diff --git a/src/drivers/intel/hda/hda-dma.c b/src/drivers/intel/hda/hda-dma.c
index 7edb93279c98..8aa6461f7de5 100644
--- a/src/drivers/intel/hda/hda-dma.c
+++ b/src/drivers/intel/hda/hda-dma.c
@@ -818,12 +818,20 @@ static int hda_dma_set_config(struct dma_chan_data *channel,
 
 	/* buffer size must be multiple of hda dma burst size */
 	if (buffer_bytes % HDA_DMA_BUFFER_ALIGNMENT) {
-		tr_err(&hdma_tr, "hda-dmac: %d chan %d - buffer not DMA aligned 0x%x",
+		tr_err(&hdma_tr, "hda-dmac: %d chan %d - buffer size not DMA aligned 0x%x",
 		       dma->plat_data.id,
 		       channel->index, buffer_bytes);
 		ret = -EINVAL;
 		goto out;
 	}
+	/* buffer base address must be correctly aligned */
+	if (buffer_addr % HDA_DMA_BUFFER_ADDRESS_ALIGNMENT) {
+		tr_err(&hdma_tr, "hda-dmac: %d chan %d - buffer address not DMA aligned 0x%x",
+		       dma->plat_data.id,
+		       channel->index, buffer_addr);
+		ret = -EINVAL;
+		goto out;
+	}
 	hda_chan = dma_chan_get_data(channel);
 	hda_chan->period_bytes = period_bytes;
 	hda_chan->buffer_bytes = buffer_bytes;
diff --git a/src/include/sof/lib/dma.h b/src/include/sof/lib/dma.h
index 1edc72a2bc4e..b95581128300 100644
--- a/src/include/sof/lib/dma.h
+++ b/src/include/sof/lib/dma.h
@@ -541,8 +541,8 @@ int dma_copy_from_host_nowait(struct dma_copy *dc,
 			      int32_t size);
 
 /* DMA copy data from DSP to host */
-int dma_copy_to_host_nowait(struct dma_copy *dc, struct dma_sg_config *host_sg,
-	int32_t host_offset, void *local_ptr, int32_t size);
+int dma_copy_to_host(struct dma_copy *dc, struct dma_sg_config *host_sg,
+		     int32_t host_offset, void *local_ptr, int32_t size);
 
 int dma_copy_set_stream_tag(struct dma_copy *dc, uint32_t stream_tag);
 
diff --git a/src/ipc/dma-copy.c b/src/ipc/dma-copy.c
index f7caec41c2d7..16ee09d2f463 100644
--- a/src/ipc/dma-copy.c
+++ b/src/ipc/dma-copy.c
@@ -59,13 +59,13 @@ static struct dma_sg_elem *sg_get_elem_at(struct dma_sg_config *host_sg,
  */
 #if CONFIG_DMA_GW
 
-int dma_copy_to_host_nowait(struct dma_copy *dc, struct dma_sg_config *host_sg,
-			    int32_t host_offset, void *local_ptr, int32_t size)
+int dma_copy_to_host(struct dma_copy *dc, struct dma_sg_config *host_sg,
+		     int32_t host_offset, void *local_ptr, int32_t size)
 {
 	int ret;
 
 	/* tell gateway to copy */
-	ret = dma_copy(dc->chan, size, 0);
+	ret = dma_copy(dc->chan, size, DMA_COPY_BLOCKING);
 	if (ret < 0)
 		return ret;
 
@@ -75,8 +75,8 @@ int dma_copy_to_host_nowait(struct dma_copy *dc, struct dma_sg_config *host_sg,
 
 #else /* CONFIG_DMA_GW */
 
-int dma_copy_to_host_nowait(struct dma_copy *dc, struct dma_sg_config *host_sg,
-			    int32_t host_offset, void *local_ptr, int32_t size)
+int dma_copy_to_host(struct dma_copy *dc, struct dma_sg_config *host_sg,
+		     int32_t host_offset, void *local_ptr, int32_t size)
 {
 	struct dma_sg_config config;
 	struct dma_sg_elem *host_sg_elem;
diff --git a/src/probe/probe.c b/src/probe/probe.c
index 5d4f4a65576d..7b3f462d26cb 100644
--- a/src/probe/probe.c
+++ b/src/probe/probe.c
@@ -201,15 +201,15 @@ static enum task_state probe_task(void *data)
 	int err;
 
 	if (_probe->ext_dma.dmapb.avail > 0)
-		err = dma_copy_to_host_nowait(&_probe->ext_dma.dc,
-					      &_probe->ext_dma.config, 0,
-					       (void *)_probe->ext_dma.dmapb.r_ptr,
-					       _probe->ext_dma.dmapb.avail);
+		err = dma_copy_to_host(&_probe->ext_dma.dc,
+				       &_probe->ext_dma.config, 0,
+				       (void *)_probe->ext_dma.dmapb.r_ptr,
+				       _probe->ext_dma.dmapb.avail);
 	else
 		return SOF_TASK_STATE_RESCHEDULE;
 
 	if (err < 0) {
-		tr_err(&pr_tr, "probe_task(): dma_copy_to_host_nowait() failed.");
+		tr_err(&pr_tr, "probe_task(): dma_copy_to_host() failed.");
 		return err;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/trace/dma-trace.c b/src/trace/dma-trace.c
index e3bd79207f5c..701278d311d4 100644
--- a/src/trace/dma-trace.c
+++ b/src/trace/dma-trace.c
@@ -83,10 +83,10 @@ static enum task_state trace_work(void *data)
 	d->copy_in_progress = 1;
 
 	/* copy this section to host */
-	size = dma_copy_to_host_nowait(&d->dc, config, d->posn.host_offset,
-				       buffer->r_ptr, size);
+	size = dma_copy_to_host(&d->dc, config, d->posn.host_offset,
+				buffer->r_ptr, size);
 	if (size < 0) {
-		tr_err(&dt_tr, "trace_work(): dma_copy_to_host_nowait() failed");
+		tr_err(&dt_tr, "trace_work(): dma_copy_to_host() failed");
 		goto out;
 	}
 
@@ -223,10 +223,23 @@ static int dma_trace_buffer_init(struct dma_trace_data *d)
 	struct dma_trace_buf *buffer = &d->dmatb;
 	void *buf;
 	k_spinlock_key_t key;
+	uint32_t addr_align;
+	int err;
+
+	if (!d || !d->dc.dmac) {
+		mtrace_printf(LOG_LEVEL_ERROR,
+			      "%s failed: no DMAC!", __func__);
+		return -ENODEV;
+	}
+
+	err = dma_get_attribute(d->dc.dmac, DMA_ATTR_BUFFER_ADDRESS_ALIGNMENT,
+				&addr_align);
+	if (err < 0)
+		return err;
 
-	/* allocate new buffer */
-	buf = rballoc(0, SOF_MEM_CAPS_RAM | SOF_MEM_CAPS_DMA,
-		      DMA_TRACE_LOCAL_SIZE);
+	/* For DMA to work properly the buffer must be correctly aligned */
+	buf = rballoc_align(0, SOF_MEM_CAPS_RAM | SOF_MEM_CAPS_DMA,
+			    DMA_TRACE_LOCAL_SIZE, addr_align);
 	if (!buf) {
 		tr_err(&dt_tr, "dma_trace_buffer_init(): alloc failed");
 		return -ENOMEM;