diff --git a/include/sound/soc-dai.h b/include/sound/soc-dai.h
index b0ee6590b8ba..800c101bb096 100644
--- a/include/sound/soc-dai.h
+++ b/include/sound/soc-dai.h
@@ -169,6 +169,13 @@ struct snd_soc_dai_ops {
 		struct snd_soc_dai *);
 	int (*prepare)(struct snd_pcm_substream *,
 		struct snd_soc_dai *);
+	/*
+	 * NOTE: Commands passed to the trigger function are not necessarily
+	 * compatible with the current state of the dai. For example this
+	 * sequence of commands is possible: START STOP STOP.
+	 * So do not unconditionally use refcounting functions in the trigger
+	 * function, e.g. clk_enable/disable.
+	 */
 	int (*trigger)(struct snd_pcm_substream *, int,
 		struct snd_soc_dai *);
 	int (*bespoke_trigger)(struct snd_pcm_substream *, int,
diff --git a/sound/soc/mxs/mxs-saif.c b/sound/soc/mxs/mxs-saif.c
index 14152f6f70dd..54e622acac33 100644
--- a/sound/soc/mxs/mxs-saif.c
+++ b/sound/soc/mxs/mxs-saif.c
@@ -494,6 +494,7 @@ static int mxs_saif_trigger(struct snd_pcm_substream *substream, int cmd,
 	struct mxs_saif *saif = snd_soc_dai_get_drvdata(cpu_dai);
 	struct mxs_saif *master_saif;
 	u32 delay;
+	int ret;
 
 	master_saif = mxs_saif_get_master(saif);
 	if (!master_saif)
@@ -503,23 +504,37 @@ static int mxs_saif_trigger(struct snd_pcm_substream *substream, int cmd,
 	case SNDRV_PCM_TRIGGER_START:
 	case SNDRV_PCM_TRIGGER_RESUME:
 	case SNDRV_PCM_TRIGGER_PAUSE_RELEASE:
+		if (saif->state == MXS_SAIF_STATE_RUNNING)
+			return 0;
+
 		dev_dbg(cpu_dai->dev, "start\n");
 
-		clk_enable(master_saif->clk);
-		if (!master_saif->mclk_in_use)
-			__raw_writel(BM_SAIF_CTRL_RUN,
-				master_saif->base + SAIF_CTRL + MXS_SET_ADDR);
+		ret = clk_enable(master_saif->clk);
+		if (ret) {
+			dev_err(saif->dev, "Failed to enable master clock\n");
+			return ret;
+		}
 
 		/*
 		 * If the saif's master is not himself, we also need to enable
 		 * itself clk for its internal basic logic to work.
 		 */
 		if (saif != master_saif) {
-			clk_enable(saif->clk);
+			ret = clk_enable(saif->clk);
+			if (ret) {
+				dev_err(saif->dev, "Failed to enable master clock\n");
+				clk_disable(master_saif->clk);
+				return ret;
+			}
+
 			__raw_writel(BM_SAIF_CTRL_RUN,
 				saif->base + SAIF_CTRL + MXS_SET_ADDR);
 		}
 
+		if (!master_saif->mclk_in_use)
+			__raw_writel(BM_SAIF_CTRL_RUN,
+				master_saif->base + SAIF_CTRL + MXS_SET_ADDR);
+
 		if (substream->stream == SNDRV_PCM_STREAM_PLAYBACK) {
 			/*
 			 * write data to saif data register to trigger
@@ -543,6 +558,7 @@ static int mxs_saif_trigger(struct snd_pcm_substream *substream, int cmd,
 		}
 
 		master_saif->ongoing = 1;
+		saif->state = MXS_SAIF_STATE_RUNNING;
 
 		dev_dbg(saif->dev, "CTRL 0x%x STAT 0x%x\n",
 			__raw_readl(saif->base + SAIF_CTRL),
@@ -555,6 +571,9 @@ static int mxs_saif_trigger(struct snd_pcm_substream *substream, int cmd,
 	case SNDRV_PCM_TRIGGER_SUSPEND:
 	case SNDRV_PCM_TRIGGER_STOP:
 	case SNDRV_PCM_TRIGGER_PAUSE_PUSH:
+		if (saif->state == MXS_SAIF_STATE_STOPPED)
+			return 0;
+
 		dev_dbg(cpu_dai->dev, "stop\n");
 
 		/* wait a while for the current sample to complete */
@@ -575,6 +594,7 @@ static int mxs_saif_trigger(struct snd_pcm_substream *substream, int cmd,
 		}
 
 		master_saif->ongoing = 0;
+		saif->state = MXS_SAIF_STATE_STOPPED;
 
 		break;
 	default:
diff --git a/sound/soc/mxs/mxs-saif.h b/sound/soc/mxs/mxs-saif.h
index 53eaa4bf0e27..fbaf7badfdfb 100644
--- a/sound/soc/mxs/mxs-saif.h
+++ b/sound/soc/mxs/mxs-saif.h
@@ -124,6 +124,11 @@ struct mxs_saif {
 
 	u32 fifo_underrun;
 	u32 fifo_overrun;
+
+	enum {
+		MXS_SAIF_STATE_STOPPED,
+		MXS_SAIF_STATE_RUNNING,
+	} state;
 };
 
 extern int mxs_saif_put_mclk(unsigned int saif_id);
diff --git a/sound/soc/mxs/mxs-sgtl5000.c b/sound/soc/mxs/mxs-sgtl5000.c
index 4bb273786ff3..61822cc53bd3 100644
--- a/sound/soc/mxs/mxs-sgtl5000.c
+++ b/sound/soc/mxs/mxs-sgtl5000.c
@@ -122,14 +122,12 @@ static struct snd_soc_card mxs_sgtl5000 = {
 	.num_links	= ARRAY_SIZE(mxs_sgtl5000_dai),
 };
 
-static int mxs_sgtl5000_probe_dt(struct platform_device *pdev)
+static int mxs_sgtl5000_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 {
+	struct snd_soc_card *card = &mxs_sgtl5000;
+	int ret, i;
 	struct device_node *np = pdev->dev.of_node;
 	struct device_node *saif_np[2], *codec_np;
-	int i;
-
-	if (!np)
-		return 1; /* no device tree */
 
 	saif_np[0] = of_parse_phandle(np, "saif-controllers", 0);
 	saif_np[1] = of_parse_phandle(np, "saif-controllers", 1);
@@ -152,18 +150,6 @@ static int mxs_sgtl5000_probe_dt(struct platform_device *pdev)
 	of_node_put(saif_np[0]);
 	of_node_put(saif_np[1]);
 
-	return 0;
-}
-
-static int mxs_sgtl5000_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
-{
-	struct snd_soc_card *card = &mxs_sgtl5000;
-	int ret;
-
-	ret = mxs_sgtl5000_probe_dt(pdev);
-	if (ret < 0)
-		return ret;
-
 	/*
 	 * Set an init clock(11.28Mhz) for sgtl5000 initialization(i2c r/w).
 	 * The Sgtl5000 sysclk is derived from saif0 mclk and it's range