diff --git a/htc/htc.c b/htc/htc.c
index 06c1ea4ff3..41ff94c816 100644
--- a/htc/htc.c
+++ b/htc/htc.c
@@ -253,8 +253,26 @@ int htc_runtime_resume(HTC_HANDLE htc_ctx)
 	qdf_sched_work(0, &target->queue_kicker);
 	return 0;
 }
+
+/**
+ * htc_runtime_pm_deinit(): runtime pm related de-intialization
+ *
+ * need to de-initialize the work item.
+ *
+ * @target: HTC target pointer
+ *
+ */
+static void htc_runtime_pm_deinit(HTC_TARGET *target)
+{
+	if (!target)
+		return;
+
+	qdf_destroy_work(0, &target->queue_kicker);
+}
+
 #else
 static inline void htc_runtime_pm_init(HTC_TARGET *target) { }
+static inline void htc_runtime_pm_deinit(HTC_TARGET *target) { }
 #endif
 
 #if defined(DEBUG_HL_LOGGING) && defined(CONFIG_HL_SUPPORT)
@@ -839,6 +857,8 @@ void htc_stop(HTC_HANDLE HTCHandle)
 
 	AR_DEBUG_PRINTF(ATH_DEBUG_TRC, ("+htc_stop\n"));
 
+	htc_runtime_pm_deinit(target);
+
 	HTC_INFO("%s: endpoints cleanup\n", __func__);
 	/* cleanup endpoints */
 	for (i = 0; i < ENDPOINT_MAX; i++) {