diff --git a/sound/x86/intel_hdmi_audio.c b/sound/x86/intel_hdmi_audio.c
index 11ee4dddc5dd..8506a3dc0298 100644
--- a/sound/x86/intel_hdmi_audio.c
+++ b/sound/x86/intel_hdmi_audio.c
@@ -238,17 +238,15 @@ static void had_enable_audio(struct snd_pcm_substream *substream,
 	had_write_register(intelhaddata, AUD_CONFIG, val);
 }
 
-/* enable / disable the audio interface */
-static void had_enable_audio_int(struct snd_intelhad *ctx, bool enable)
+/* forcibly ACKs to both BUFFER_DONE and BUFFER_UNDERRUN interrupts */
+static void had_ack_irqs(struct snd_intelhad *ctx)
 {
 	u32 status_reg;
 
-	if (enable) {
-		had_read_register(ctx, AUD_HDMI_STATUS, &status_reg);
-		status_reg |= HDMI_AUDIO_BUFFER_DONE | HDMI_AUDIO_UNDERRUN;
-		had_write_register(ctx, AUD_HDMI_STATUS, status_reg);
-		had_read_register(ctx, AUD_HDMI_STATUS, &status_reg);
-	}
+	had_read_register(ctx, AUD_HDMI_STATUS, &status_reg);
+	status_reg |= HDMI_AUDIO_BUFFER_DONE | HDMI_AUDIO_UNDERRUN;
+	had_write_register(ctx, AUD_HDMI_STATUS, status_reg);
+	had_read_register(ctx, AUD_HDMI_STATUS, &status_reg);
 }
 
 /* Reset buffer pointers */
@@ -1169,7 +1167,7 @@ static int had_pcm_trigger(struct snd_pcm_substream *substream, int cmd)
 		intelhaddata->stream_info.running = true;
 
 		/* Enable Audio */
-		had_enable_audio_int(intelhaddata, true);
+		had_ack_irqs(intelhaddata); /* FIXME: do we need this? */
 		had_enable_audio(substream, intelhaddata, true);
 		break;
 
@@ -1183,11 +1181,9 @@ static int had_pcm_trigger(struct snd_pcm_substream *substream, int cmd)
 		intelhaddata->stream_info.running = false;
 		spin_unlock(&intelhaddata->had_spinlock);
 		/* Disable Audio */
-		had_enable_audio_int(intelhaddata, false);
 		had_enable_audio(substream, intelhaddata, false);
 		/* Reset buffer pointers */
 		had_reset_audio(intelhaddata);
-		had_enable_audio_int(intelhaddata, false);
 		break;
 
 	default:
@@ -1392,7 +1388,6 @@ static void had_process_hot_unplug(struct snd_intelhad *intelhaddata)
 	}
 
 	/* Disable Audio */
-	had_enable_audio_int(intelhaddata, false);
 	had_enable_audio(substream, intelhaddata, false);
 
 	intelhaddata->connected = false;
@@ -1802,8 +1797,6 @@ static int hdmi_lpe_audio_remove(struct platform_device *pdev)
 {
 	struct snd_intelhad *ctx = platform_get_drvdata(pdev);
 
-	if (ctx->connected)
-		had_enable_audio_int(ctx, false);
 	snd_card_free(ctx->card);
 	return 0;
 }