diff --git a/sound/soc/sof/intel/bdw.c b/sound/soc/sof/intel/bdw.c
index 065cb868bdfa..8ff3ee520aea 100644
--- a/sound/soc/sof/intel/bdw.c
+++ b/sound/soc/sof/intel/bdw.c
@@ -283,6 +283,8 @@ static irqreturn_t bdw_irq_thread(int irq, void *context)
 						 SHIM_IMRX, SHIM_IMRX_DONE,
 						 SHIM_IMRX_DONE);
 
+		spin_lock_irq(&sdev->ipc_lock);
+
 		/*
 		 * handle immediate reply from DSP core. If the msg is
 		 * found, set done bit in cmd_done which is called at the
@@ -294,6 +296,8 @@ static irqreturn_t bdw_irq_thread(int irq, void *context)
 		snd_sof_ipc_reply(sdev, ipcx);
 
 		bdw_dsp_done(sdev);
+
+		spin_unlock_irq(&sdev->ipc_lock);
 	}
 
 	ipcd = snd_sof_dsp_read(sdev, BDW_DSP_BAR, SHIM_IPCD);
@@ -485,7 +489,6 @@ static void bdw_get_reply(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev)
 {
 	struct snd_sof_ipc_msg *msg = sdev->msg;
 	struct sof_ipc_reply reply;
-	unsigned long flags;
 	int ret = 0;
 
 	/*
@@ -501,8 +504,6 @@ static void bdw_get_reply(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev)
 	/* get reply */
 	sof_mailbox_read(sdev, sdev->host_box.offset, &reply, sizeof(reply));
 
-	spin_lock_irqsave(&sdev->ipc_lock, flags);
-
 	if (reply.error < 0) {
 		memcpy(msg->reply_data, &reply, sizeof(reply));
 		ret = reply.error;
@@ -521,8 +522,6 @@ static void bdw_get_reply(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev)
 	}
 
 	msg->reply_error = ret;
-
-	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&sdev->ipc_lock, flags);
 }
 
 static void bdw_host_done(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev)
diff --git a/sound/soc/sof/intel/byt.c b/sound/soc/sof/intel/byt.c
index 7bf9143d3106..9e4c07eb889b 100644
--- a/sound/soc/sof/intel/byt.c
+++ b/sound/soc/sof/intel/byt.c
@@ -329,6 +329,9 @@ static irqreturn_t byt_irq_thread(int irq, void *context)
 						   SHIM_IMRX,
 						   SHIM_IMRX_DONE,
 						   SHIM_IMRX_DONE);
+
+		spin_lock_irq(&sdev->ipc_lock);
+
 		/*
 		 * handle immediate reply from DSP core. If the msg is
 		 * found, set done bit in cmd_done which is called at the
@@ -340,6 +343,8 @@ static irqreturn_t byt_irq_thread(int irq, void *context)
 		snd_sof_ipc_reply(sdev, ipcx);
 
 		byt_dsp_done(sdev);
+
+		spin_unlock_irq(&sdev->ipc_lock);
 	}
 
 	/* new message from DSP */
@@ -383,7 +388,6 @@ static void byt_get_reply(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev)
 {
 	struct snd_sof_ipc_msg *msg = sdev->msg;
 	struct sof_ipc_reply reply;
-	unsigned long flags;
 	int ret = 0;
 
 	/*
@@ -399,8 +403,6 @@ static void byt_get_reply(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev)
 	/* get reply */
 	sof_mailbox_read(sdev, sdev->host_box.offset, &reply, sizeof(reply));
 
-	spin_lock_irqsave(&sdev->ipc_lock, flags);
-
 	if (reply.error < 0) {
 		memcpy(msg->reply_data, &reply, sizeof(reply));
 		ret = reply.error;
@@ -419,8 +421,6 @@ static void byt_get_reply(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev)
 	}
 
 	msg->reply_error = ret;
-
-	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&sdev->ipc_lock, flags);
 }
 
 static void byt_host_done(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev)
diff --git a/sound/soc/sof/intel/cnl.c b/sound/soc/sof/intel/cnl.c
index 08a1a3d3c08d..b2eba7adcad8 100644
--- a/sound/soc/sof/intel/cnl.c
+++ b/sound/soc/sof/intel/cnl.c
@@ -64,6 +64,8 @@ static irqreturn_t cnl_ipc_irq_thread(int irq, void *context)
 					CNL_DSP_REG_HIPCCTL,
 					CNL_DSP_REG_HIPCCTL_DONE, 0);
 
