diff --git a/sys/net80211/ieee80211_ddb.c b/sys/net80211/ieee80211_ddb.c
--- a/sys/net80211/ieee80211_ddb.c
+++ b/sys/net80211/ieee80211_ddb.c
@@ -306,8 +306,9 @@
 		if (ni->ni_rx_ampdu[i].rxa_flags)
 			_db_show_rxampdu("\t", i, &ni->ni_rx_ampdu[i]);
 
-	db_printf("\tinact %u inact_reload %u txrate %u\n",
-		ni->ni_inact, ni->ni_inact_reload, ni->ni_txrate);
+	db_printf("\tinact %u inact_reload %u txrate type %d rate %u\n",
+		ni->ni_inact, ni->ni_inact_reload, ni->ni_txrate.type,
+		ni->ni_txrate.dot11rate);
 #ifdef IEEE80211_SUPPORT_MESH
 	_db_show_ssid("\tmeshid ", 0, ni->ni_meshidlen, ni->ni_meshid);
 	db_printf(" mlstate %b mllid 0x%x mlpid 0x%x mlrcnt %u mltval %u\n",
diff --git a/sys/net80211/ieee80211_node.h b/sys/net80211/ieee80211_node.h
--- a/sys/net80211/ieee80211_node.h
+++ b/sys/net80211/ieee80211_node.h
@@ -139,6 +139,16 @@
 	}
 }
 
+#define	IEEE80211_NODE_TXRATE_LEGACY		0x1
+#define	IEEE80211_NODE_TXRATE_VHT		0x2
+
+struct ieee80211_node_txrate {
+	uint8_t		type;		/* IEEE80211_NODE_TXRATE_* */
+	uint8_t		nss;		/* VHT - number of spatial streams */
+	uint8_t		mcs;		/* VHT - MCS */
+	uint8_t		dot11rate;	/* Legacy/HT - dot11rate / ratecode */
+};
+
 /*
  * Node specific information.  Note that drivers are expected
  * to derive from this structure to add device-specific per-node
@@ -275,7 +285,7 @@
 	/* others */
 	short			ni_inact;	/* inactivity mark count */
 	short			ni_inact_reload;/* inactivity reload value */
-	int			ni_txrate;	/* legacy rate/MCS */
+	struct ieee80211_node_txrate	ni_txrate;	/* current transmit rate */
 	struct ieee80211_psq	ni_psq;		/* power save queue */
 	struct ieee80211_nodestats ni_stats;	/* per-node statistics */
 
@@ -499,6 +509,11 @@
 int8_t	ieee80211_getrssi(struct ieee80211vap *);
 void	ieee80211_getsignal(struct ieee80211vap *, int8_t *, int8_t *);
 
+/*
+ * Node transmit rate specific manipulation.
+ *
+ * This should eventually be refactored into its own type.
+ */
 uint8_t	ieee80211_node_get_txrate_dot11rate(struct ieee80211_node *);
 void	ieee80211_node_set_txrate_dot11rate(struct ieee80211_node *, uint8_t);
 void	ieee80211_node_set_txrate_ht_mcsrate(struct ieee80211_node *, uint8_t);
diff --git a/sys/net80211/ieee80211_node.c b/sys/net80211/ieee80211_node.c
--- a/sys/net80211/ieee80211_node.c
+++ b/sys/net80211/ieee80211_node.c
@@ -2667,8 +2667,10 @@
 		ni->ni_esslen, ni->ni_essid,
 		(ni->ni_chan != IEEE80211_CHAN_ANYC) ? ni->ni_chan->ic_freq : 0,
 		(ni->ni_chan != IEEE80211_CHAN_ANYC) ? ni->ni_chan->ic_flags : 0);
-	printf("\tinact %u inact_reload %u txrate %u\n",
-		ni->ni_inact, ni->ni_inact_reload, ni->ni_txrate);
+	printf("\tinact %u inact_reload %u txrate type %d dot11rate %u\n",
+		ni->ni_inact, ni->ni_inact_reload,
+		ni->ni_txrate.type,
+		ni->ni_txrate.dot11rate);
 	printf("\thtcap %x htparam %x htctlchan %u ht2ndchan %u\n",
 		ni->ni_htcap, ni->ni_htparam,
 		ni->ni_htctlchan, ni->ni_ht2ndchan);
@@ -3138,27 +3140,73 @@
 		*rssi = ieee80211_getrssi(vap);
 }
 
