diff --git a/src/target/aarch64.c b/src/target/aarch64.c
index 8592daa16..8e90e6400 100644
--- a/src/target/aarch64.c
+++ b/src/target/aarch64.c
@@ -2546,23 +2546,20 @@ static int aarch64_examine_first(struct target *target)
 	if (!pc)
 		return ERROR_FAIL;
 
-	if (armv8->debug_ap) {
-		dap_put_ap(armv8->debug_ap);
-		armv8->debug_ap = NULL;
-	}
-
-	if (pc->adiv5_config.ap_num == DP_APSEL_INVALID) {
-		/* Search for the APB-AB */
-		retval = dap_find_get_ap(swjdp, AP_TYPE_APB_AP, &armv8->debug_ap);
-		if (retval != ERROR_OK) {
-			LOG_ERROR("Could not find APB-AP for debug access");
-			return retval;
-		}
-	} else {
-		armv8->debug_ap = dap_get_ap(swjdp, pc->adiv5_config.ap_num);
-		if (!armv8->debug_ap) {
-			LOG_ERROR("Cannot get AP");
-			return ERROR_FAIL;
+	if (!armv8->debug_ap) {
+		if (pc->adiv5_config.ap_num == DP_APSEL_INVALID) {
+			/* Search for the APB-AB */
+			retval = dap_find_get_ap(swjdp, AP_TYPE_APB_AP, &armv8->debug_ap);
+			if (retval != ERROR_OK) {
+				LOG_ERROR("Could not find APB-AP for debug access");
+				return retval;
+			}
+		} else {
+			armv8->debug_ap = dap_get_ap(swjdp, pc->adiv5_config.ap_num);
+			if (!armv8->debug_ap) {
+				LOG_ERROR("Cannot get AP");
+				return ERROR_FAIL;
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/target/cortex_a.c b/src/target/cortex_a.c
index 7286a305b..07796d57c 100644
--- a/src/target/cortex_a.c
+++ b/src/target/cortex_a.c
@@ -2874,23 +2874,20 @@ static int cortex_a_examine_first(struct target *target)
 	int retval = ERROR_OK;
 	uint32_t didr, cpuid, dbg_osreg, dbg_idpfr1;
 
-	if (armv7a->debug_ap) {
-		dap_put_ap(armv7a->debug_ap);
-		armv7a->debug_ap = NULL;
-	}
-
-	if (pc->ap_num == DP_APSEL_INVALID) {
-		/* Search for the APB-AP - it is needed for access to debug registers */
-		retval = dap_find_get_ap(swjdp, AP_TYPE_APB_AP, &armv7a->debug_ap);
-		if (retval != ERROR_OK) {
-			LOG_ERROR("Could not find APB-AP for debug access");
-			return retval;
-		}
-	} else {
-		armv7a->debug_ap = dap_get_ap(swjdp, pc->ap_num);
-		if (!armv7a->debug_ap) {
-			LOG_ERROR("Cannot get AP");
-			return ERROR_FAIL;
+	if (!armv7a->debug_ap) {
+		if (pc->ap_num == DP_APSEL_INVALID) {
+			/* Search for the APB-AP - it is needed for access to debug registers */
+			retval = dap_find_get_ap(swjdp, AP_TYPE_APB_AP, &armv7a->debug_ap);
+			if (retval != ERROR_OK) {
+				LOG_ERROR("Could not find APB-AP for debug access");
+				return retval;
+			}
+		} else {
+			armv7a->debug_ap = dap_get_ap(swjdp, pc->ap_num);
+			if (!armv7a->debug_ap) {
+				LOG_ERROR("Cannot get AP");
+				return ERROR_FAIL;
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/target/cortex_m.c b/src/target/cortex_m.c
index 186344167..2472e38e2 100644
--- a/src/target/cortex_m.c
+++ b/src/target/cortex_m.c
@@ -879,16 +879,6 @@ static int cortex_m_poll(struct target *target)
 	struct cortex_m_common *cortex_m = target_to_cm(target);
 	struct armv7m_common *armv7m = &cortex_m->armv7m;
 
-	/* Check if debug_ap is available to prevent segmentation fault.
-	 * If the re-examination after an error does not find a MEM-AP
-	 * (e.g. the target stopped communicating), debug_ap pointer
-	 * can suddenly become NULL.
-	 */
-	if (!armv7m->debug_ap) {
-		target->state = TARGET_UNKNOWN;
-		return ERROR_TARGET_NOT_EXAMINED;
-	}
-
 	/* Read from Debug Halting Control and Status Register */
 	retval = cortex_m_read_dhcsr_atomic_sticky(target);
 	if (retval != ERROR_OK) {
@@ -2311,23 +2301,20 @@ int cortex_m_examine(struct target *target)
 	/* hla_target shares the examine handler but does not support
 	 * all its calls */
 	if (!armv7m->is_hla_target) {
-		if (armv7m->debug_ap) {
-			dap_put_ap(armv7m->debug_ap);
-			armv7m->debug_ap = NULL;
-		}
-
-		if (cortex_m->apsel == DP_APSEL_INVALID) {
-			/* Search for the MEM-AP */
-			retval = cortex_m_find_mem_ap(swjdp, &armv7m->debug_ap);
-			if (retval != ERROR_OK) {
-				LOG_TARGET_ERROR(target, "Could not find MEM-AP to control the core");
-				return retval;
-			}
-		} else {
-			armv7m->debug_ap = dap_get_ap(swjdp, cortex_m->apsel);
-			if (!armv7m->debug_ap) {
-				LOG_ERROR("Cannot get AP");
-				return ERROR_FAIL;
+		if (!armv7m->debug_ap) {
+			if (cortex_m->apsel == DP_APSEL_INVALID) {
+				/* Search for the MEM-AP */
+				retval = cortex_m_find_mem_ap(swjdp, &armv7m->debug_ap);
+				if (retval != ERROR_OK) {
+					LOG_TARGET_ERROR(target, "Could not find MEM-AP to control the core");
+					return retval;
+				}
+			} else {
+				armv7m->debug_ap = dap_get_ap(swjdp, cortex_m->apsel);
+				if (!armv7m->debug_ap) {
+					LOG_ERROR("Cannot get AP");
+					return ERROR_FAIL;
+				}
 			}
 		}
 
diff --git a/src/target/mem_ap.c b/src/target/mem_ap.c
index a66250693..50dc91c7b 100644
--- a/src/target/mem_ap.c
+++ b/src/target/mem_ap.c
@@ -136,15 +136,12 @@ static int mem_ap_examine(struct target *target)
 	struct mem_ap *mem_ap = target->arch_info;
 
 	if (!target_was_examined(target)) {
-		if (mem_ap->ap) {
-			dap_put_ap(mem_ap->ap);
-			mem_ap->ap = NULL;
-		}
-
-		mem_ap->ap = dap_get_ap(mem_ap->dap, mem_ap->ap_num);
 		if (!mem_ap->ap) {
-			LOG_ERROR("Cannot get AP");
-			return ERROR_FAIL;
+			mem_ap->ap = dap_get_ap(mem_ap->dap, mem_ap->ap_num);
+			if (!mem_ap->ap) {
+				LOG_ERROR("Cannot get AP");
+				return ERROR_FAIL;
+			}
 		}
 		target_set_examined(target);
 		target->state = TARGET_UNKNOWN;