diff --git a/sound/soc/generic/simple-card-utils.c b/sound/soc/generic/simple-card-utils.c
index be69bbc47f81..8811321717fb 100644
--- a/sound/soc/generic/simple-card-utils.c
+++ b/sound/soc/generic/simple-card-utils.c
@@ -335,7 +335,7 @@ int asoc_simple_startup(struct snd_pcm_substream *substream)
 		}
 		ret = snd_pcm_hw_constraint_minmax(substream->runtime, SNDRV_PCM_HW_PARAM_RATE,
 			fixed_rate, fixed_rate);
-		if (ret)
+		if (ret < 0)
 			goto codec_err;
 	}