diff --git a/src/audio/drc/drc.c b/src/audio/drc/drc.c
index c69b3a742ea6..f27e5096576e 100644
--- a/src/audio/drc/drc.c
+++ b/src/audio/drc/drc.c
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@
 // Author: Pin-chih Lin <johnylin@google.com>
 
 #include <sof/audio/module_adapter/module/generic.h>
-#include <sof/audio/drc/drc.h>
-#include <sof/audio/drc/drc_algorithm.h>
 #include <sof/audio/buffer.h>
 #include <sof/audio/component.h>
 #include <sof/audio/data_blob.h>
@@ -35,6 +33,9 @@
 #include <stddef.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 
+#include "drc.h"
+#include "drc_algorithm.h"
+
 LOG_MODULE_REGISTER(drc, CONFIG_SOF_LOG_LEVEL);
 
 /* b36ee4da-006f-47f9-a06d-fecbe2d8b6ce */
@@ -43,7 +44,7 @@ DECLARE_SOF_RT_UUID("drc", drc_uuid, 0xb36ee4da, 0x006f, 0x47f9,
 
 DECLARE_TR_CTX(drc_tr, SOF_UUID(drc_uuid), LOG_LEVEL_INFO);
 
-inline void drc_reset_state(struct drc_state *state)
+void drc_reset_state(struct drc_state *state)
 {
 	int i;
 
@@ -67,9 +68,9 @@ inline void drc_reset_state(struct drc_state *state)
 	state->max_attack_compression_diff_db = INT32_MIN;
 }
 
-inline int drc_init_pre_delay_buffers(struct drc_state *state,
-				      size_t sample_bytes,
-				      int channels)
+int drc_init_pre_delay_buffers(struct drc_state *state,
+			       size_t sample_bytes,
+			       int channels)
 {
 	size_t bytes_per_channel = sample_bytes * CONFIG_DRC_MAX_PRE_DELAY_FRAMES;
 	size_t bytes_total = bytes_per_channel * channels;
@@ -90,9 +91,9 @@ inline int drc_init_pre_delay_buffers(struct drc_state *state,
 	return 0;
 }
 
-inline int drc_set_pre_delay_time(struct drc_state *state,
-				  int32_t pre_delay_time,
-				  int32_t rate)
+int drc_set_pre_delay_time(struct drc_state *state,
+			   int32_t pre_delay_time,
+			   int32_t rate)
 {
 	int32_t pre_delay_frames;
 
diff --git a/src/include/sof/audio/drc/drc.h b/src/audio/drc/drc.h
similarity index 98%
rename from src/include/sof/audio/drc/drc.h
rename to src/audio/drc/drc.h
index e7571096313e..667dd1ada0df 100644
--- a/src/include/sof/audio/drc/drc.h
+++ b/src/audio/drc/drc.h
@@ -9,10 +9,11 @@
 
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <sof/audio/module_adapter/module/generic.h>
-#include <sof/audio/drc/drc_plat_conf.h>
 #include <sof/audio/buffer.h>
 #include <sof/platform.h>
-#include <user/drc.h>
+
+#include "drc_plat_conf.h"
+#include "drc_user.h"
 
 struct audio_stream;
 struct comp_dev;
diff --git a/src/include/sof/audio/drc/drc_algorithm.h b/src/audio/drc/drc_algorithm.h
similarity index 94%
rename from src/include/sof/audio/drc/drc_algorithm.h
rename to src/audio/drc/drc_algorithm.h
index 26ef66279202..c0a942b09622 100644
--- a/src/include/sof/audio/drc/drc_algorithm.h
+++ b/src/audio/drc/drc_algorithm.h
@@ -8,9 +8,10 @@
 #define __SOF_AUDIO_DRC_DRC_ALGORITHM_H__
 
 #include <stdint.h>
-#include <sof/audio/drc/drc.h>
 #include <sof/platform.h>
-#include <user/drc.h>
+
+#include "drc_user.h"
+#include "drc.h"
 
 /* drc reset function */
 void drc_reset_state(struct drc_state *state);
diff --git a/src/audio/drc/drc_generic.c b/src/audio/drc/drc_generic.c
index 1cb4910425cf..1d60f6686e09 100644
--- a/src/audio/drc/drc_generic.c
+++ b/src/audio/drc/drc_generic.c
@@ -5,14 +5,15 @@
 // Author: Pin-chih Lin <johnylin@google.com>
 
