diff --git a/sound/soc/intel/boards/skl_hda_dsp_common.h b/sound/soc/intel/boards/skl_hda_dsp_common.h
index d6150670ca0547..e8545d13062fd0 100644
--- a/sound/soc/intel/boards/skl_hda_dsp_common.h
+++ b/sound/soc/intel/boards/skl_hda_dsp_common.h
@@ -49,6 +49,10 @@ static inline int skl_hda_hdmi_build_controls(struct snd_soc_card *card)
 	struct snd_soc_component *component;
 	struct skl_hda_hdmi_pcm *pcm;
 
+	/* HDMI disabled, do not create controls */
+	if (list_empty(&ctx->hdmi_pcm_list))
+		return 0;
+
 	pcm = list_first_entry(&ctx->hdmi_pcm_list, struct skl_hda_hdmi_pcm,
 			       head);
 	component = pcm->codec_dai->component;
diff --git a/sound/soc/intel/boards/skl_hda_dsp_generic.c b/sound/soc/intel/boards/skl_hda_dsp_generic.c
index f1216fbeb289a8..3be764299ab003 100644
--- a/sound/soc/intel/boards/skl_hda_dsp_generic.c
+++ b/sound/soc/intel/boards/skl_hda_dsp_generic.c
@@ -61,6 +61,9 @@ static const struct snd_soc_dapm_route skl_hda_map[] = {
 	{ "Alt Analog CPU Capture", NULL, "Alt Analog Codec Capture" },
 };
 
+SND_SOC_DAILINK_DEF(dummy_codec,
+	DAILINK_COMP_ARRAY(COMP_CODEC("snd-soc-dummy", "snd-soc-dummy-dai")));
+
 static int skl_hda_card_late_probe(struct snd_soc_card *card)
 {
 	return skl_hda_hdmi_jack_init(card);
@@ -114,13 +117,19 @@ static int skl_hda_fill_card_info(struct snd_soc_acpi_mach_params *mach_params)
 {
 	struct snd_soc_card *card = &hda_soc_card;
 	struct snd_soc_dai_link *dai_link;
-	u32 codec_count, codec_mask;
+	u32 codec_count, codec_mask, idisp_mask;
 	int i, num_links, num_route;
 
 	codec_mask = mach_params->codec_mask;
 	codec_count = hweight_long(codec_mask);
+	idisp_mask = codec_mask & IDISP_CODEC_MASK;
+
+	if (!codec_count || codec_count > 2 ||
+	    (codec_count == 2 && !idisp_mask))
+		return -EINVAL;
 
-	if (codec_count == 1 && codec_mask & IDISP_CODEC_MASK) {
+	if (codec_mask == idisp_mask) {
+		/* topology with iDisp as the only HDA codec */
 		num_links = IDISP_DAI_COUNT + DMIC_DAI_COUNT;
 		num_route = IDISP_ROUTE_COUNT;
 
@@ -135,13 +144,19 @@ static int skl_hda_fill_card_info(struct snd_soc_acpi_mach_params *mach_params)
 				skl_hda_be_dai_links[IDISP_DAI_COUNT +
 					HDAC_DAI_COUNT + i];
 		}
-	} else if (codec_count == 2 && codec_mask & IDISP_CODEC_MASK) {
+	} else {
+		/* topology with external and iDisp HDA codecs */
 		num_links = ARRAY_SIZE(skl_hda_be_dai_links);
 		num_route = ARRAY_SIZE(skl_hda_map);
 		card->dapm_widgets = skl_hda_widgets;
 		card->num_dapm_widgets = ARRAY_SIZE(skl_hda_widgets);
-	} else {
-		return -EINVAL;
+		if (!idisp_mask) {
+			for (i = 0; i < IDISP_DAI_COUNT; i++) {
+				skl_hda_be_dai_links[i].codecs = dummy_codec;
+				skl_hda_be_dai_links[i].num_codecs =
+					ARRAY_SIZE(dummy_codec);
+			}
+		}
 	}
 
 	card->num_links = num_links;
diff --git a/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda-codec.c b/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda-codec.c
index ff45075ef72038..3041fbbb010a22 100644
--- a/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda-codec.c
+++ b/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda-codec.c
@@ -113,8 +113,14 @@ static int hda_codec_probe(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev, int address,
 	if (ret < 0)
 		return ret;
 
