diff --git a/asoc/msm-pcm-loopback-v2.c b/asoc/msm-pcm-loopback-v2.c
index af6be3a..4da7848 100644
--- a/asoc/msm-pcm-loopback-v2.c
+++ b/asoc/msm-pcm-loopback-v2.c
@@ -551,13 +551,15 @@
 		goto exit;
 	}
 	mutex_lock(&loopback_session_lock);
-	prtd = substream->runtime->private_data;
-	if (!prtd) {
-		rc = -ENODEV;
-		mutex_unlock(&loopback_session_lock);
-		goto exit;
+	if (substream->ref_count > 0) {
+		prtd = substream->runtime->private_data;
+		if (!prtd) {
+			rc = -ENODEV;
+			mutex_unlock(&loopback_session_lock);
+			goto exit;
+		}
+		rc = pcm_loopback_set_volume(prtd, volume);
 	}
-	rc = pcm_loopback_set_volume(prtd, volume);
 	mutex_unlock(&loopback_session_lock);
 exit:
 	return rc;
@@ -583,13 +585,15 @@
 		goto exit;
 	}
 	mutex_lock(&loopback_session_lock);
-	prtd = substream->runtime->private_data;
-	if (!prtd) {
-		rc = -ENODEV;
-		mutex_unlock(&loopback_session_lock);
-		goto exit;
+	if (substream->ref_count > 0) {
+		prtd = substream->runtime->private_data;
+		if (!prtd) {
+			rc = -ENODEV;
+			mutex_unlock(&loopback_session_lock);
+			goto exit;
+		}
+		ucontrol->value.integer.value[0] = prtd->volume;
 	}
-	ucontrol->value.integer.value[0] = prtd->volume;
 	mutex_unlock(&loopback_session_lock);
 exit:
 	return rc;
@@ -877,6 +881,12 @@
 			chmixer_pspd);
 
 	mutex_lock(&loopback_session_lock);
+	if (substream->ref_count <= 0) {
+		pr_err_ratelimited("%s: substream ref_count:%d invalid\n",
+				__func__, substream->ref_count);
+		mutex_unlock(&loopback_session_lock);
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
 	if (chmixer_pspd->enable && substream->runtime) {
 		prtd = substream->runtime->private_data;
 		if (!prtd) {
diff --git a/asoc/msm-pcm-q6-noirq.c b/asoc/msm-pcm-q6-noirq.c
index 8fb6f7c..e3f59e8 100644
--- a/asoc/msm-pcm-q6-noirq.c
+++ b/asoc/msm-pcm-q6-noirq.c
@@ -754,9 +754,11 @@
 		return -ENODEV;
 	}
 	mutex_lock(&pdata->lock);
-	prtd = substream->runtime->private_data;
-	if (prtd)
-		ucontrol->value.integer.value[0] = prtd->volume;
+	if (substream->ref_count > 0) {
+		prtd = substream->runtime->private_data;
+		if (prtd)
+			ucontrol->value.integer.value[0] = prtd->volume;
+	}
 	mutex_unlock(&pdata->lock);
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -799,10 +801,12 @@
 	}
 
 	mutex_lock(&pdata->lock);
-	prtd = substream->runtime->private_data;
-	if (prtd) {
-		rc = msm_pcm_set_volume(prtd, volume);
-		prtd->volume = volume;
+	if (substream->ref_count > 0) {
+		prtd = substream->runtime->private_data;
+		if (prtd) {
+			rc = msm_pcm_set_volume(prtd, volume);
+			prtd->volume = volume;
+		}
 	}
 	mutex_unlock(&pdata->lock);
 	return rc;
diff --git a/asoc/msm-pcm-q6-v2.c b/asoc/msm-pcm-q6-v2.c
index c22c39b..2fc5c84 100644
--- a/asoc/msm-pcm-q6-v2.c
+++ b/asoc/msm-pcm-q6-v2.c
@@ -1325,7 +1325,12 @@
 		ret = -EINVAL;
 		goto done;
 	}
-
+	if (substream->ref_count <= 0) {
+		pr_err_ratelimited("%s substream ref_count:%d invalid\n",
+				__func__, substream->ref_count);
+		ret = -EINVAL;
+		goto done;
+	}
 	prtd = substream->runtime->private_data;
 	if (prtd == NULL) {
 		pr_err("%s prtd is null.\n", __func__);
@@ -1549,9 +1554,11 @@
 	}
 