 #include <sof/audio/component.h>
-#include <sof/audio/drc/drc.h>
-#include <sof/audio/drc/drc_algorithm.h>
-#include <sof/audio/drc/drc_math.h>
 #include <sof/audio/format.h>
 #include <sof/math/decibels.h>
 #include <sof/math/numbers.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 
+#include "drc.h"
+#include "drc_algorithm.h"
+#include "drc_math.h"
+
 #if DRC_GENERIC
 
 #define ONE_Q20        Q_CONVERT_FLOAT(1.0f, 20)                /* Q12.20 */
diff --git a/src/audio/drc/drc_hifi3.c b/src/audio/drc/drc_hifi3.c
index 4613fff0bfac..5cb2920fc1d3 100644
--- a/src/audio/drc/drc_hifi3.c
+++ b/src/audio/drc/drc_hifi3.c
@@ -5,14 +5,15 @@
 // Author: Pin-chih Lin <johnylin@google.com>
 
 #include <sof/audio/component.h>
-#include <sof/audio/drc/drc.h>
-#include <sof/audio/drc/drc_algorithm.h>
-#include <sof/audio/drc/drc_math.h>
 #include <sof/audio/format.h>
 #include <sof/math/decibels.h>
 #include <sof/math/numbers.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 
+#include "drc.h"
+#include "drc_algorithm.h"
+#include "drc_math.h"
+
 #if DRC_HIFI3
 
 #include <xtensa/tie/xt_hifi3.h>
diff --git a/src/audio/drc/drc_hifi4.c b/src/audio/drc/drc_hifi4.c
index 93447ecabd90..b0c34ea5e225 100644
--- a/src/audio/drc/drc_hifi4.c
+++ b/src/audio/drc/drc_hifi4.c
@@ -5,14 +5,15 @@
 // Author: Pin-chih Lin <johnylin@google.com>
 
 #include <sof/audio/component.h>
-#include <sof/audio/drc/drc.h>
-#include <sof/audio/drc/drc_algorithm.h>
-#include <sof/audio/drc/drc_math.h>
 #include <sof/audio/format.h>
 #include <sof/math/decibels.h>
 #include <sof/math/numbers.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 
+#include "drc.h"
+#include "drc_algorithm.h"
+#include "drc_math.h"
+
 #if DRC_HIFI4
 
 #include <xtensa/tie/xt_hifi4.h>
diff --git a/src/include/sof/audio/drc/drc_math.h b/src/audio/drc/drc_math.h
similarity index 98%
rename from src/include/sof/audio/drc/drc_math.h
rename to src/audio/drc/drc_math.h
index d2c4965fd3e1..8748632e5812 100644
--- a/src/include/sof/audio/drc/drc_math.h
+++ b/src/audio/drc/drc_math.h
@@ -9,11 +9,12 @@
 
 #include <stddef.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
-#include <sof/audio/drc/drc_plat_conf.h>
 #include <sof/audio/format.h>
 #include <sof/math/numbers.h>
 #include <sof/math/trig.h>
 
+#include "drc_plat_conf.h"
+
 /* Unmark this define to use cordic arc sine implementation. */
 /* #define DRC_USE_CORDIC_ASIN */
 
diff --git a/src/audio/drc/drc_math_generic.c b/src/audio/drc/drc_math_generic.c
index 0f927d86fe9e..7ebcae51ab4b 100644
--- a/src/audio/drc/drc_math_generic.c
+++ b/src/audio/drc/drc_math_generic.c
@@ -4,12 +4,13 @@
 //
 // Author: Pin-chih Lin <johnylin@google.com>
 
-#include <sof/audio/drc/drc_math.h>
 #include <sof/audio/format.h>
 #include <sof/math/decibels.h>
 #include <sof/math/numbers.h>
 #include <sof/math/trig.h>
 
