diff --git a/drivers/dma/at_hdmac.c b/drivers/dma/at_hdmac.c
index 30ae36124b1d..5e7dbd910b42 100644
--- a/drivers/dma/at_hdmac.c
+++ b/drivers/dma/at_hdmac.c
@@ -691,19 +691,11 @@ static dma_cookie_t atc_tx_submit(struct dma_async_tx_descriptor *tx)
 	spin_lock_irqsave(&atchan->lock, flags);
 	cookie = dma_cookie_assign(tx);
 
-	if (list_empty(&atchan->active_list)) {
-		dev_vdbg(chan2dev(tx->chan), "tx_submit: started %u\n",
-				desc->txd.cookie);
-		atc_dostart(atchan, desc);
-		list_add_tail(&desc->desc_node, &atchan->active_list);
-	} else {
-		dev_vdbg(chan2dev(tx->chan), "tx_submit: queued %u\n",
-				desc->txd.cookie);
-		list_add_tail(&desc->desc_node, &atchan->queue);
-	}
-
+	list_add_tail(&desc->desc_node, &atchan->queue);
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&atchan->lock, flags);
 
+	dev_vdbg(chan2dev(tx->chan), "tx_submit: queued %u\n",
+		 desc->txd.cookie);
 	return cookie;
 }