+/**
+ * @brief return a dot11rate / ratecode representing the current transmit rate
+ *
+ * This is the API call for legacy / 802.11n drivers and rate control APIs
+ * which expect a dot11rate / ratecode representation for legacy and HT MCS
+ * rates.
+ *
+ * Drivers which support VHT should not use this API, as it will log an error
+ * and return a low rate if a VHT rate is selected.
+ *
+ * @param ni		the ieee80211_node to return the transmit rate for
+ * @returns		the dot11rate / ratecode for legacy/MCS, or the
+ *			lowest available dot11rate if it's VHT (and shouldn't
+ *			have been called.)
+ */
 uint8_t
 ieee80211_node_get_txrate_dot11rate(struct ieee80211_node *ni)
 {
-
-	return (ni->ni_txrate);
+	switch (ni->ni_txrate.type) {
+	case IEEE80211_NODE_TXRATE_LEGACY:
+		return (ni->ni_txrate.dot11rate);
+		break;
+	case IEEE80211_NODE_TXRATE_VHT:
+	default:
+		printf("%s: called for VHT / unknown rate (type %d)!\n",
+		    __func__, ni->ni_txrate.type);
+		return (12);		/* OFDM6 for now */
+	}
 }
 
+/**
+ * @brief set the dot11rate / ratecode representing the current transmit rate
+ *
+ * This is the API call for legacy / 802.11n drivers and rate control APIs
+ * which expect a dot11rate / ratecode representation for legacy and HT MCS
+ * rates.
+ *
+ * @param ni		the ieee80211_node to return the transmit rate for
+ * @param dot11rate	the dot11rate rate code to use
+ */
 void
 ieee80211_node_set_txrate_dot11rate(struct ieee80211_node *ni,
     uint8_t dot11Rate)
 {
-
-	ni->ni_txrate = dot11Rate;
+	ni->ni_txrate.type = IEEE80211_NODE_TXRATE_LEGACY;
+	ni->ni_txrate.mcs = ni->ni_txrate.nss = 0;
+	ni->ni_txrate.dot11rate = dot11Rate;
 }
 
+/**
+ * @brief set the dot11rate / ratecode representing the current HT transmit rate
+ *
+ * This is the API call for 802.11n drivers and rate control APIs
+ * which expect a dot11rate / ratecode representation for legacy and HT MCS
+ * rates.  It expects an MCS rate code from 0 .. 76.
+ *
+ * @param ni		the ieee80211_node to return the transmit rate for
+ * @param mcs		the MCS rate to select
+ */
 void
 ieee80211_node_set_txrate_ht_mcsrate(struct ieee80211_node *ni,
     uint8_t mcs)
 {
 
-	ni->ni_txrate = IEEE80211_RATE_MCS | mcs;
+	ni->ni_txrate.type = IEEE80211_NODE_TXRATE_LEGACY;
+	ni->ni_txrate.mcs = ni->ni_txrate.nss = 0;
+	ni->ni_txrate.dot11rate = IEEE80211_RATE_MCS | mcs;
 }
 
 
@@ -3175,9 +3223,25 @@
 {
 	uint32_t mbps;
 
-	if (ni->ni_txrate & IEEE80211_RATE_MCS) {
+	/*
+	 * TODO: only handle legacy/HT rates, VHT will need
+	 * to use other logic.
+	 */
+	switch (ni->ni_txrate.type) {
+	case IEEE80211_NODE_TXRATE_LEGACY:
+		break;
+	case IEEE80211_NODE_TXRATE_VHT:
+	default:
+		printf("%s: called for VHT / unknown rate (type %d)!\n",
+		    __func__, ni->ni_txrate.type);
+		return (0);
+	}
+
+	/* Legacy / MCS rates */
+	if (ni->ni_txrate.dot11rate & IEEE80211_RATE_MCS) {
 		const struct ieee80211_mcs_rates *mcs =
-		    &ieee80211_htrates[ni->ni_txrate &~ IEEE80211_RATE_MCS];
+		    &ieee80211_htrates[ni->ni_txrate.dot11rate &~
+		    IEEE80211_RATE_MCS];
 		if (IEEE80211_IS_CHAN_HT40(ni->ni_chan)) {
 			/* Note: these are in 1/2mbit/sec units */
 			if (ni->ni_flags & IEEE80211_NODE_SGI40)
@@ -3192,7 +3256,7 @@
 		}
 	} else
 		/* Note: CCK/OFDM dot11rate entries are in 1/2mbit/sec units */
-		mbps = ni->ni_txrate;
+		mbps = ni->ni_txrate.dot11rate;
 
 	return (mbps * 500);
 }