diff --git a/sound/soc/soc-pcm.c b/sound/soc/soc-pcm.c
index 7fe5321000e8..2d5d5cac4ba6 100644
--- a/sound/soc/soc-pcm.c
+++ b/sound/soc/soc-pcm.c
@@ -1911,10 +1911,15 @@ static int dpcm_apply_symmetry(struct snd_pcm_substream *fe_substream,
 		struct snd_soc_pcm_runtime *be = dpcm->be;
 		struct snd_pcm_substream *be_substream =
 			snd_soc_dpcm_get_substream(be, stream);
-		struct snd_soc_pcm_runtime *rtd = be_substream->private_data;
+		struct snd_soc_pcm_runtime *rtd;
 		struct snd_soc_dai *codec_dai;
 		int i;
 
+		/* A backend may not have the requested substream */
+		if (!be_substream)
+			continue;
+
+		rtd = be_substream->private_data;
 		if (rtd->dai_link->be_hw_params_fixup)
 			continue;