diff --git a/sound/soc/sof/Kconfig b/sound/soc/sof/Kconfig
index 4dda4b62509f..609989daf85b 100644
--- a/sound/soc/sof/Kconfig
+++ b/sound/soc/sof/Kconfig
@@ -50,6 +50,25 @@ config SND_SOC_SOF_DEBUG_PROBES
 	  Say Y if you want to enable probes.
 	  If unsure, select "N".
 
+config SND_SOC_SOF_CLIENT
+	tristate
+	select VIRTUAL_BUS
+	help
+	  This option is not user-selectable but automagically handled by
+	  'select' statements at a higher level
+
+config SND_SOC_SOF_CLIENT_SUPPORT
+	bool "SOF enable clients"
+	depends on SND_SOC_SOF
+	help
+	  This adds support for client support with Sound Open Firmware.
+	  The SOF driver adds the capability to separate out the debug
+	  functionality for IPC tests, probes etc. into separate client
+	  devices. This option would also allow adding client devices
+	  based on DSP FW capabilities and ACPI/OF device information.
+	  Say Y if you want to enable clients with SOF.
+	  If unsure select "N".
+
 config SND_SOC_SOF_DEVELOPER_SUPPORT
 	bool "SOF developer options support"
 	depends on EXPERT
@@ -186,6 +205,7 @@ endif ## SND_SOC_SOF_DEVELOPER_SUPPORT
 
 config SND_SOC_SOF
 	tristate
+	select SND_SOC_SOF_CLIENT if SND_SOC_SOF_CLIENT_SUPPORT
 	select SND_SOC_TOPOLOGY
 	select SND_SOC_SOF_NOCODEC if SND_SOC_SOF_NOCODEC_SUPPORT
 	help
diff --git a/sound/soc/sof/Makefile b/sound/soc/sof/Makefile
index 8eca2f85c90e..c819124c05bb 100644
--- a/sound/soc/sof/Makefile
+++ b/sound/soc/sof/Makefile
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 snd-sof-objs := core.o ops.o loader.o ipc.o pcm.o pm.o debug.o topology.o\
 		control.o trace.o utils.o sof-audio.o
+snd-sof-$(CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_CLIENT) += sof-client.o
 snd-sof-$(CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_DEBUG_PROBES) += probe.o compress.o
 
 snd-sof-pci-objs := sof-pci-dev.o
diff --git a/sound/soc/sof/core.c b/sound/soc/sof/core.c
index 91acfae7935c..fdfed157e6c0 100644
--- a/sound/soc/sof/core.c
+++ b/sound/soc/sof/core.c
@@ -313,8 +313,10 @@ int snd_sof_device_probe(struct device *dev, struct snd_sof_pdata *plat_data)
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&sdev->widget_list);
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&sdev->dai_list);
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&sdev->route_list);
+	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&sdev->client_list);
 	spin_lock_init(&sdev->ipc_lock);
 	spin_lock_init(&sdev->hw_lock);
+	mutex_init(&sdev->client_mutex);
 
