diff --git a/src/wifi/model/frame-exchange-manager.cc b/src/wifi/model/frame-exchange-manager.cc
index cb9ab39aa..3629a1176 100644
--- a/src/wifi/model/frame-exchange-manager.cc
+++ b/src/wifi/model/frame-exchange-manager.cc
@@ -824,15 +824,19 @@ FrameExchangeManager::CtsTimeout (Ptr<WifiMacQueueItem> rts, const WifiTxVector&
   else
     {
       NS_LOG_DEBUG ("Missed CTS, retransmit RTS");
-      RetransmitMpduAfterMissedCts (m_mpdu);
       m_dcf->UpdateFailedCw ();
     }
+  // Make the sequence number of the MPDU available again if the MPDU has never
+  // been transmitted, both in case the MPDU has been discarded and in case the
+  // MPDU has to be transmitted (because a new sequence number is assigned to
+  // MPDUs that have never been transmitted and are selected for transmission)
+  ReleaseSequenceNumber (m_mpdu);
   m_mpdu = 0;
   TransmissionFailed ();
 }
 
 void
-FrameExchangeManager::RetransmitMpduAfterMissedCts (Ptr<WifiMacQueueItem> mpdu) const
+FrameExchangeManager::ReleaseSequenceNumber (Ptr<WifiMacQueueItem> mpdu) const
 {
   NS_LOG_FUNCTION (this << *mpdu);
 
diff --git a/src/wifi/model/frame-exchange-manager.h b/src/wifi/model/frame-exchange-manager.h
index ec5168356..1c9b5003d 100644
--- a/src/wifi/model/frame-exchange-manager.h
+++ b/src/wifi/model/frame-exchange-manager.h
@@ -329,11 +329,12 @@ protected:
   virtual void RetransmitMpduAfterMissedAck (Ptr<WifiMacQueueItem> mpdu) const;
 
   /**
-   * Retransmit an MPDU that was not sent because a CTS was not received.
+   * Make the sequence number of the given MPDU available again if the MPDU has
+   * never been transmitted.
    *
-   * \param mpdu the MPDU to retransmit
+   * \param mpdu the given MPDU
    */
-  virtual void RetransmitMpduAfterMissedCts (Ptr<WifiMacQueueItem> mpdu) const;
+  virtual void ReleaseSequenceNumber (Ptr<WifiMacQueueItem> mpdu) const;
 
   /**
    * Pass the given MPDU, discarded because of the max retry limit was reached,
diff --git a/src/wifi/model/ht/ht-frame-exchange-manager.cc b/src/wifi/model/ht/ht-frame-exchange-manager.cc
index ccbecd160..d6aa73f6d 100644
--- a/src/wifi/model/ht/ht-frame-exchange-manager.cc
+++ b/src/wifi/model/ht/ht-frame-exchange-manager.cc
@@ -653,7 +653,7 @@ HtFrameExchangeManager::RetransmitMpduAfterMissedAck (Ptr<WifiMacQueueItem> mpdu
 }
 
 void
-HtFrameExchangeManager::RetransmitMpduAfterMissedCts (Ptr<WifiMacQueueItem> mpdu) const
+HtFrameExchangeManager::ReleaseSequenceNumber (Ptr<WifiMacQueueItem> mpdu) const
 {
   NS_LOG_FUNCTION (this << *mpdu);
 
@@ -682,7 +682,7 @@ HtFrameExchangeManager::RetransmitMpduAfterMissedCts (Ptr<WifiMacQueueItem> mpdu
           return;
         }
     }
-  QosFrameExchangeManager::RetransmitMpduAfterMissedCts (mpdu);
+  QosFrameExchangeManager::ReleaseSequenceNumber (mpdu);
 }
 
 Time
@@ -786,12 +786,16 @@ HtFrameExchangeManager::CtsTimeout (Ptr<WifiMacQueueItem> rts, const WifiTxVecto
   else
     {
       NS_LOG_DEBUG ("Missed CTS, retransmit MPDUs");
-      for (const auto& mpdu : *PeekPointer (m_psdu))
-        {
-          RetransmitMpduAfterMissedCts (mpdu);
-        }
       m_edca->UpdateFailedCw ();
     }
+  // Make the sequence numbers of the MPDUs available again if the MPDUs have never
+  // been transmitted, both in case the MPDUs have been discarded and in case the
+  // MPDUs have to be transmitted (because a new sequence number is assigned to
+  // MPDUs that have never been transmitted and are selected for transmission)
+  for (const auto& mpdu : *PeekPointer (m_psdu))
+    {
+      ReleaseSequenceNumber (mpdu);
+    }
   m_psdu = 0;
   TransmissionFailed ();
 }
diff --git a/src/wifi/model/ht/ht-frame-exchange-manager.h b/src/wifi/model/ht/ht-frame-exchange-manager.h
index 76f8a0352..fcce481a1 100644
--- a/src/wifi/model/ht/ht-frame-exchange-manager.h
+++ b/src/wifi/model/ht/ht-frame-exchange-manager.h
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ protected:
   void NotifyReceivedNormalAck (Ptr<WifiMacQueueItem> mpdu) override;
   void NotifyPacketDiscarded (Ptr<const WifiMacQueueItem> mpdu) override;
   void RetransmitMpduAfterMissedAck (Ptr<WifiMacQueueItem> mpdu) const override;
-  void RetransmitMpduAfterMissedCts (Ptr<WifiMacQueueItem> mpdu) const override;
+  void ReleaseSequenceNumber (Ptr<WifiMacQueueItem> mpdu) const override;
   void ForwardMpduDown (Ptr<WifiMacQueueItem> mpdu, WifiTxVector& txVector) override;
   void CtsTimeout (Ptr<WifiMacQueueItem> rts, const WifiTxVector& txVector) override;
   void TransmissionSucceeded (void) override;