diff --git a/sound/soc/sof/intel/apl.c b/sound/soc/sof/intel/apl.c
index 9e29d4fd393a..4eeade2e77f7 100644
--- a/sound/soc/sof/intel/apl.c
+++ b/sound/soc/sof/intel/apl.c
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ const struct sof_intel_dsp_desc apl_chip_info = {
 	/* Apollolake */
 	.cores_num = 2,
 	.init_core_mask = 1,
-	.cores_mask = HDA_DSP_CORE_MASK(0) | HDA_DSP_CORE_MASK(1),
+	.host_managed_cores_mask = GENMASK(1, 0),
 	.ipc_req = HDA_DSP_REG_HIPCI,
 	.ipc_req_mask = HDA_DSP_REG_HIPCI_BUSY,
 	.ipc_ack = HDA_DSP_REG_HIPCIE,
diff --git a/sound/soc/sof/intel/bdw.c b/sound/soc/sof/intel/bdw.c
index 99fd0bd7276e..50a4a73e6b9f 100644
--- a/sound/soc/sof/intel/bdw.c
+++ b/sound/soc/sof/intel/bdw.c
@@ -655,7 +655,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_NS(sof_bdw_ops, SND_SOC_SOF_BROADWELL);
 
 const struct sof_intel_dsp_desc bdw_chip_info = {
 	.cores_num = 1,
-	.cores_mask = 1,
+	.host_managed_cores_mask = 1,
 };
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_NS(bdw_chip_info, SND_SOC_SOF_BROADWELL);
 
diff --git a/sound/soc/sof/intel/byt.c b/sound/soc/sof/intel/byt.c
index 49f67f1b94e0..186736ee5fc2 100644
--- a/sound/soc/sof/intel/byt.c
+++ b/sound/soc/sof/intel/byt.c
@@ -651,7 +651,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_NS(sof_tng_ops, SND_SOC_SOF_MERRIFIELD);
 
 const struct sof_intel_dsp_desc tng_chip_info = {
 	.cores_num = 1,
-	.cores_mask = 1,
+	.host_managed_cores_mask = 1,
 };
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_NS(tng_chip_info, SND_SOC_SOF_MERRIFIELD);
 
@@ -896,7 +896,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_NS(sof_byt_ops, SND_SOC_SOF_BAYTRAIL);
 
 const struct sof_intel_dsp_desc byt_chip_info = {
 	.cores_num = 1,
-	.cores_mask = 1,
+	.host_managed_cores_mask = 1,
 };
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_NS(byt_chip_info, SND_SOC_SOF_BAYTRAIL);
 
@@ -976,7 +976,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_NS(sof_cht_ops, SND_SOC_SOF_BAYTRAIL);
 
 const struct sof_intel_dsp_desc cht_chip_info = {
 	.cores_num = 1,
-	.cores_mask = 1,
+	.host_managed_cores_mask = 1,
 };
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_NS(cht_chip_info, SND_SOC_SOF_BAYTRAIL);
 
