diff --git a/src/eapol.c b/src/eapol.c
index 1f2340b1..1ac44130 100644
--- a/src/eapol.c
+++ b/src/eapol.c
@@ -708,6 +708,11 @@ struct eapol_key *eapol_create_gtk_2_of_2(
 	return step2;
 }
 
+struct eapol_buffer {
+	size_t len;
+	uint8_t data[0];
+};
+
 struct eapol_sm {
 	enum eapol_protocol_version protocol_version;
 	uint32_t ifindex;
@@ -732,8 +737,10 @@ struct eapol_sm {
 	bool ptk_complete:1;
 	bool wpa_ie:1;
 	bool have_pmk:1;
+	bool started:1;
 	bool use_eapol_start:1;
 	struct eap_state *eap;
+	struct eapol_buffer *early_frame;
 };
 
 static void eapol_sm_destroy(void *value)
@@ -749,6 +756,8 @@ static void eapol_sm_destroy(void *value)
 	if (sm->eap)
 		eap_free(sm->eap);
 
+	l_free(sm->early_frame);
+
 	l_free(sm);
 }
 
@@ -1643,6 +1652,26 @@ static void eapol_rx_packet(struct eapol_sm *sm,
 {
 	const struct eapol_header *eh;
 
+	if (!sm->started) {
+		struct eapol_buffer *buf;
+
+		/*
+		 * If the state machine hasn't started yet save the frame
+		 * for processing later.
+		 */
+		if (sm->early_frame) /* Is the 1-element queue full */
+			return;
+
+		buf = l_malloc(sizeof(struct eapol_buffer) + len);
+
+		buf->len = len;
+		memcpy(buf->data, frame, len);
+
+		sm->early_frame = buf;
+
+		return;
+	}
+
 	/* Validate Header */
 	if (len < sizeof(struct eapol_header))
 		return;
@@ -1767,11 +1796,19 @@ static bool eapol_get_nonce(uint8_t nonce[])
 	return l_getrandom(nonce, 32);
 }
 
-void eapol_start(uint32_t ifindex, struct eapol_sm *sm)
+void eapol_register(uint32_t ifindex, struct eapol_sm *sm)
 {
 	sm->ifindex = ifindex;
+
+	l_queue_push_head(state_machines, sm);
+}
+
+void eapol_start(struct eapol_sm *sm)
+{
 	sm->timeout = l_timeout_create(2, eapol_timeout, sm, NULL);
 
+	sm->started = true;
+
 	if (sm->use_eapol_start) {
 		/*
 		 * We start a short timeout, if EAP packets are not received
@@ -1781,7 +1818,14 @@ void eapol_start(uint32_t ifindex, struct eapol_sm *sm)
 				l_timeout_create(1, send_eapol_start, sm, NULL);
 	}
 
-	l_queue_push_head(state_machines, sm);
+	/* Process any frames received early due to scheduling */
+	if (sm->early_frame) {
+		struct eapol_buffer *tmp = sm->early_frame;
+
+		sm->early_frame = NULL;
+		eapol_rx_packet(sm, tmp->data, tmp->len);
+		l_free(tmp);
+	}
 }
 
 void eapol_cancel(uint32_t ifindex)
diff --git a/src/eapol.h b/src/eapol.h
index e5a50764..423839b9 100644
--- a/src/eapol.h
+++ b/src/eapol.h
@@ -207,7 +207,8 @@ uint32_t eapol_sm_get_pairwise_cipher(struct eapol_sm *sm);
 uint32_t eapol_sm_get_group_cipher(struct eapol_sm *sm);
 const uint8_t *eapol_sm_get_own_ie(struct eapol_sm *sm, size_t *out_ie_len);
 
-void eapol_start(uint32_t ifindex, struct eapol_sm *sm);
+void eapol_register(uint32_t ifindex, struct eapol_sm *sm);
+void eapol_start(struct eapol_sm *sm);
 void eapol_cancel(uint32_t ifindex);
 
 void eapol_pae_open();
diff --git a/src/netdev.c b/src/netdev.c
index 73487673..fa031326 100644
--- a/src/netdev.c
+++ b/src/netdev.c
@@ -1017,6 +1017,13 @@ static void netdev_connect_event(struct l_genl_msg *msg,
 		goto error;
 
 	if (netdev->eapol_active) {
+		/*
+		 * Start processing EAPoL frames now that the state machine
+		 * has all the input data even in FT mode.
+		 */
+		eapol_start(netdev->sm);
+		netdev->sm = NULL;
+
 		if (netdev->event_filter)
 			netdev->event_filter(netdev,
 					NETDEV_EVENT_4WAY_HANDSHAKE,
@@ -1058,16 +1065,15 @@ static void netdev_cmd_connect_cb(struct l_genl_msg *msg, void *user_data)
 						netdev->user_data);
 
 		/*
-		 * We start the eapol state machine here, in case the PAE
+		 * We register the eapol state machine here, in case the PAE
 		 * socket receives EAPoL packets before the nl80211 socket
 		 * receives the connected event.  The logical sequence of
 		 * events can be reversed (e.g. connect_event, then PAE data)
 		 * due to scheduling
 		 */
 		if (netdev->sm) {
-			eapol_start(netdev->index, netdev->sm);
+			eapol_register(netdev->index, netdev->sm);
 			netdev->eapol_active = true;
-			netdev->sm = NULL;
 		}
 
 		return;