diff --git a/sound/soc/qcom/qdsp6/q6apm.c b/sound/soc/qcom/qdsp6/q6apm.c
index 641d6d243229..f167b9dae3fa 100644
--- a/sound/soc/qcom/qdsp6/q6apm.c
+++ b/sound/soc/qcom/qdsp6/q6apm.c
@@ -802,14 +802,17 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(q6apm_graph_prepare);
 int q6apm_graph_start(struct q6apm_graph *graph)
 {
 	struct audioreach_graph *ar_graph = graph->ar_graph;
-	int ret = 0;
+	int ret;
 
-	if (ar_graph->start_count == 0)
+	if (ar_graph->start_count == 0) {
 		ret = audioreach_graph_mgmt_cmd(ar_graph, APM_CMD_GRAPH_START);
+		if (ret)
+			return ret;
+	}
 
 	ar_graph->start_count++;
 
-	return ret;
+	return 0;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(q6apm_graph_start);
 
@@ -817,6 +820,9 @@ int q6apm_graph_stop(struct q6apm_graph *graph)
 {
 	struct audioreach_graph *ar_graph = graph->ar_graph;
 
+	if (ar_graph->start_count == 0)
+		return 0;
+
 	if (--ar_graph->start_count > 0)
 		return 0;