diff --git a/sound/soc/pxa/pxa-ssp.c b/sound/soc/pxa/pxa-ssp.c
index a0189b88f1d2..fbed87d824b8 100644
--- a/sound/soc/pxa/pxa-ssp.c
+++ b/sound/soc/pxa/pxa-ssp.c
@@ -43,7 +43,8 @@
 struct ssp_priv {
 	struct ssp_device *ssp;
 	unsigned int sysclk;
-	int dai_fmt;
+	unsigned int dai_fmt;
+	unsigned int configured_dai_fmt;
 #ifdef CONFIG_PM
 	uint32_t	cr0;
 	uint32_t	cr1;
@@ -432,36 +433,72 @@ static int pxa_ssp_set_dai_tristate(struct snd_soc_dai *cpu_dai,
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static int pxa_ssp_set_dai_fmt(struct snd_soc_dai *cpu_dai,
+			       unsigned int fmt)
+{
+	struct ssp_priv *priv = snd_soc_dai_get_drvdata(cpu_dai);
+
+	switch (fmt & SND_SOC_DAIFMT_MASTER_MASK) {
+	case SND_SOC_DAIFMT_CBM_CFM:
+	case SND_SOC_DAIFMT_CBM_CFS:
+	case SND_SOC_DAIFMT_CBS_CFS:
+		break;
+	default:
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
+	switch (fmt & SND_SOC_DAIFMT_INV_MASK) {
+	case SND_SOC_DAIFMT_NB_NF:
+	case SND_SOC_DAIFMT_NB_IF:
+	case SND_SOC_DAIFMT_IB_IF:
+	case SND_SOC_DAIFMT_IB_NF:
+		break;
+	default:
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
+	switch (fmt & SND_SOC_DAIFMT_FORMAT_MASK) {
+	case SND_SOC_DAIFMT_I2S:
+	case SND_SOC_DAIFMT_DSP_A:
+	case SND_SOC_DAIFMT_DSP_B:
+		break;
+
+	default:
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
+	/* Settings will be applied in hw_params() */
+	priv->dai_fmt = fmt;
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 /*
  * Set up the SSP DAI format.
  * The SSP Port must be inactive before calling this function as the
  * physical interface format is changed.
  */
-static int pxa_ssp_set_dai_fmt(struct snd_soc_dai *cpu_dai,
-		unsigned int fmt)
+static int pxa_ssp_configure_dai_fmt(struct ssp_priv *priv)
 {
-	struct ssp_priv *priv = snd_soc_dai_get_drvdata(cpu_dai);
 	struct ssp_device *ssp = priv->ssp;
 	u32 sscr0, sscr1, sspsp, scfr;
 
 	/* check if we need to change anything at all */
-	if (priv->dai_fmt == fmt)
+	if (priv->configured_dai_fmt == priv->dai_fmt)
 		return 0;
 
-	/* we can only change the settings if the port is not in use */
-	if (pxa_ssp_read_reg(ssp, SSCR0) & SSCR0_SSE) {
-		dev_err(&ssp->pdev->dev,
-			"can't change hardware dai format: stream is in use");
-		return -EINVAL;
-	}
-
 	/* reset port settings */
 	sscr0 = pxa_ssp_read_reg(ssp, SSCR0) &
-		~(SSCR0_ECS |  SSCR0_NCS | SSCR0_MOD | SSCR0_ACS);
-	sscr1 = SSCR1_RxTresh(8) | SSCR1_TxTresh(7);
-	sspsp = 0;
+		~(SSCR0_PSP | SSCR0_MOD);
+	sscr1 = pxa_ssp_read_reg(ssp, SSCR1) &
+		~(SSCR1_SCLKDIR | SSCR1_SFRMDIR | SSCR1_SCFR |
+		  SSCR1_RWOT | SSCR1_TRAIL | SSCR1_TFT | SSCR1_RFT);
+	sspsp = pxa_ssp_read_reg(ssp, SSPSP) &
+		~(SSPSP_SFRMP | SSPSP_SCMODE(3));
 
-	switch (fmt & SND_SOC_DAIFMT_MASTER_MASK) {
+	sscr1 |= SSCR1_RxTresh(8) | SSCR1_TxTresh(7);
+
+	switch (priv->dai_fmt & SND_SOC_DAIFMT_MASTER_MASK) {
 	case SND_SOC_DAIFMT_CBM_CFM:
 		sscr1 |= SSCR1_SCLKDIR | SSCR1_SFRMDIR | SSCR1_SCFR;
 		break;
@@ -474,7 +511,7 @@ static int pxa_ssp_set_dai_fmt(struct snd_soc_dai *cpu_dai,
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
-	switch (fmt & SND_SOC_DAIFMT_INV_MASK) {
+	switch (priv->dai_fmt & SND_SOC_DAIFMT_INV_MASK) {
 	case SND_SOC_DAIFMT_NB_NF:
 		sspsp |= SSPSP_SFRMP;
 		break;
@@ -490,7 +527,7 @@ static int pxa_ssp_set_dai_fmt(struct snd_soc_dai *cpu_dai,
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
-	switch (fmt & SND_SOC_DAIFMT_FORMAT_MASK) {
+	switch (priv->dai_fmt & SND_SOC_DAIFMT_FORMAT_MASK) {
 	case SND_SOC_DAIFMT_I2S:
 		sscr0 |= SSCR0_PSP;
 		sscr1 |= SSCR1_RWOT | SSCR1_TRAIL;
@@ -512,7 +549,7 @@ static int pxa_ssp_set_dai_fmt(struct snd_soc_dai *cpu_dai,
 	pxa_ssp_write_reg(ssp, SSCR1, sscr1);
 	pxa_ssp_write_reg(ssp, SSPSP, sspsp);
 
-	switch (fmt & SND_SOC_DAIFMT_MASTER_MASK) {
+	switch (priv->dai_fmt & SND_SOC_DAIFMT_MASTER_MASK) {
 	case SND_SOC_DAIFMT_CBM_CFM:
 	case SND_SOC_DAIFMT_CBM_CFS:
 		scfr = pxa_ssp_read_reg(ssp, SSCR1) | SSCR1_SCFR;
@@ -529,7 +566,7 @@ static int pxa_ssp_set_dai_fmt(struct snd_soc_dai *cpu_dai,
 	 * we have to defer some things until hw_params() where we
 	 * know parameters like the sample size.
 	 */
-	priv->dai_fmt = fmt;
+	priv->configured_dai_fmt = priv->dai_fmt;
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -550,6 +587,7 @@ static int pxa_ssp_hw_params(struct snd_pcm_substream *substream,
 	int width = snd_pcm_format_physical_width(params_format(params));
 	int ttsa = pxa_ssp_read_reg(ssp, SSTSA) & 0xf;
 	struct snd_dmaengine_dai_dma_data *dma_data;
+	int ret;
 
 	dma_data = snd_soc_dai_get_dma_data(cpu_dai, substream);
 
@@ -565,6 +603,10 @@ static int pxa_ssp_hw_params(struct snd_pcm_substream *substream,
 	if (pxa_ssp_read_reg(ssp, SSCR0) & SSCR0_SSE)
 		return 0;
 
+	ret = pxa_ssp_configure_dai_fmt(priv);
+	if (ret < 0)
+		return ret;
+
 	/* clear selected SSP bits */
 	sscr0 = pxa_ssp_read_reg(ssp, SSCR0) & ~(SSCR0_DSS | SSCR0_EDSS);
 