 	if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_PROBE_WORK_QUEUE))
 		INIT_WORK(&sdev->probe_work, sof_probe_work);
diff --git a/sound/soc/sof/sof-client.c b/sound/soc/sof/sof-client.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..b46080aa062e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sound/soc/sof/sof-client.c
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-only
+//
+// Copyright(c) 2020 Intel Corporation. All rights reserved.
+//
+// Author: Ranjani Sridharan <ranjani.sridharan@linux.intel.com>
+//
+
+#include <linux/completion.h>
+#include <linux/debugfs.h>
+#include <linux/device.h>
+#include <linux/errno.h>
+#include <linux/jiffies.h>
+#include <linux/list.h>
+#include <linux/mutex.h>
+#include <linux/module.h>
+#include <linux/slab.h>
+#include <linux/virtual_bus.h>
+#include "sof-client.h"
+#include "sof-priv.h"
+
+static void sof_client_virtdev_release(struct virtbus_device *vdev)
+{
+	struct sof_client_dev *cdev = virtbus_dev_to_sof_client_dev(vdev);
+
+	kfree(cdev);
+}
+
+int sof_client_dev_register(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev,
+			    const char *name)
+{
+	struct sof_client_dev *cdev;
+	struct virtbus_device *vdev;
+	unsigned long time, timeout;
+	int ret;
+
+	cdev = kzalloc(sizeof(*cdev), GFP_KERNEL);
+	if (!cdev)
+		return -ENOMEM;
+
+	cdev->sdev = sdev;
+	init_completion(&cdev->probe_complete);
+	vdev = &cdev->vdev;
+	vdev->match_name = name;
+	vdev->dev.parent = sdev->dev;
+	vdev->release = sof_client_virtdev_release;
+
+	/*
+	 * Register virtbus device for the client.
+	 * The error path in virtbus_register_device() calls put_device(),
+	 * which will free cdev in the release callback.
+	 */
+	ret = virtbus_register_device(vdev);
+	if (ret < 0)
+		return ret;
+
+	/* make sure the probe is complete before updating client list */
+	timeout = msecs_to_jiffies(SOF_CLIENT_PROBE_TIMEOUT_MS);
+	time = wait_for_completion_timeout(&cdev->probe_complete, timeout);
+	if (!time) {
+		dev_err(sdev->dev, "error: probe of virtbus dev %s timed out\n",
+			name);
+		virtbus_unregister_device(vdev);
+		return -ETIMEDOUT;
+	}
+
+	/* add to list of SOF client devices */
+	mutex_lock(&sdev->client_mutex);
+	list_add(&cdev->list, &sdev->client_list);
+	mutex_unlock(&sdev->client_mutex);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_NS_GPL(sof_client_dev_register, SND_SOC_SOF_CLIENT);
+
+int sof_client_ipc_tx_message(struct sof_client_dev *cdev, u32 header,
+			      void *msg_data, size_t msg_bytes,
+			      void *reply_data, size_t reply_bytes)
+{
+	return sof_ipc_tx_message(cdev->sdev->ipc, header, msg_data, msg_bytes,
+				  reply_data, reply_bytes);
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_NS_GPL(sof_client_ipc_tx_message, SND_SOC_SOF_CLIENT);
+
+struct dentry *sof_client_get_debugfs_root(struct sof_client_dev *cdev)
+{
+	return cdev->sdev->debugfs_root;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_NS_GPL(sof_client_get_debugfs_root, SND_SOC_SOF_CLIENT);
+
+MODULE_AUTHOR("Ranjani Sridharan <ranjani.sridharan@linux.intel.com>");
+MODULE_LICENSE("GPL v2");
diff --git a/sound/soc/sof/sof-client.h b/sound/soc/sof/sof-client.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..fdc4b1511ffc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sound/soc/sof/sof-client.h
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+/* SPDX-License-Identifier: (GPL-2.0-only) */
+
+#ifndef __SOUND_SOC_SOF_CLIENT_H
+#define __SOUND_SOC_SOF_CLIENT_H
+
+#include <linux/completion.h>
+#include <linux/debugfs.h>
+#include <linux/device.h>
+#include <linux/device/driver.h>
+#include <linux/kernel.h>
+#include <linux/list.h>
+#include <linux/virtual_bus.h>
+
+#define SOF_CLIENT_PROBE_TIMEOUT_MS 2000
+
+struct snd_sof_dev;
+
+enum sof_client_type {
+	SOF_CLIENT_AUDIO,
+	SOF_CLIENT_IPC,
+};
+
+/* SOF client device */
+struct sof_client_dev {
+	struct virtbus_device vdev;
+	struct snd_sof_dev *sdev;
+	struct list_head list;	/* item in SOF core client drv list */
+	struct completion probe_complete;
+	void *data;
+};
+
+/* client-specific ops, all optional */
+struct sof_client_ops {
+	int (*client_ipc_rx)(struct sof_client_dev *cdev, u32 msg_cmd);
+};
+
+struct sof_client_drv {
+	const char *name;
+	enum sof_client_type type;
+	const struct sof_client_ops ops;
+	struct virtbus_driver virtbus_drv;
+};
+
+#define virtbus_dev_to_sof_client_dev(virtbus_dev) \
+	container_of(virtbus_dev, struct sof_client_dev, vdev)
+
+static inline int sof_client_drv_register(struct sof_client_drv *drv)
+{
+	return virtbus_register_driver(&drv->virtbus_drv);
+}
+
+static inline void sof_client_drv_unregister(struct sof_client_drv *drv)
+{
+	virtbus_unregister_driver(&drv->virtbus_drv);
+}
+
+int sof_client_dev_register(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev,
+			    const char *name);
+
+static inline void sof_client_dev_unregister(struct sof_client_dev *cdev)
+{
+	virtbus_unregister_device(&cdev->vdev);
+}
+
+int sof_client_ipc_tx_message(struct sof_client_dev *cdev, u32 header,
+			      void *msg_data, size_t msg_bytes,
+			      void *reply_data, size_t reply_bytes);
+
+struct dentry *sof_client_get_debugfs_root(struct sof_client_dev *cdev);
+
+/**
+ * module_sof_client_driver() - Helper macro for registering an SOF Client
+ * driver
+ * @__sof_client_driver: SOF client driver struct
+ *
+ * Helper macro for SOF client drivers which do not do anything special in
+ * module init/exit. This eliminates a lot of boilerplate. Each module may only
+ * use this macro once, and calling it replaces module_init() and module_exit()
+ */
+#define module_sof_client_driver(__sof_client_driver) \
+	module_driver(__sof_client_driver, sof_client_drv_register, \
+			sof_client_drv_unregister)
+
+#endif
diff --git a/sound/soc/sof/sof-priv.h b/sound/soc/sof/sof-priv.h
index a4b297c842df..9da7f6f45362 100644
--- a/sound/soc/sof/sof-priv.h
+++ b/sound/soc/sof/sof-priv.h
@@ -438,6 +438,12 @@ struct snd_sof_dev {
 
 	bool msi_enabled;
 
+	/* list of client devices */
+	struct list_head client_list;
+
+	/* mutex to protect client list */
+	struct mutex client_mutex;
+
 	void *private;			/* core does not touch this */
 };
 
