diff --git a/src/ipc/ipc-helper.c b/src/ipc/ipc-helper.c
index ad7b3771a16b..b7ef418e0339 100644
--- a/src/ipc/ipc-helper.c
+++ b/src/ipc/ipc-helper.c
@@ -291,6 +291,7 @@ __cold int ipc_comp_free(struct ipc *ipc, uint32_t comp_id)
 	struct ipc_comp_dev *icd;
 	struct comp_buffer *buffer;
 	struct comp_buffer *safe;
+	struct list_item *clist;
 	uint32_t flags;
 
 	assert_can_be_cold();
@@ -348,6 +349,24 @@ __cold int ipc_comp_free(struct ipc *ipc, uint32_t comp_id)
 
 	irq_local_enable(flags);
 
+	/*
+	 * A completed pipeline stores raw comp_dev pointers in its
+	 * source_comp/sink_comp/sched_comp fields.
+	 */
+	list_for_item(clist, &ipc->comp_list) {
+		struct ipc_comp_dev *ppl_icd = container_of(clist, struct ipc_comp_dev, list);
+
+		if (ppl_icd->type != COMP_TYPE_PIPELINE)
+			continue;
+
+		if (ppl_icd->pipeline->source_comp == icd->cd)
+			ppl_icd->pipeline->source_comp = NULL;
+		if (ppl_icd->pipeline->sink_comp == icd->cd)
+			ppl_icd->pipeline->sink_comp = NULL;
+		if (ppl_icd->pipeline->sched_comp == icd->cd)
+			ppl_icd->pipeline->sched_comp = NULL;
+	}
+
 	/* free component and remove from list */
 	comp_free(icd->cd);
 
diff --git a/src/ipc/ipc4/handler-user.c b/src/ipc/ipc4/handler-user.c
index 5a5f3d6d6f32..5f1f92fd2e83 100644
--- a/src/ipc/ipc4/handler-user.c
+++ b/src/ipc/ipc4/handler-user.c
@@ -149,6 +149,11 @@ static struct ipc_comp_dev *pipeline_get_host_dev(struct ipc_comp_dev *ppl_icd)
 	struct ipc *ipc = ipc_get();
 	int host_id;
 
+	if (!ppl_icd->pipeline->source_comp || !ppl_icd->pipeline->sink_comp) {
+		ipc_cmd_err(&ipc_tr, "pipeline %d: source/sink comp freed", ppl_icd->id);
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
 	/* If the source component's direction is not set but the sink's direction is,
 	 * this block will copy the direction from the sink to the source component and
 	 * mark the source's direction as set.
@@ -601,6 +606,8 @@ __cold static int ipc4_process_chain_dma(struct ipc4_message_request *ipc4)
 		ret = ipc4_chain_dma_state(cdma_comp->cd, &cdma);
 		if (ret < 0) {
 			comp_free(cdma_comp->cd);
+			list_item_del(&cdma_comp->list);
+			rfree(cdma_comp);
 			return IPC4_FAILURE;
 		}