diff --git a/src/init/init.c b/src/init/init.c
index cef4bfa64e38..eb379746129f 100644
--- a/src/init/init.c
+++ b/src/init/init.c
@@ -134,8 +134,10 @@ static int primary_core_init(int argc, char *argv[], struct sof *sof)
 	interrupt_init(sof);
 #endif /* __ZEPHYR__ */
 
+#if CONFIG_TRACE
 	trace_point(TRACE_BOOT_SYS_TRACES);
 	trace_init(sof);
+#endif
 
 	trace_point(TRACE_BOOT_SYS_NOTIFIER);
 	init_system_notify(sof);
@@ -149,9 +151,6 @@ static int primary_core_init(int argc, char *argv[], struct sof *sof)
 
 	trace_point(TRACE_BOOT_PLATFORM);
 
-	/* now start the trace */
-	trace_on();
-
 #if CONFIG_NO_SECONDARY_CORE_ROM
 	lp_sram_unpack();
 #endif
diff --git a/src/ipc/dma-copy.c b/src/ipc/dma-copy.c
index fd2730f732a1..ac2ecc345f48 100644
--- a/src/ipc/dma-copy.c
+++ b/src/ipc/dma-copy.c
@@ -64,10 +64,6 @@ int dma_copy_to_host_nowait(struct dma_copy *dc, struct dma_sg_config *host_sg,
 {
 	int ret;
 
-	/* return if DMA channel is not get yet */
-	if (!dc->chan)
-		return -EINVAL;
-
 	/* tell gateway to copy */
 	ret = dma_copy(dc->chan, size, 0);
 	if (ret < 0)
@@ -89,10 +85,6 @@ int dma_copy_to_host_nowait(struct dma_copy *dc, struct dma_sg_config *host_sg,
 	int32_t err;
 	int32_t offset = host_offset;
 
-	/* return if DMA channel is not get yet */
-	if (!dc->chan)
-		return -EINVAL;
-
 	if (size <= 0)
 		return 0;
 
diff --git a/src/lib/alloc.c b/src/lib/alloc.c
index b7de858c0fb6..ce340a1b471d 100644
--- a/src/lib/alloc.c
+++ b/src/lib/alloc.c
@@ -646,13 +646,13 @@ static void alloc_trace_heap(enum mem_zone zone, uint32_t caps, size_t bytes)
 }
 
 #define DEBUG_TRACE_PTR(ptr, bytes, zone, caps, flags) \
-	do { \
+	if (trace_get()) { \
 		if (!ptr) { \
 			tr_err(&mem_tr, "failed to alloc 0x%x bytes zone 0x%x caps 0x%x flags 0x%x", \
 			       bytes, zone, caps, flags); \
 			alloc_trace_heap(zone, caps, bytes); \
-		} \
-	} while (0)
+	}
+
 #else
 #define DEBUG_TRACE_PTR(ptr, bytes, zone, caps, flags)
 #endif
diff --git a/src/platform/intel/cavs/platform.c b/src/platform/intel/cavs/platform.c
index 3d7db4b2b5f2..66093ac2ab43 100644
--- a/src/platform/intel/cavs/platform.c
+++ b/src/platform/intel/cavs/platform.c
@@ -524,9 +524,7 @@ int platform_init(struct sof *sof)
 #elif CONFIG_TRACE
 	/* Initialize DMA for Trace*/
 	trace_point(TRACE_BOOT_PLATFORM_DMA_TRACE);
-	ret = dma_trace_init_complete(sof->dmat);
-	if (ret < 0)
-		return ret;
+	dma_trace_init_complete(sof->dmat);
 #endif
 
 	/* show heap status */
diff --git a/src/trace/dma-trace.c b/src/trace/dma-trace.c
index 779480e49468..d113443f282e 100644
--- a/src/trace/dma-trace.c
+++ b/src/trace/dma-trace.c
@@ -200,6 +200,7 @@ int dma_trace_init_complete(struct dma_trace_data *d)
 			      SOF_TASK_PRI_MED, trace_work, d, 0, 0);
 
 out:
+
 	return ret;
 }
 
@@ -476,8 +477,9 @@ void dma_trace_on(void)
 {
 	struct dma_trace_data *trace_data = dma_trace_data_get();
 
-	if (!trace_data || trace_data->enabled)
+	if (trace_data->enabled) {
 		return;
+	}
 
 	trace_data->enabled = 1;
 	schedule_task(&trace_data->dmat_work, DMA_TRACE_PERIOD,
@@ -489,8 +491,9 @@ void dma_trace_off(void)
 {
 	struct dma_trace_data *trace_data = dma_trace_data_get();
 
-	if (!trace_data || !trace_data->enabled)
+	if (!trace_data->enabled) {
 		return;
+	}
 
 	schedule_task_cancel(&trace_data->dmat_work);
 	trace_data->enabled = 0;
diff --git a/src/trace/trace.c b/src/trace/trace.c
index fb21dc5ce229..f31fb3a1c3e8 100644
--- a/src/trace/trace.c
+++ b/src/trace/trace.c
@@ -272,8 +272,9 @@ void trace_log_unfiltered(bool send_atomic, const void *log_entry, const struct
 	struct trace *trace = trace_get();
 	va_list vl;
 
-	if (!trace || !trace->enable)
+	if (!trace->enable) {
 		return;
+	}
 
 	va_start(vl, arg_count);
 	vatrace_log(send_atomic, (uint32_t)log_entry, ctx, lvl, id_1, id_2, arg_count, vl);
@@ -289,8 +290,9 @@ void trace_log_filtered(bool send_atomic, const void *log_entry, const struct tr
 	uint64_t current_ts;
 #endif /* CONFIG_TRACE_FILTERING_ADAPTIVE */
 
-	if (!trace || !trace->enable)
+	if (!trace->enable) {
 		return;
+	}
 
 #if CONFIG_TRACE_FILTERING_VERBOSITY
 	if (!trace_filter_verbosity(lvl, ctx))
@@ -510,6 +512,7 @@ void trace_off(void)
 void trace_init(struct sof *sof)
 {
 	sof->trace = rzalloc(SOF_MEM_ZONE_SYS_SHARED, 0, SOF_MEM_CAPS_RAM, sizeof(*sof->trace));
+	sof->trace->enable = 1;
 	sof->trace->pos = 0;
 #if CONFIG_TRACE_FILTERING_ADAPTIVE
 	sof->trace->user_filter_override = false;