 	mutex_lock(&pdata->lock);
-	prtd = substream->runtime->private_data;
-	if (prtd)
-		ucontrol->value.integer.value[0] = prtd->volume;
+	if (substream->ref_count > 0) {
+		prtd = substream->runtime->private_data;
+		if (prtd)
+			ucontrol->value.integer.value[0] = prtd->volume;
+	}
 	mutex_unlock(&pdata->lock);
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -1595,10 +1602,12 @@
 	}
 
 	mutex_lock(&pdata->lock);
-	prtd = substream->runtime->private_data;
-	if (prtd) {
-		rc = msm_pcm_set_volume(prtd, volume);
-		prtd->volume = volume;
+	if (substream->ref_count > 0) {
+		prtd = substream->runtime->private_data;
+		if (prtd) {
+			rc = msm_pcm_set_volume(prtd, volume);
+			prtd->volume = volume;
+		}
 	}
 	mutex_unlock(&pdata->lock);
 	return rc;
@@ -1659,9 +1668,11 @@
 		return 0;
 	}
 	mutex_lock(&pdata->lock);
-	prtd = substream->runtime->private_data;
-	if (prtd)
-		ucontrol->value.integer.value[0] = prtd->compress_enable;
+	if (substream->ref_count > 0) {
+		prtd = substream->runtime->private_data;
+		if (prtd)
+			ucontrol->value.integer.value[0] = prtd->compress_enable;
+	}
 	mutex_unlock(&pdata->lock);
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -1691,11 +1702,13 @@
 		return 0;
 	}
 	mutex_lock(&pdata->lock);
-	prtd = substream->runtime->private_data;
-	if (prtd) {
-		pr_debug("%s: setting compress flag to 0x%x\n",
-		__func__, compress);
-		prtd->compress_enable = compress;
+	if (substream->ref_count > 0) {
+		prtd = substream->runtime->private_data;
+		if (prtd) {
+			pr_debug("%s: setting compress flag to 0x%x\n",
+			__func__, compress);
+			prtd->compress_enable = compress;
+		}
 	}
 	mutex_unlock(&pdata->lock);
 	return rc;
@@ -1805,6 +1818,12 @@
 		return 0;
 
 	mutex_lock(&pdata->lock);
+	if (substream->ref_count <= 0) {
+		pr_err_ratelimited("%s: substream ref_count:%d invalid\n",
+				__func__, substream->ref_count);
+		mutex_unlock(&pdata->lock);
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
 	prtd = substream->runtime ? substream->runtime->private_data : NULL;
 	if (prtd) {
 		prtd->set_channel_map = true;
@@ -1872,6 +1891,12 @@
 		return 0; /* no channels set */
 
 	mutex_lock(&pdata->lock);
+	if (substream->ref_count <= 0) {
+		pr_err_ratelimited("%s: substream ref_count:%d invalid\n",
+				__func__, substream->ref_count);
+		mutex_unlock(&pdata->lock);
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
 	prtd = substream->runtime ? substream->runtime->private_data : NULL;
 
 	if (prtd && prtd->set_channel_map == true) {
@@ -2154,6 +2179,12 @@
 	}
 
 	mutex_lock(&pdata->lock);
+	if (substream->ref_count <= 0) {
+		pr_err_ratelimited("%s: substream ref_count:%d invalid\n",
+				__func__, substream->ref_count);
+		mutex_unlock(&pdata->lock);
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
 	prtd = substream->runtime ? substream->runtime->private_data : NULL;
 	if (chmixer_pspd->enable && prtd) {
 		if (session_type == SESSION_TYPE_RX &&