diff --git a/sound/drivers/aloop.c b/sound/drivers/aloop.c
index 2c5f7e905ab8fe6cfcf934967b001ad5c86f4ad5..3e9ee260adf2fd0ee3b1cf740312517c6c118b34 100644
--- a/sound/drivers/aloop.c
+++ b/sound/drivers/aloop.c
@@ -99,6 +99,9 @@ struct loopback_ops {
 struct loopback_cable {
 	spinlock_t lock;
 	struct loopback_pcm *streams[2];
+	/* in-flight peer stops running outside cable->lock */
+	atomic_t stop_count;
+	wait_queue_head_t stop_wait;
 	struct snd_pcm_hardware hw;
 	/* flags */
 	unsigned int valid;
@@ -342,8 +345,12 @@ static int loopback_check_format(struct loopback_cable *cable, int stream)
 	if (stream == SNDRV_PCM_STREAM_CAPTURE) {
 		return -EIO;
 	} else {
+		/* close must not free the peer runtime below */
+		atomic_inc(&cable->stop_count);
 		snd_pcm_stop(cable->streams[SNDRV_PCM_STREAM_CAPTURE]->
 					substream, SNDRV_PCM_STATE_DRAINING);
+		if (atomic_dec_and_test(&cable->stop_count))
+			wake_up(&cable->stop_wait);
 	      __notify:
 		runtime = cable->streams[SNDRV_PCM_STREAM_PLAYBACK]->
 							substream->runtime;
@@ -994,24 +1001,29 @@ static void free_cable(struct snd_pcm_substream *substream)
 	struct loopback *loopback = substream->private_data;
 	int dev = get_cable_index(substream);
 	struct loopback_cable *cable;
+	struct loopback_pcm *dpcm;
+	bool other_alive;
 
 	cable = loopback->cables[substream->number][dev];
 	if (!cable)
 		return;
-	if (cable->streams[!substream->stream]) {
-		/* other stream is still alive */
-		spin_lock_irq(&cable->lock);
-		cable->streams[substream->stream] = NULL;
-		spin_unlock_irq(&cable->lock);
-	} else {
-		struct loopback_pcm *dpcm = substream->runtime->private_data;
 
-		if (cable->ops && cable->ops->close_cable && dpcm)
-			cable->ops->close_cable(dpcm);
-		/* free the cable */
-		loopback->cables[substream->number][dev] = NULL;
-		kfree(cable);
-	}
+	spin_lock_irq(&cable->lock);
+	cable->streams[substream->stream] = NULL;
+	other_alive = cable->streams[!substream->stream] != NULL;
+	spin_unlock_irq(&cable->lock);
+
+	/* Pair with the stop_count increment in loopback_check_format(). */
+	wait_event(cable->stop_wait, !atomic_read(&cable->stop_count));
+	if (other_alive)
+		return;
+
+	dpcm = substream->runtime->private_data;
+	if (cable->ops && cable->ops->close_cable && dpcm)
+		cable->ops->close_cable(dpcm);
+	/* free the cable */
+	loopback->cables[substream->number][dev] = NULL;
+	kfree(cable);
 }
 
 static int loopback_jiffies_timer_open(struct loopback_pcm *dpcm)
@@ -1206,6 +1218,8 @@ static int loopback_open(struct snd_pcm_substream *substream)
 			goto unlock;
 		}
 		spin_lock_init(&cable->lock);
+		atomic_set(&cable->stop_count, 0);
+		init_waitqueue_head(&cable->stop_wait);
 		cable->hw = loopback_pcm_hardware;
 		if (loopback->timer_source)
 			cable->ops = &loopback_snd_timer_ops;