diff --git a/sound/soc/sof/sof-audio.c b/sound/soc/sof/sof-audio.c
index 563fe6f7789f73..77cc64ac71131b 100644
--- a/sound/soc/sof/sof-audio.c
+++ b/sound/soc/sof/sof-audio.c
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ static int sof_widget_free_unlocked(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev,
 				    struct snd_sof_widget *swidget)
 {
 	const struct sof_ipc_tplg_ops *tplg_ops = sof_ipc_get_ops(sdev, tplg);
+	struct snd_sof_pipeline *spipe = swidget->spipe;
 	struct snd_sof_widget *pipe_widget;
 	int err = 0;
 	int ret;
@@ -87,15 +88,22 @@ static int sof_widget_free_unlocked(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev,
 	}
 
 	/*
-	 * disable widget core. continue to route setup status and complete flag
-	 * even if this fails and return the appropriate error
+	 * decrement ref count for cores associated with all modules in the pipeline and clear
+	 * the complete flag
 	 */
-	ret = snd_sof_dsp_core_put(sdev, swidget->core);
-	if (ret < 0) {
-		dev_err(sdev->dev, "error: failed to disable target core: %d for widget %s\n",
-			swidget->core, swidget->widget->name);
-		if (!err)
-			err = ret;
+	if (swidget->id == snd_soc_dapm_scheduler) {
+		int i;
+
+		for_each_set_bit(i, &spipe->core_mask, sdev->num_cores) {
+			ret = snd_sof_dsp_core_put(sdev, i);
+			if (ret < 0) {
+				dev_err(sdev->dev, "failed to disable target core: %d for pipeline %s\n",
+					i, swidget->widget->name);
+				if (!err)
+					err = ret;
+			}
+		}
+		swidget->spipe->complete = 0;
 	}
 
 	/*
@@ -108,10 +116,6 @@ static int sof_widget_free_unlocked(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev,
 			err = ret;
 	}
 
-	/* clear pipeline complete */
-	if (swidget->id == snd_soc_dapm_scheduler)
-		swidget->spipe->complete = 0;
-
 	if (!err)
 		dev_dbg(sdev->dev, "widget %s freed\n", swidget->widget->name);
 
@@ -134,8 +138,10 @@ static int sof_widget_setup_unlocked(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev,
 				     struct snd_sof_widget *swidget)
 {
 	const struct sof_ipc_tplg_ops *tplg_ops = sof_ipc_get_ops(sdev, tplg);
+	struct snd_sof_pipeline *spipe = swidget->spipe;
 	bool use_count_decremented = false;
 	int ret;
+	int i;
 
 	/* skip if there is no private data */
 	if (!swidget->private)
@@ -166,19 +172,23 @@ static int sof_widget_setup_unlocked(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev,
 			goto use_count_dec;
 	}
 
-	/* enable widget core */
-	ret = snd_sof_dsp_core_get(sdev, swidget->core);
-	if (ret < 0) {
-		dev_err(sdev->dev, "error: failed to enable target core for widget %s\n",
-			swidget->widget->name);
-		goto pipe_widget_free;
+	/* update ref count for cores associated with all modules in the pipeline */
+	if (swidget->id == snd_soc_dapm_scheduler) {
+		for_each_set_bit(i, &spipe->core_mask, sdev->num_cores) {
+			ret = snd_sof_dsp_core_get(sdev, i);
+			if (ret < 0) {
+				dev_err(sdev->dev, "failed to enable target core %d for pipeline %s\n",
+					i, swidget->widget->name);
+				goto pipe_widget_free;
+			}
+		}
 	}
 
 	/* setup widget in the DSP */
 	if (tplg_ops && tplg_ops->widget_setup) {
 		ret = tplg_ops->widget_setup(sdev, swidget);
 		if (ret < 0)
-			goto core_put;
+			goto pipe_widget_free;
 	}
 
 	/* send config for DAI components */
@@ -208,15 +218,22 @@ static int sof_widget_setup_unlocked(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev,
 	return 0;
 
 widget_free:
-	/* widget use_count and core ref_count will both be decremented by sof_widget_free() */
+	/* widget use_count will be decremented by sof_widget_free() */
 	sof_widget_free_unlocked(sdev, swidget);
 	use_count_decremented = true;
-core_put:
-	if (!use_count_decremented)
-		snd_sof_dsp_core_put(sdev, swidget->core);
 pipe_widget_free:
-	if (swidget->id != snd_soc_dapm_scheduler)
+	if (swidget->id != snd_soc_dapm_scheduler) {
 		sof_widget_free_unlocked(sdev, swidget->spipe->pipe_widget);
+	} else {
+		int j;
+
+		/* decrement ref count for all cores that were updated previously */
+		for_each_set_bit(j, &spipe->core_mask, sdev->num_cores) {
+			if (j >= i)
+				break;
+			snd_sof_dsp_core_put(sdev, j);
+		}
+	}
 use_count_dec:
 	if (!use_count_decremented)
 		swidget->use_count--;