return -EINVAL;
 
        dev_dbg(cpu_dai->dev, "%s: cmd=%d\n", __func__, cmd);
+       if (!hext_stream)
+               return 0;
+
        switch (cmd) {
        case SNDRV_PCM_TRIGGER_START:
        case SNDRV_PCM_TRIGGER_PAUSE_RELEASE:
                        stream_tag = hdac_stream(hext_stream)->stream_tag;
                        snd_hdac_ext_link_clear_stream_id(link, stream_tag);
                }
-
+               snd_soc_dai_set_dma_data(cpu_dai, substream, NULL);
+               snd_hdac_ext_stream_release(hext_stream, HDAC_EXT_STREAM_TYPE_LINK);
                hext_stream->link_prepared = 0;
+
                break;
        case SNDRV_PCM_TRIGGER_PAUSE_PUSH:
                snd_hdac_ext_link_stream_clear(hext_stream);
        int stream = substream->stream;
        int ret;
 
-       if (hext_stream->link_prepared)
+       if (hext_stream && hext_stream->link_prepared)
                return 0;
 
        dev_dbg(sdev->dev, "%s: prepare stream dir %d\n", __func__, substream->stream);
 
        /* set internal flag for BE */
        list_for_each_entry(s, &bus->stream_list, list) {
+               struct sof_intel_hda_stream *hda_stream;
+
                hext_stream = stream_to_hdac_ext_stream(s);
 
                /*
                                stream_tag = hdac_stream(hext_stream)->stream_tag;
                                snd_hdac_ext_link_clear_stream_id(link, stream_tag);
                        }
+                       snd_soc_dai_set_dma_data(cpu_dai, hext_stream->link_substream, NULL);
+                       snd_hdac_ext_stream_release(hext_stream, HDAC_EXT_STREAM_TYPE_LINK);
                        hext_stream->link_prepared = 0;
 
+                       /* free the host DMA channel reserved by hostless streams */
+                       hda_stream = hstream_to_sof_hda_stream(hext_stream);
+                       hda_stream->host_reserved = 0;
+
                        /* for consistency with TRIGGER_SUSPEND we free DAI resources */
                        ret = hda_dai_hw_free_ipc(hdac_stream(hext_stream)->direction, cpu_dai);
                        if (ret < 0)
                                return ret;
                }
+
        }
 
        return 0;