diff --git a/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda-dsp.c b/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda-dsp.c
index 2b001151fe37..4fe4175179d4 100644
--- a/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda-dsp.c
+++ b/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda-dsp.c
@@ -624,7 +624,7 @@ static int hda_suspend(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev, bool runtime_suspend)
 #endif
 
 	/* power down DSP */
-	ret = hda_dsp_core_reset_power_down(sdev, chip->host_managed_cores_mask);
+	ret = snd_sof_dsp_core_power_down(sdev, chip->host_managed_cores_mask);
 	if (ret < 0) {
 		dev_err(sdev->dev,
 			"error: failed to power down core during suspend\n");
diff --git a/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda-loader.c b/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda-loader.c
index 365a79fc7081..d744952f6954 100644
--- a/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda-loader.c
+++ b/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda-loader.c
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ static int cl_dsp_init(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev, int stream_tag)
 	int i;
 
 	/* step 1: power up corex */
-	ret = hda_dsp_core_power_up(sdev, chip->host_managed_cores_mask);
+	ret = snd_sof_dsp_core_power_up(sdev, chip->host_managed_cores_mask);
 	if (ret < 0) {
 		if (hda->boot_iteration == HDA_FW_BOOT_ATTEMPTS)
 			dev_err(sdev->dev, "error: dsp core 0/1 power up failed\n");
@@ -147,8 +147,9 @@ static int cl_dsp_init(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev, int stream_tag)
 				       chip->ipc_ack_mask,
 				       chip->ipc_ack_mask);
 
-	/* step 5: power down corex */
-	ret = hda_dsp_core_power_down(sdev, chip->host_managed_cores_mask & ~(BIT(0)));
+	/* step 5: power down cores that are no longer needed */
+	ret = snd_sof_dsp_core_power_down(sdev, chip->host_managed_cores_mask &
+					  ~(chip->init_core_mask));
 	if (ret < 0) {
 		if (hda->boot_iteration == HDA_FW_BOOT_ATTEMPTS)
 			dev_err(sdev->dev,
@@ -183,7 +184,7 @@ static int cl_dsp_init(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev, int stream_tag)
 		flags |= SOF_DBG_DUMP_FORCE_ERR_LEVEL;
 
 	hda_dsp_dump(sdev, flags);
-	hda_dsp_core_reset_power_down(sdev, chip->host_managed_cores_mask);
+	snd_sof_dsp_core_power_down(sdev, chip->host_managed_cores_mask);
 
 	return ret;
 }
diff --git a/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda.c b/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda.c
index 7e703ce22fcd..d57d484a42d1 100644
--- a/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda.c
+++ b/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda.c
@@ -928,7 +928,7 @@ int hda_dsp_remove(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev)
 
 	/* disable cores */
 	if (chip)
-		hda_dsp_core_reset_power_down(sdev, chip->host_managed_cores_mask);
+		snd_sof_dsp_core_power_down(sdev, chip->host_managed_cores_mask);
 
 	/* disable DSP */
 	snd_sof_dsp_update_bits(sdev, HDA_DSP_PP_BAR, SOF_HDA_REG_PP_PPCTL,
diff --git a/sound/soc/sof/loader.c b/sound/soc/sof/loader.c
index 08a17abb63ff..4ade55bf6d75 100644
--- a/sound/soc/sof/loader.c
+++ b/sound/soc/sof/loader.c
@@ -811,7 +811,6 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(snd_sof_load_firmware);
 int snd_sof_run_firmware(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev)
 {
 	int ret;
-	int init_core_mask;
 
 	init_waitqueue_head(&sdev->boot_wait);
 
@@ -843,8 +842,6 @@ int snd_sof_run_firmware(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev)
 		return ret;
 	}
 
-	init_core_mask = ret;
-
 	/*
 	 * now wait for the DSP to boot. There are 3 possible outcomes:
 	 * 1. Boot wait times out indicating FW boot failure.
@@ -874,9 +871,6 @@ int snd_sof_run_firmware(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev)
 		return ret;
 	}
 
-	/* fw boot is complete. Update the active cores mask */
-	sdev->enabled_cores_mask = init_core_mask;
-
 	return 0;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(snd_sof_run_firmware);
diff --git a/sound/soc/sof/ops.h b/sound/soc/sof/ops.h
index f0c9ca8820d2..5099ad03df72 100644
--- a/sound/soc/sof/ops.h
+++ b/sound/soc/sof/ops.h
@@ -76,19 +76,31 @@ static inline int snd_sof_dsp_reset(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev)
 static inline int snd_sof_dsp_core_power_up(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev,
 					    unsigned int core_mask)
 {
-	if (sof_ops(sdev)->core_power_up)
-		return sof_ops(sdev)->core_power_up(sdev, core_mask);
+	int ret = 0;
 
-	return 0;
+	core_mask &= ~sdev->enabled_cores_mask;
+	if (sof_ops(sdev)->core_power_up && core_mask) {
+		ret = sof_ops(sdev)->core_power_up(sdev, core_mask);
+		if (!ret)
+			sdev->enabled_cores_mask |= core_mask;
+	}
+
+	return ret;
 }
 
 static inline int snd_sof_dsp_core_power_down(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev,
 					      unsigned int core_mask)
 {
-	if (sof_ops(sdev)->core_power_down)
-		return sof_ops(sdev)->core_power_down(sdev, core_mask);
+	int ret = 0;
 
-	return 0;
+	core_mask &= sdev->enabled_cores_mask;
+	if (sof_ops(sdev)->core_power_down && core_mask) {
+		ret = sof_ops(sdev)->core_power_down(sdev, core_mask);
+		if (!ret)
+			sdev->enabled_cores_mask &= ~core_mask;
+	}
+
+	return ret;
 }
 
 /* pre/post fw load */
diff --git a/sound/soc/sof/pm.c b/sound/soc/sof/pm.c
index c83fb6255961..fd265803f7bc 100644
--- a/sound/soc/sof/pm.c
+++ b/sound/soc/sof/pm.c
@@ -256,7 +256,6 @@ static int sof_suspend(struct device *dev, bool runtime_suspend)
 
 	/* reset FW state */
 	sdev->fw_state = SOF_FW_BOOT_NOT_STARTED;
-	sdev->enabled_cores_mask = 0;
 
 	return ret;
 }
diff --git a/sound/soc/sof/topology.c b/sound/soc/sof/topology.c
index b6b32a7a91f8..b69f493b5faa 100644
--- a/sound/soc/sof/topology.c
+++ b/sound/soc/sof/topology.c
@@ -1352,10 +1352,6 @@ static int sof_core_enable(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev, int core)
 			core, ret);
 		goto err;
 	}
-
-	/* update enabled cores mask */
-	sdev->enabled_cores_mask |= BIT(core);
-
 	return ret;
 err:
 	/* power down core if it is host managed and return the original error if this fails too */
@@ -2603,10 +2599,6 @@ static int sof_widget_unload(struct snd_soc_component *scomp,
 		if (ret < 0)
 			dev_err(scomp->dev, "error: powering down pipeline schedule core %d\n",
 				pipeline->core);
-
-		/* update enabled cores mask */
-		sdev->enabled_cores_mask &= ~(1 << pipeline->core);
-
 		break;
 	default:
 		break;