diff --git a/src/drivers/intel/hda/hda-dma.c b/src/drivers/intel/hda/hda-dma.c
index 8d3e56b40bb6..0e911afd2181 100644
--- a/src/drivers/intel/hda/hda-dma.c
+++ b/src/drivers/intel/hda/hda-dma.c
@@ -348,9 +348,8 @@ static int hda_dma_host_start(struct dma_chan_data *channel)
 	struct hda_chan_data *hda_chan = dma_chan_get_data(channel);
 	int ret = 0;
 
-	/* Force Host DMA to exit L1 only on start*/
-	if (!(hda_chan->state & HDA_STATE_RELEASE))
-		pm_runtime_put(PM_RUNTIME_HOST_DMA_L1, 0);
+	/* Force Host DMA to exit L1 on start */
+	pm_runtime_put(PM_RUNTIME_HOST_DMA_L1, 0);
 
 	if (!hda_chan->irq_disabled)
 		return ret;
@@ -390,20 +389,21 @@ static int hda_dma_enable_unlock(struct dma_chan_data *channel)
 
 	hda_dma_get_dbg_vals(channel, HDA_DBG_PRE, HDA_DBG_BOTH);
 
-	/* enable the channel */
-	dma_chan_reg_update_bits(channel, DGCS, DGCS_GEN | DGCS_FIFORDY,
-				 DGCS_GEN | DGCS_FIFORDY);
-
 	/* full buffer is copied at startup */
 	hda_chan = dma_chan_get_data(channel);
 	hda_chan->desc_avail = channel->desc_count;
 
+	/* enable the channel */
 	if (channel->direction == DMA_DIR_HMEM_TO_LMEM ||
 	    channel->direction == DMA_DIR_LMEM_TO_HMEM) {
+		dma_chan_reg_update_bits(channel, DGCS, DGCS_GEN | DGCS_FIFORDY,
+					 DGCS_FIFORDY | DGCS_GEN);
 		pm_runtime_get(PM_RUNTIME_HOST_DMA_L1, 0);
 		ret = hda_dma_host_start(channel);
 		if (ret < 0)
 			return ret;
+	} else {
+		dma_chan_reg_update_bits(channel, DGCS, DGCS_GEN, DGCS_GEN);
 	}
 
 	/* start link output transfer now */
@@ -565,16 +565,8 @@ static int hda_dma_release(struct dma_chan_data *channel)
 	tr_dbg(&hdma_tr, "hda-dmac: %d channel %d -> release",
 	       channel->dma->plat_data.id, channel->index);
 
-	/*
-	 * Prepare for the handling of release condition on the first work cb.
-	 * This flag will be unset afterwards.
-	 */
 	hda_chan->state |= HDA_STATE_RELEASE;
 
-	if (channel->direction == DMA_DIR_HMEM_TO_LMEM ||
-	    channel->direction == DMA_DIR_LMEM_TO_HMEM)
-		ret = hda_dma_host_start(channel);
-
 	irq_local_enable(flags);
 	return ret;
 }
@@ -613,12 +605,15 @@ static int hda_dma_stop(struct dma_chan_data *channel)
 	tr_dbg(&hdma_tr, "hda-dmac: %d channel %d -> stop",
 	       channel->dma->plat_data.id, channel->index);
 
+	/* disable the channel */
 	if (channel->direction == DMA_DIR_HMEM_TO_LMEM ||
-	    channel->direction == DMA_DIR_LMEM_TO_HMEM)
+	    channel->direction == DMA_DIR_LMEM_TO_HMEM) {
 		hda_dma_host_stop(channel);
 
-	/* disable the channel */
-	dma_chan_reg_update_bits(channel, DGCS, DGCS_GEN | DGCS_FIFORDY, 0);
+		dma_chan_reg_update_bits(channel, DGCS, DGCS_FIFORDY | DGCS_GEN, 0);
+	} else {
+		dma_chan_reg_update_bits(channel, DGCS, DGCS_GEN, 0);
+	}
 	channel->status = COMP_STATE_PREPARE;
 	hda_chan = dma_chan_get_data(channel);
 	hda_chan->state = 0;
@@ -756,9 +751,8 @@ static int hda_dma_set_config(struct dma_chan_data *channel,
 	     config->src_width <= 2))
 		dgcs |= DGCS_SCS;
 
-	/* set DGCS.FIFORDY for output dma */
-	if ((config->cyclic && config->direction == DMA_DIR_MEM_TO_DEV) ||
-	    (!config->cyclic && config->direction == DMA_DIR_LMEM_TO_HMEM))
+	/* set DGCS.FIFORDY for input/output host DMA only. It is not relevant for link DMA's */
+	if (config->direction == DMA_DIR_HMEM_TO_LMEM || config->direction == DMA_DIR_LMEM_TO_HMEM)
 		dgcs |= DGCS_FIFORDY;
 
 	dma_chan_reg_write(channel, DGCS, dgcs);
@@ -986,8 +980,6 @@ const struct dma_ops hda_host_dma_ops = {
 	.start			= hda_dma_start,
 	.stop			= hda_dma_stop,
 	.copy			= hda_dma_host_copy,
-	.pause			= hda_dma_pause,
-	.release		= hda_dma_release,
 	.status			= hda_dma_status,
 	.set_config		= hda_dma_set_config,
 	.pm_context_restore	= hda_dma_pm_context_restore,
diff --git a/src/include/sof/lib/dma.h b/src/include/sof/lib/dma.h
index 43726b52441c..fac3d0c6ef9d 100644
--- a/src/include/sof/lib/dma.h
+++ b/src/include/sof/lib/dma.h
@@ -335,16 +335,18 @@ static inline int dma_copy(struct dma_chan_data *channel, int bytes,
 
 static inline int dma_pause(struct dma_chan_data *channel)
 {
-	int ret = channel->dma->ops->pause(channel);
+	if (channel->dma->ops->pause)
+		return channel->dma->ops->pause(channel);
 
-	return ret;
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static inline int dma_release(struct dma_chan_data *channel)
 {
-	int ret = channel->dma->ops->release(channel);
+	if (channel->dma->ops->release)
+		return channel->dma->ops->release(channel);
 
-	return ret;
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static inline int dma_status(struct dma_chan_data *channel,