diff --git a/sound/soc/sof/intel/cnl.c b/sound/soc/sof/intel/cnl.c
index 70f14b2aa954..a5d3258104c0 100644
--- a/sound/soc/sof/intel/cnl.c
+++ b/sound/soc/sof/intel/cnl.c
@@ -334,10 +334,7 @@ const struct sof_intel_dsp_desc cnl_chip_info = {
 	/* Cannonlake */
 	.cores_num = 4,
 	.init_core_mask = 1,
-	.cores_mask = HDA_DSP_CORE_MASK(0) |
-				HDA_DSP_CORE_MASK(1) |
-				HDA_DSP_CORE_MASK(2) |
-				HDA_DSP_CORE_MASK(3),
+	.host_managed_cores_mask = GENMASK(3, 0),
 	.ipc_req = CNL_DSP_REG_HIPCIDR,
 	.ipc_req_mask = CNL_DSP_REG_HIPCIDR_BUSY,
 	.ipc_ack = CNL_DSP_REG_HIPCIDA,
@@ -353,10 +350,7 @@ const struct sof_intel_dsp_desc icl_chip_info = {
 	/* Icelake */
 	.cores_num = 4,
 	.init_core_mask = 1,
-	.cores_mask = HDA_DSP_CORE_MASK(0) |
-				HDA_DSP_CORE_MASK(1) |
-				HDA_DSP_CORE_MASK(2) |
-				HDA_DSP_CORE_MASK(3),
+	.host_managed_cores_mask = GENMASK(3, 0),
 	.ipc_req = CNL_DSP_REG_HIPCIDR,
 	.ipc_req_mask = CNL_DSP_REG_HIPCIDR_BUSY,
 	.ipc_ack = CNL_DSP_REG_HIPCIDA,
@@ -372,7 +366,7 @@ const struct sof_intel_dsp_desc ehl_chip_info = {
 	/* Elkhartlake */
 	.cores_num = 4,
 	.init_core_mask = 1,
-	.cores_mask = HDA_DSP_CORE_MASK(0),
+	.host_managed_cores_mask = BIT(0),
 	.ipc_req = CNL_DSP_REG_HIPCIDR,
 	.ipc_req_mask = CNL_DSP_REG_HIPCIDR_BUSY,
 	.ipc_ack = CNL_DSP_REG_HIPCIDA,
@@ -388,8 +382,7 @@ const struct sof_intel_dsp_desc jsl_chip_info = {
 	/* Jasperlake */
 	.cores_num = 2,
 	.init_core_mask = 1,
-	.cores_mask = HDA_DSP_CORE_MASK(0) |
-				HDA_DSP_CORE_MASK(1),
+	.host_managed_cores_mask = GENMASK(1, 0),
 	.ipc_req = CNL_DSP_REG_HIPCIDR,
 	.ipc_req_mask = CNL_DSP_REG_HIPCIDR_BUSY,
 	.ipc_ack = CNL_DSP_REG_HIPCIDA,
diff --git a/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda-dsp.c b/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda-dsp.c
index ed4d65a29d3a..18ff1c2f5376 100644
--- a/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda-dsp.c
+++ b/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda-dsp.c
@@ -239,10 +239,15 @@ bool hda_dsp_core_is_enabled(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev,
 
 int hda_dsp_enable_core(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev, unsigned int core_mask)
 {
+	struct sof_intel_hda_dev *hda = sdev->pdata->hw_pdata;
+	const struct sof_intel_dsp_desc *chip = hda->desc;
 	int ret;
 
-	/* return if core is already enabled */
-	if (hda_dsp_core_is_enabled(sdev, core_mask))
+	/* restrict core_mask to host managed cores mask */
+	core_mask &= chip->host_managed_cores_mask;
+
+	/* return if core_mask is not valid or cores are already enabled */
+	if (!core_mask || hda_dsp_core_is_enabled(sdev, core_mask))
 		return 0;
 
 	/* power up */
@@ -259,8 +264,17 @@ int hda_dsp_enable_core(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev, unsigned int core_mask)
 int hda_dsp_core_reset_power_down(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev,
 				  unsigned int core_mask)
 {
+	struct sof_intel_hda_dev *hda = sdev->pdata->hw_pdata;
+	const struct sof_intel_dsp_desc *chip = hda->desc;
 	int ret;
 
+	/* restrict core_mask to host managed cores mask */
+	core_mask &= chip->host_managed_cores_mask;
+
+	/* return if core_mask is not valid */
+	if (!core_mask)
+		return 0;
+
 	/* place core in reset prior to power down */
 	ret = hda_dsp_core_stall_reset(sdev, core_mask);
 	if (ret < 0) {
@@ -610,7 +624,7 @@ static int hda_suspend(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev, bool runtime_suspend)
 #endif
 
 	/* power down DSP */
-	ret = hda_dsp_core_reset_power_down(sdev, chip->cores_mask);
+	ret = hda_dsp_core_reset_power_down(sdev, chip->host_managed_cores_mask);
 	if (ret < 0) {
 		dev_err(sdev->dev,
 			"error: failed to power down core during suspend\n");
diff --git a/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda-loader.c b/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda-loader.c
index 70727495fdbf..dfbfc89ffe70 100644
--- a/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda-loader.c
+++ b/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda-loader.c
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ static int cl_dsp_init(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev, int stream_tag, int iteration)
 	int i;
 
 	/* step 1: power up corex */
-	ret = hda_dsp_core_power_up(sdev, chip->cores_mask);
+	ret = hda_dsp_core_power_up(sdev, chip->host_managed_cores_mask);
 	if (ret < 0) {
 		if (iteration == HDA_FW_BOOT_ATTEMPTS)
 			dev_err(sdev->dev, "error: dsp core 0/1 power up failed\n");
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ static int cl_dsp_init(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev, int stream_tag, int iteration)
 			  ((stream_tag - 1) << 9)));
 
