diff --git a/sound/soc/soc-compress.c b/sound/soc/soc-compress.c
index 12bb2f1a3244..bec8016937a2 100644
--- a/sound/soc/soc-compress.c
+++ b/sound/soc/soc-compress.c
@@ -800,34 +800,17 @@ int soc_new_compress(struct snd_soc_pcm_runtime *rtd, int num)
 	struct snd_pcm *be_pcm;
 	char new_name[64];
 	int ret = 0, direction = 0;
-	int playback = 0, capture = 0;
 
 	/* check client and interface hw capabilities */
 	snprintf(new_name, sizeof(new_name), "%s %s-%d",
 			rtd->dai_link->stream_name, codec_dai->name, num);
 
 	if (codec_dai->driver->playback.channels_min)
-		playback = 1;
-	if (codec_dai->driver->capture.channels_min)
-		capture = 1;
-
-	capture = capture && cpu_dai->driver->capture.channels_min;
-	playback = playback && cpu_dai->driver->playback.channels_min;
-
-	/*
-	 * Compress devices are unidirectional so only one of the directions
-	 * should be set, check for that (xor)
-	 */
-	if (playback + capture != 1) {
-		dev_err(rtd->card->dev, "Invalid direction for compress P %d, C %d\n",
-				playback, capture);
-		return -EINVAL;
-	}
-
-	if(playback)
 		direction = SND_COMPRESS_PLAYBACK;
-	else
+	else if (codec_dai->driver->capture.channels_min)
 		direction = SND_COMPRESS_CAPTURE;
+	else
+		return -EINVAL;
 
 	compr = kzalloc(sizeof(*compr), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (compr == NULL) {