diff --git a/src/audio/host.c b/src/audio/host.c
index 07425657630e..b934be5e3ffe 100644
--- a/src/audio/host.c
+++ b/src/audio/host.c
@@ -763,10 +763,17 @@ static int host_copy(struct comp_dev *dev)
 	/* here only do preload, further copies happen
 	 * in host_buffer_cb()
 	 */
-	if (pipeline_is_preload(dev->pipeline)) {
+	if (pipeline_is_preload(dev->pipeline) && !dev->position) {
 		ret = dma_copy(hd->dma, hd->chan, hd->dma_buffer->size,
-			       DMA_COPY_PRELOAD | DMA_COPY_BLOCKING);
+			       DMA_COPY_PRELOAD);
 		if (ret < 0) {
+			if (ret == -ENODATA) {
+				/* preload not finished, so stop processing */
+				trace_host("host_copy(), preload not yet "
+					   "finished");
+				return PPL_STATUS_PATH_STOP;
+			}
+
 			trace_host_error("host_copy() error: dma_copy() "
 					 "failed, ret = %u", ret);
 			return ret;
diff --git a/src/audio/pipeline.c b/src/audio/pipeline.c
index 677943d256c4..1679b23484c2 100644
--- a/src/audio/pipeline.c
+++ b/src/audio/pipeline.c
@@ -780,7 +780,9 @@ static int pipeline_copy(struct pipeline *p)
 				 "->comp.id = %u, dir = %u", ret,
 				 start->comp.id, dir);
 
-	p->preload = false;
+	/* stop preload only after full walkthrough */
+	if (ret != PPL_STATUS_PATH_STOP)
+		p->preload = false;
 
 	return ret;
 }
@@ -974,5 +976,8 @@ static uint64_t pipeline_task(void *arg)
 	}
 
 	tracev_pipe("pipeline_task() sched");
-	return pipeline_is_timer_driven(p) ? p->ipc_pipe.period : 0;
+
+	/* automatically reschedule for timer or not finished preload */
+	return (pipeline_is_timer_driven(p) || p->preload) ?
+		p->ipc_pipe.period : 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/drivers/intel/cavs/hda-dma.c b/src/drivers/intel/cavs/hda-dma.c
index 6adb030adfa4..930c5d0262d4 100644
--- a/src/drivers/intel/cavs/hda-dma.c
+++ b/src/drivers/intel/cavs/hda-dma.c
@@ -422,11 +422,19 @@ static int hda_dma_host_copy(struct dma *dma, unsigned int channel, int bytes,
 
 	hda_dma_get_dbg_vals(chan, HDA_DBG_PRE, HDA_DBG_HOST);
 
-	if (!(flags & DMA_COPY_PRELOAD))
+	if (flags & DMA_COPY_PRELOAD) {
+		/* report lack of data if preload is not yet finished */
+		ret = chan->direction == DMA_DIR_HMEM_TO_LMEM ?
+			hda_dma_is_buffer_full(dma, chan) :
+			hda_dma_is_buffer_empty(dma, chan);
+		if (!ret)
+			return -ENODATA;
+	} else {
 		/* set BFPI to let host gateway know we have read size,
 		 * which will trigger next copy start.
 		 */
 		hda_dma_inc_fp(dma, chan->index, bytes);
+	}
 
 	/* blocking mode copy */
 	if (flags & DMA_COPY_BLOCKING) {