 	/* step 3: unset core 0 reset state & unstall/run core 0 */
-	ret = hda_dsp_core_run(sdev, HDA_DSP_CORE_MASK(0));
+	ret = hda_dsp_core_run(sdev, BIT(0));
 	if (ret < 0) {
 		if (iteration == HDA_FW_BOOT_ATTEMPTS)
 			dev_err(sdev->dev,
@@ -146,8 +146,7 @@ static int cl_dsp_init(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev, int stream_tag, int iteration)
 				       chip->ipc_ack_mask);
 
 	/* step 5: power down corex */
-	ret = hda_dsp_core_power_down(sdev,
-				  chip->cores_mask & ~(HDA_DSP_CORE_MASK(0)));
+	ret = hda_dsp_core_power_down(sdev, chip->host_managed_cores_mask & ~(BIT(0)));
 	if (ret < 0) {
 		if (iteration == HDA_FW_BOOT_ATTEMPTS)
 			dev_err(sdev->dev,
@@ -176,7 +175,7 @@ static int cl_dsp_init(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev, int stream_tag, int iteration)
 
 err:
 	hda_dsp_dump(sdev, SOF_DBG_REGS | SOF_DBG_PCI | SOF_DBG_MBOX);
-	hda_dsp_core_reset_power_down(sdev, chip->cores_mask);
+	hda_dsp_core_reset_power_down(sdev, chip->host_managed_cores_mask);
 
 	return ret;
 }
@@ -427,7 +426,7 @@ int hda_dsp_cl_boot_firmware(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev)
 	}
 
 	/*
-	 * return master core id if both fw copy
+	 * return primary core id if both fw copy
 	 * and stream clean up are successful
 	 */
 	if (!ret)
diff --git a/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda.c b/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda.c
index de8e85920402..882527119c70 100644
--- a/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda.c
+++ b/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda.c
@@ -928,7 +928,7 @@ int hda_dsp_remove(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev)
 
 	/* disable cores */
 	if (chip)
-		hda_dsp_core_reset_power_down(sdev, chip->cores_mask);
+		hda_dsp_core_reset_power_down(sdev, chip->host_managed_cores_mask);
 
 	/* disable DSP */
 	snd_sof_dsp_update_bits(sdev, HDA_DSP_PP_BAR, SOF_HDA_REG_PP_PPCTL,
diff --git a/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda.h b/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda.h
index 5ee2f8354051..f0f8f95c082b 100644
--- a/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda.h
+++ b/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda.h
@@ -305,9 +305,6 @@
 #define HDA_DSP_ADSPCS_CPA_SHIFT	24
 #define HDA_DSP_ADSPCS_CPA_MASK(cm)	((cm) << HDA_DSP_ADSPCS_CPA_SHIFT)
 
-/* Mask for a given core index, c = 0.. number of supported cores - 1 */
-#define HDA_DSP_CORE_MASK(c)		BIT(c)
-
 /*
  * Mask for a given number of cores
  * nc = number of supported cores
diff --git a/sound/soc/sof/intel/shim.h b/sound/soc/sof/intel/shim.h
index 6fe8b004b50e..1e0afb5c8720 100644
--- a/sound/soc/sof/intel/shim.h
+++ b/sound/soc/sof/intel/shim.h
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@
 /* DSP hardware descriptor */
 struct sof_intel_dsp_desc {
 	int cores_num;
-	int cores_mask;
+	int host_managed_cores_mask;
 	int init_core_mask; /* cores available after fw boot */
 	int ipc_req;
 	int ipc_req_mask;
diff --git a/sound/soc/sof/intel/tgl.c b/sound/soc/sof/intel/tgl.c
index d0e84b7747a0..f8d04fd66ceb 100644
--- a/sound/soc/sof/intel/tgl.c
+++ b/sound/soc/sof/intel/tgl.c
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ const struct sof_intel_dsp_desc tgl_chip_info = {
 	/* Tigerlake */
 	.cores_num = 4,
 	.init_core_mask = 1,
-	.cores_mask = HDA_DSP_CORE_MASK(0),
+	.host_managed_cores_mask = BIT(0),
 	.ipc_req = CNL_DSP_REG_HIPCIDR,
 	.ipc_req_mask = CNL_DSP_REG_HIPCIDR_BUSY,
 	.ipc_ack = CNL_DSP_REG_HIPCIDA,