->SetMac (m_mac);
+  m_mac->SetState (StaWifiMac::ASSOCIATED);
 
   /*
    * Configure aggregation.
@@ -614,6 +616,7 @@ HeAggregationTest::DoRunSubTest (uint16_t bufferSize)
   fem->SetAckManager (ackManager);
   m_mac->SetWifiPhy (m_phy);
   m_device->SetMac (m_mac);
+  m_mac->SetState (StaWifiMac::ASSOCIATED);
 
   /*
    * Configure aggregation.