diff --git a/sound/soc/tegra/tegra_asoc_utils.c b/sound/soc/tegra/tegra_asoc_utils.c
index 266189d4ff13..9515ce58ea02 100644
--- a/sound/soc/tegra/tegra_asoc_utils.c
+++ b/sound/soc/tegra/tegra_asoc_utils.c
@@ -119,13 +119,15 @@ int tegra_asoc_utils_init(struct tegra_asoc_utils_data *data,
 
 	data->dev = dev;
 
-	if (!of_have_populated_dt())
-		data->soc = TEGRA_ASOC_UTILS_SOC_TEGRA20;
-	else if (of_machine_is_compatible("nvidia,tegra20"))
+	if (of_machine_is_compatible("nvidia,tegra20"))
 		data->soc = TEGRA_ASOC_UTILS_SOC_TEGRA20;
 	else if (of_machine_is_compatible("nvidia,tegra30"))
 		data->soc = TEGRA_ASOC_UTILS_SOC_TEGRA30;
+	else if (!dev->of_node)
+		/* non-DT is always Tegra20 */
+		data->soc = TEGRA_ASOC_UTILS_SOC_TEGRA20;
 	else
+		/* DT boot, but unknown SoC */
 		return -EINVAL;
 
 	data->clk_pll_a = clk_get_sys(NULL, "pll_a");