diff --git a/src/audio/host.c b/src/audio/host.c
index adaff9419dd1..f2312ec6ffa1 100644
--- a/src/audio/host.c
+++ b/src/audio/host.c
@@ -669,7 +669,8 @@ static int host_copy(struct comp_dev *dev)
 	/* here only do preload, further copies happen
 	 * in host_buffer_cb()
 	 */
-	if (pipeline_is_preload(dev->pipeline) && !dev->position) {
+	if (dev->params.direction == SOF_IPC_STREAM_PLAYBACK &&
+	    !dev->position) {
 		ret = dma_copy(hd->dma, hd->chan, hd->dma_buffer->size,
 			       DMA_COPY_PRELOAD);
 		if (ret < 0) {
diff --git a/src/audio/pipeline.c b/src/audio/pipeline.c
index d91d15f0cc7f..9976c5a8b5b7 100644
--- a/src/audio/pipeline.c
+++ b/src/audio/pipeline.c
@@ -388,8 +388,11 @@ int pipeline_prepare(struct pipeline *p, struct comp_dev *dev)
 		goto out;
 	}
 
-	/* pipeline preload needed only for playback streams */
-	p->preload = dev->params.direction == SOF_IPC_STREAM_PLAYBACK;
+	/* pipeline preload needed only for playback streams without active
+	 * sink component (it can be active for e.g. mixer pipelines)
+	 */
+	p->preload = dev->params.direction == SOF_IPC_STREAM_PLAYBACK &&
+		p->sink_comp->state != COMP_STATE_ACTIVE;
 	p->status = COMP_STATE_PREPARE;
 
 out: