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
@@ -517,8 +517,12 @@
 uint8_t	ieee80211_node_get_txrate_dot11rate(struct ieee80211_node *);
 void	ieee80211_node_get_txrate(struct ieee80211_node *,
 	    struct ieee80211_node_txrate *);
+void	ieee80211_node_set_txrate(struct ieee80211_node *,
+	    const struct ieee80211_node_txrate *);
 void	ieee80211_node_set_txrate_dot11rate(struct ieee80211_node *, uint8_t);
 void	ieee80211_node_set_txrate_ht_mcsrate(struct ieee80211_node *, uint8_t);
+void	ieee80211_node_set_txrate_vht_rate(struct ieee80211_node *ni,
+	    uint8_t nss, uint8_t mcs);
 uint16_t	ieee80211_node_get_txrate_mbit(struct ieee80211_node *);
 
 #endif /* _NET80211_IEEE80211_NODE_H_ */
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
@@ -3185,6 +3185,24 @@
 	memcpy(txr, &ni->ni_txrate, sizeof(struct ieee80211_node_txrate));
 }
 
+/**
+ * @brief Set the txrate representing the current transmit rate
+ *
+ * This is the API call for drivers and rate control APIs to set
+ * rates.  It will copy a struct ieee80211_node_txrate with the
+ * current rate configuration to use.
+ *
+ * @param ni		the ieee80211_node to return the transmit rate for
+ * @param txrate	the struct ieee80211_node_txrate to copy to the node
+ */
+void
+ieee80211_node_set_txrate(struct ieee80211_node *ni,
+    const struct ieee80211_node_txrate *txr)
+{
+
+	ni->ni_txrate = *txr;
+}
+
 /**
  * @brief set the dot11rate / ratecode representing the current transmit rate
  *
@@ -3224,6 +3242,25 @@
 	ni->ni_txrate.dot11rate = IEEE80211_RATE_MCS | mcs;
 }
 
+/**
+ * @brief set the rate to the given VHT transmission rate.
+ *
+ * This sets the current transmit rate to the given VHT NSS/MCS.
+ *
+ * @param ni		the ieee80211_node to set the transmit rate for
+ * @param nss		the number of spatial streams
+ * @param mcs		the MCS rate to select
+ */
+void
+ieee80211_node_set_txrate_vht_rate(struct ieee80211_node *ni,
+    uint8_t nss, uint8_t mcs)
+{
+
+	ni->ni_txrate.type = IEEE80211_NODE_TXRATE_VHT;
+	ni->ni_txrate.mcs = mcs;
+	ni->ni_txrate.nss = nss;
+	ni->ni_txrate.dot11rate = 0;
+}
 
 /*
  * Fetch the rate in the net80211 units of 1/2 mbit/sec.