-	if ((resp & 0xFFFF0000) == IDISP_VID_INTEL)
+	if ((resp & 0xFFFF0000) == IDISP_VID_INTEL) {
+		if (!hdev->bus->audio_component) {
+			dev_dbg(sdev->dev,
+				"iDisp hw present but no driver\n");
+			return -ENOENT;
+		}
 		hda_priv->need_display_power = true;
+	}
 
 	/*
 	 * if common HDMI codec driver is not used, codec load
@@ -203,6 +209,9 @@ int hda_codec_i915_exit(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev)
 	struct hdac_bus *bus = sof_to_bus(sdev);
 	int ret;
 
+	if (!bus->audio_component)
+		return 0;
+
 	/* power down unconditionally */
 	snd_hdac_display_power(bus, HDA_CODEC_IDX_CONTROLLER, false);
 
diff --git a/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda.c b/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda.c
index 35a61b19a8e2b5..6539fa63ea7a4a 100644
--- a/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda.c
+++ b/sound/soc/sof/intel/hda.c
@@ -520,10 +520,8 @@ static int hda_init(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev)
 
 	/* init i915 and HDMI codecs */
 	ret = hda_codec_i915_init(sdev);
-	if (ret < 0) {
-		dev_err(sdev->dev, "error: init i915 and HDMI codec failed\n");
-		return ret;
-	}
+	if (ret < 0)
+		dev_warn(sdev->dev, "init of i915 and HDMI codec failed\n");
 
 	/* get controller capabilities */
 	ret = hda_dsp_ctrl_get_caps(sdev);
@@ -600,9 +598,6 @@ static int hda_init_caps(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev)
 	if (ret < 0) {
 		dev_err(bus->dev, "error: init chip failed with ret: %d\n",
 			ret);
-#if IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_HDA)
-		hda_codec_i915_exit(sdev);
-#endif
 		return ret;
 	}
 
@@ -642,7 +637,7 @@ static int hda_init_caps(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev)
 	hda_codec_probe_bus(sdev, hda_codec_use_common_hdmi);
 
 	if (!HDA_IDISP_CODEC(bus->codec_mask))
-		hda_codec_i915_exit(sdev);
+		hda_codec_i915_display_power(sdev, false);
 
 	/*
 	 * we are done probing so decrement link counts
@@ -971,12 +966,11 @@ static int hda_generic_machine_select(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev)
 		/*
 		 * If no machine driver is found, then:
 		 *
-		 * hda machine driver is used if :
-		 * 1. there is one HDMI codec and one external HDAudio codec
-		 * 2. only HDMI codec
+		 * generic hda machine driver can handle:
+		 *  - one HDMI codec, and/or
+		 *  - one external HDAudio codec
 		 */
-		if (!pdata->machine && codec_num <= 2 &&
-		    HDA_IDISP_CODEC(bus->codec_mask)) {
+		if (!pdata->machine && codec_num <= 2) {
 			hda_mach = snd_soc_acpi_intel_hda_machines;
 
 			/* topology: use the info from hda_machines */
@@ -986,7 +980,7 @@ static int hda_generic_machine_select(struct snd_sof_dev *sdev)
 			dev_info(bus->dev, "using HDA machine driver %s now\n",
 				 hda_mach->drv_name);
 
-			if (codec_num == 1)
+			if (codec_num == 1 && HDA_IDISP_CODEC(bus->codec_mask))
 				idisp_str = "-idisp";
 			else
 				idisp_str = "";