diff --git a/sound/soc/sof/imx/imx8.c b/sound/soc/sof/imx/imx8.c
index 0aeb44d0acc7..2d0448b3c8c3 100644
--- a/sound/soc/sof/imx/imx8.c
+++ b/sound/soc/sof/imx/imx8.c
@@ -188,6 +188,7 @@ static int imx8_probe(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev)
 	if (!priv)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
+	sdev->num_cores = 1;
 	sdev->pdata->hw_pdata = priv;
 	priv->dev = sdev->dev;
 	priv->sdev = sdev;
diff --git a/sound/soc/sof/imx/imx8m.c b/sound/soc/sof/imx/imx8m.c
index f454a5d0a87e..c94422323d67 100644
--- a/sound/soc/sof/imx/imx8m.c
+++ b/sound/soc/sof/imx/imx8m.c
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ static int imx8m_probe(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev)
 	if (!priv)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
+	sdev->num_cores = 1;
 	sdev->pdata->hw_pdata = priv;
 	priv->dev = sdev->dev;
 	priv->sdev = sdev;
diff --git a/sound/soc/sof/intel/bdw.c b/sound/soc/sof/intel/bdw.c
index 156006bed017..1a8a39a878fd 100644
--- a/sound/soc/sof/intel/bdw.c
+++ b/sound/soc/sof/intel/bdw.c
@@ -412,10 +412,19 @@ static int bdw_probe(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev)
 	const struct sof_dev_desc *desc = pdata->desc;
 	struct platform_device *pdev =
 		container_of(sdev->dev, struct platform_device, dev);
+	const struct sof_intel_dsp_desc *chip;
 	struct resource *mmio;
 	u32 base, size;
 	int ret;
 
+	chip = get_chip_info(sdev->pdata);
+	if (!chip) {
+		dev_err(sdev->dev, "error: no such device supported\n");
+		return -EIO;
+	}
+
+	sdev->num_cores = chip->cores_num;
+
 	/* LPE base */
 	mmio = platform_get_resource(pdev, IORESOURCE_MEM,
 				     desc->resindex_lpe_base);
diff --git a/sound/soc/sof/intel/byt.c b/sound/soc/sof/intel/byt.c
index e2fa08f1ae74..dcfeaedb8fd5 100644
--- a/sound/soc/sof/intel/byt.c
+++ b/sound/soc/sof/intel/byt.c
@@ -113,10 +113,19 @@ static int byt_acpi_probe(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev)
 	const struct sof_dev_desc *desc = pdata->desc;
 	struct platform_device *pdev =
 		container_of(sdev->dev, struct platform_device, dev);
+	const struct sof_intel_dsp_desc *chip;
 	struct resource *mmio;
 	u32 base, size;
 	int ret;
 
+	chip = get_chip_info(sdev->pdata);
+	if (!chip) {
+		dev_err(sdev->dev, "error: no such device supported\n");
+		return -EIO;
+	}
+
+	sdev->num_cores = chip->cores_num;
+
 	/* DSP DMA can only access low 31 bits of host memory */
 	ret = dma_coerce_mask_and_coherent(sdev->dev, DMA_BIT_MASK(31));
 	if (ret < 0) {
diff --git a/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda.c b/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda.c
index 1ebf8db488b8..3c69e8fcd43b 100644
--- a/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda.c
+++ b/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda.c
@@ -897,6 +897,8 @@ int hda_dsp_probe(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev)
 		goto err;
 	}
 
+	sdev->num_cores = chip->cores_num;
+
 	hdev = devm_kzalloc(sdev->dev, sizeof(*hdev), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!hdev)
 		return -ENOMEM;
diff --git a/sound/soc/sof/intel/pci-tng.c b/sound/soc/sof/intel/pci-tng.c
index 18eb41b8a8f4..f8c841caa362 100644
--- a/sound/soc/sof/intel/pci-tng.c
+++ b/sound/soc/sof/intel/pci-tng.c
@@ -55,9 +55,18 @@ static int tangier_pci_probe(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev)
 	struct snd_sof_pdata *pdata = sdev->pdata;
 	const struct sof_dev_desc *desc = pdata->desc;
 	struct pci_dev *pci = to_pci_dev(sdev->dev);
+	const struct sof_intel_dsp_desc *chip;
 	u32 base, size;
 	int ret;
 
+	chip = get_chip_info(sdev->pdata);
+	if (!chip) {
+		dev_err(sdev->dev, "error: no such device supported\n");
+		return -EIO;
+	}
+
+	sdev->num_cores = chip->cores_num;
+
 	/* DSP DMA can only access low 31 bits of host memory */
 	ret = dma_coerce_mask_and_coherent(&pci->dev, DMA_BIT_MASK(31));
 	if (ret < 0) {
diff --git a/sound/soc/sof/sof-priv.h b/sound/soc/sof/sof-priv.h
index 9a8af76b2f8b..a56f3c8b483f 100644
--- a/sound/soc/sof/sof-priv.h
+++ b/sound/soc/sof/sof-priv.h
@@ -71,6 +71,9 @@ extern int sof_core_debug;
 /* So far the primary core on all DSPs has ID 0 */
 #define SOF_DSP_PRIMARY_CORE 0
 
+/* max number of DSP cores */
+#define SOF_MAX_DSP_NUM_CORES 8
+
 /* DSP power state */
 enum sof_dsp_power_states {
 	SOF_DSP_PM_D0,
@@ -477,6 +480,18 @@ struct snd_sof_dev {
 
 	bool msi_enabled;
 
+	/* DSP core context */
+	u32 num_cores;
+
+	/*
+	 * ref count per core that will be modified during system suspend/resume and during pcm
+	 * hw_params/hw_free. This doesn't need to be protected with a mutex because pcm
+	 * hw_params/hw_free are already protected by the PCM mutex in the ALSA framework in
+	 * sound/core/ when streams are active and during system suspend/resume, streams are
+	 * already suspended.
+	 */
+	int dsp_core_ref_count[SOF_MAX_DSP_NUM_CORES];
+
 	void *private;			/* core does not touch this */
 };