+#include "drc_math.h"
+
 #define q_mult(a, b, qa, qb, qy) ((int32_t)Q_MULTSR_32X32((int64_t)(a), b, qa, qb, qy))
 #define q_multq(a, b, q) ((int32_t)Q_MULTSR_32X32((int64_t)(a), b, q, q, q))
 
diff --git a/src/audio/drc/drc_math_hifi3.c b/src/audio/drc/drc_math_hifi3.c
index 0849e3a443ec..de6ca46367c1 100644
--- a/src/audio/drc/drc_math_hifi3.c
+++ b/src/audio/drc/drc_math_hifi3.c
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@
 //
 // Author: Pin-chih Lin <johnylin@google.com>
 
-#include <sof/audio/drc/drc_math.h>
 #include <sof/math/numbers.h>
+#include "drc_math.h"
 
 #if DRC_HIFI3 || DRC_HIFI4
 
diff --git a/src/include/sof/audio/drc/drc_plat_conf.h b/src/audio/drc/drc_plat_conf.h
similarity index 100%
rename from src/include/sof/audio/drc/drc_plat_conf.h
rename to src/audio/drc/drc_plat_conf.h
diff --git a/src/include/user/drc.h b/src/audio/drc/drc_user.h
similarity index 100%
rename from src/include/user/drc.h
rename to src/audio/drc/drc_user.h
diff --git a/src/audio/multiband_drc/multiband_drc.c b/src/audio/multiband_drc/multiband_drc.c
index 1da34ef25d7a..17e68a46cb40 100644
--- a/src/audio/multiband_drc/multiband_drc.c
+++ b/src/audio/multiband_drc/multiband_drc.c
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
 
 #include <sof/audio/module_adapter/module/generic.h>
 #include <sof/audio/crossover/crossover_algorithm.h>
-#include <sof/audio/drc/drc_algorithm.h>
 #include <sof/audio/buffer.h>
 #include <sof/audio/format.h>
 #include <sof/audio/ipc-config.h>
@@ -32,6 +31,8 @@
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <stddef.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
+
+#include "../drc/drc_algorithm.h"
 #include "multiband_drc.h"
 
 LOG_MODULE_REGISTER(multiband_drc, CONFIG_SOF_LOG_LEVEL);
diff --git a/src/audio/multiband_drc/multiband_drc.h b/src/audio/multiband_drc/multiband_drc.h
index 146b7c53887a..45e7e6b3e8ff 100644
--- a/src/audio/multiband_drc/multiband_drc.h
+++ b/src/audio/multiband_drc/multiband_drc.h
@@ -9,12 +9,13 @@
 
 #include <sof/audio/module_adapter/module/generic.h>
 #include <sof/audio/crossover/crossover.h>
-#include <sof/audio/drc/drc.h>
 #include <sof/math/iir_df2t.h>
 #include <sof/audio/component.h>
 #include <sof/audio/data_blob.h>
 #include <sof/platform.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
+
+#include "../drc/drc.h"
 #include "user/multiband_drc.h"
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/audio/multiband_drc/multiband_drc_generic.c b/src/audio/multiband_drc/multiband_drc_generic.c
index 780e85d0aae5..739fd432d5f0 100644
--- a/src/audio/multiband_drc/multiband_drc_generic.c
+++ b/src/audio/multiband_drc/multiband_drc_generic.c
@@ -5,10 +5,11 @@
 // Author: Pin-chih Lin <johnylin@google.com>
 
 #include <stdint.h>
-#include <sof/audio/drc/drc_algorithm.h>
 #include <sof/audio/format.h>
 #include <sof/math/iir_df2t.h>
+
 #include "multiband_drc.h"
+#include "../drc/drc_algorithm.h"
 
 static void multiband_drc_default_pass(const struct processing_module *mod,
 				       const struct audio_stream *source,
diff --git a/src/audio/multiband_drc/user/multiband_drc.h b/src/audio/multiband_drc/user/multiband_drc.h
index 9f81d9376cfc..2422e6304fd5 100644
--- a/src/audio/multiband_drc/user/multiband_drc.h
+++ b/src/audio/multiband_drc/user/multiband_drc.h
@@ -10,9 +10,10 @@
 
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <user/crossover.h>
-#include <user/drc.h>
 #include <user/eq.h>
 
+#include "../../drc/drc_user.h"
+
 /* Maximum number of frequency band for Multiband DRC */
 #define SOF_MULTIBAND_DRC_MAX_BANDS SOF_CROSSOVER_MAX_STREAMS