+		spin_lock_irq(&sdev->ipc_lock);
+
 		/* handle immediate reply from DSP core */
 		hda_dsp_ipc_get_reply(sdev);
 		snd_sof_ipc_reply(sdev, msg);
@@ -75,6 +77,8 @@ static irqreturn_t cnl_ipc_irq_thread(int irq, void *context)
 
 		cnl_ipc_dsp_done(sdev);
 
+		spin_unlock_irq(&sdev->ipc_lock);
+
 		ret = IRQ_HANDLED;
 	}
 
diff --git a/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda-ipc.c b/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda-ipc.c
index 73ead7070cde..51b285103394 100644
--- a/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda-ipc.c
+++ b/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda-ipc.c
@@ -72,7 +72,6 @@ void hda_dsp_ipc_get_reply(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev)
 	struct snd_sof_ipc_msg *msg = sdev->msg;
 	struct sof_ipc_reply reply;
 	struct sof_ipc_cmd_hdr *hdr;
-	unsigned long flags;
 	int ret = 0;
 
 	/*
@@ -84,7 +83,6 @@ void hda_dsp_ipc_get_reply(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev)
 		dev_warn(sdev->dev, "unexpected ipc interrupt raised!\n");
 		return;
 	}
-	spin_lock_irqsave(&sdev->ipc_lock, flags);
 
 	hdr = msg->msg_data;
 	if (hdr->cmd == (SOF_IPC_GLB_PM_MSG | SOF_IPC_PM_CTX_SAVE)) {
@@ -123,7 +121,6 @@ void hda_dsp_ipc_get_reply(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev)
 out:
 	msg->reply_error = ret;
 
-	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&sdev->ipc_lock, flags);
 }
 
 static bool hda_dsp_ipc_is_sof(uint32_t msg)
@@ -172,6 +169,18 @@ irqreturn_t hda_dsp_ipc_irq_thread(int irq, void *context)
 					HDA_DSP_REG_HIPCCTL,
 					HDA_DSP_REG_HIPCCTL_DONE, 0);
 
+		/*
+		 * Make sure the interrupt thread cannot be preempted between
+		 * waking up the sender and re-enabling the interrupt. Also
+		 * protect against a theoretical race with sof_ipc_tx_message():
+		 * if the DSP is fast enough to receive an IPC message, reply to
+		 * it, and the host interrupt processing calls this function on
+		 * a different core from the one, where the sending is taking
+		 * place, the message might not yet be marked as expecting a
+		 * reply.
+		 */
+		spin_lock_irq(&sdev->ipc_lock);
+
 		/* handle immediate reply from DSP core - ignore ROM messages */
 		if (hda_dsp_ipc_is_sof(msg)) {
 			hda_dsp_ipc_get_reply(sdev);
@@ -187,6 +196,8 @@ irqreturn_t hda_dsp_ipc_irq_thread(int irq, void *context)
 		/* set the done bit */
 		hda_dsp_ipc_dsp_done(sdev);
 
+		spin_unlock_irq(&sdev->ipc_lock);
+
 		ret = IRQ_HANDLED;
 	}
 
diff --git a/sound/soc/sof/ipc.c b/sound/soc/sof/ipc.c
index 894e68cbd69d..10304a90cf25 100644
--- a/sound/soc/sof/ipc.c
+++ b/sound/soc/sof/ipc.c
@@ -308,19 +308,8 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(sof_ipc_tx_message);
 int snd_sof_ipc_reply(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev, u32 msg_id)
 {
 	struct snd_sof_ipc_msg *msg = &sdev->ipc->msg;
-	unsigned long flags;
-
-	/*
-	 * Protect against a theoretical race with sof_ipc_tx_message(): if the
-	 * DSP is fast enough to receive an IPC message, reply to it, and the
-	 * host interrupt processing calls this function on a different core
-	 * from the one, where the sending is taking place, the message might
-	 * not yet be marked as expecting a reply.
-	 */
-	spin_lock_irqsave(&sdev->ipc_lock, flags);
 
 	if (msg->ipc_complete) {
-		spin_unlock_irqrestore(&sdev->ipc_lock, flags);
 		dev_err(sdev->dev, "error: no reply expected, received 0x%x",
 			msg_id);
 		return -EINVAL;
@@ -330,8 +319,6 @@ int snd_sof_ipc_reply(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev, u32 msg_id)
 	msg->ipc_complete = true;
 	wake_up(&msg->waitq);
 
-	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&sdev->ipc_lock, flags);
-
 	return 0;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(snd_sof_ipc_reply);