diff --git a/sound/core/control.c b/sound/core/control.c
index 00ab034..1f413c2 100644
--- a/sound/core/control.c
+++ b/sound/core/control.c
@@ -1154,8 +1154,6 @@
 	struct user_element *ue;
 	int idx, err;
 
-	if (!replace && card->user_ctl_count >= MAX_USER_CONTROLS)
-		return -ENOMEM;
 	if (info->count < 1)
 		return -EINVAL;
 	access = info->access == 0 ? SNDRV_CTL_ELEM_ACCESS_READWRITE :
@@ -1164,21 +1162,16 @@
 				 SNDRV_CTL_ELEM_ACCESS_TLV_READWRITE));
 	info->id.numid = 0;
 	memset(&kctl, 0, sizeof(kctl));
-	down_write(&card->controls_rwsem);
-	_kctl = snd_ctl_find_id(card, &info->id);
-	err = 0;
-	if (_kctl) {
-		if (replace)
-			err = snd_ctl_remove(card, _kctl);
-		else
-			err = -EBUSY;
-	} else {
-		if (replace)
-			err = -ENOENT;
+
+	if (replace) {
+		err = snd_ctl_remove_user_ctl(file, &info->id);
+		if (err)
+			return err;
 	}
-	up_write(&card->controls_rwsem);
-	if (err < 0)
-		return err;
+
+	if (card->user_ctl_count >= MAX_USER_CONTROLS)
+		return -ENOMEM;
+
 	memcpy(&kctl.id, &info->id, sizeof(info->id));
 	kctl.count = info->owner ? info->owner : 1;
 	access |= SNDRV_CTL_ELEM_ACCESS_USER;