diff --git a/src/audio/buffer.c b/src/audio/buffer.c
index 18d2c90473d6..b5852a1d0f76 100644
--- a/src/audio/buffer.c
+++ b/src/audio/buffer.c
@@ -286,8 +286,15 @@ void comp_update_buffer_consume(struct comp_buffer __sparse_cache *buffer, uint3
 		 (char *)audio_stream_get_addr(&buffer->stream)));
 }
 
+/*
+ * Locking: must be called with interrupts disabled! Serialized IPCs protect us
+ * from racing attach / detach calls, but the scheduler can interrupt the IPC
+ * thread and begin using the buffer for streaming. FIXME: this is still a
+ * problem with different cores.
+ */
 void buffer_attach(struct comp_buffer *buffer, struct list_item *head, int dir)
 {
+	struct list_item *list = buffer_comp_list(buffer, dir);
 	struct list_item __sparse_cache *needs_sync;
 	bool further_buffers_exist;
 
@@ -302,11 +309,17 @@ void buffer_attach(struct comp_buffer *buffer, struct list_item *head, int dir)
 	if (further_buffers_exist)
 		dcache_writeback_region(needs_sync, sizeof(struct list_item));
 	/* The cache line can be prefetched here, invalidate it after prepending */
-	list_item_prepend(buffer_comp_list(buffer, dir), head);
+	list_item_prepend(list, head);
 	if (further_buffers_exist)
 		dcache_invalidate_region(needs_sync, sizeof(struct list_item));
+	/* no dirty cache lines exist for this buffer yet, no need to write back */
+	dcache_invalidate_region(uncache_to_cache(list), sizeof(*list));
 }
 
+/*
+ * Locking: must be called with interrupts disabled! See buffer_attach() above
+ * for details
+ */
 void buffer_detach(struct comp_buffer *buffer, struct list_item *head, int dir)
 {
 	struct list_item __sparse_cache *needs_sync_prev, *needs_sync_next;
@@ -329,8 +342,10 @@ void buffer_detach(struct comp_buffer *buffer, struct list_item *head, int dir)
 		dcache_writeback_region(needs_sync_next, sizeof(struct list_item));
 	if (buffers_before_exist)
 		dcache_writeback_region(needs_sync_prev, sizeof(struct list_item));
+	dcache_writeback_region(uncache_to_cache(buf_list), sizeof(*buf_list));
 	/* buffers before or after can be prefetched here */
 	list_item_del(buf_list);
+	dcache_invalidate_region(uncache_to_cache(buf_list), sizeof(*buf_list));
 	if (buffers_after_exist)
 		dcache_invalidate_region(needs_sync_next, sizeof(struct list_item));
 	if (buffers_before_exist)
diff --git a/src/audio/module_adapter/module_adapter.c b/src/audio/module_adapter/module_adapter.c
index fc0705ab9861..ca19569c1aa9 100644
--- a/src/audio/module_adapter/module_adapter.c
+++ b/src/audio/module_adapter/module_adapter.c
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #include <sof/common.h>
 #include <sof/platform.h>
 #include <sof/ut.h>
+#include <rtos/interrupt.h>
 #include <limits.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 
@@ -357,13 +358,17 @@ int module_adapter_prepare(struct comp_dev *dev)
 		for (i = 0; i < mod->num_output_buffers; i++) {
 			struct comp_buffer *buffer = buffer_alloc(buff_size, SOF_MEM_CAPS_RAM,
 								  0, PLATFORM_DCACHE_ALIGN);
+			uint32_t flags;
+
 			if (!buffer) {
 				comp_err(dev, "module_adapter_prepare(): failed to allocate local buffer");
 				ret = -ENOMEM;
 				goto free;
 			}
 
+			irq_local_disable(flags);
 			buffer_attach(buffer, &mod->sink_buffer_list, PPL_DIR_UPSTREAM);
+			irq_local_enable(flags);
 
 			buffer_c = buffer_acquire(buffer);
 			buffer_set_params(buffer_c, mod->stream_params, BUFFER_UPDATE_FORCE);
@@ -398,8 +403,11 @@ int module_adapter_prepare(struct comp_dev *dev)
 	list_for_item_safe(blist, _blist, &mod->sink_buffer_list) {
 		struct comp_buffer *buffer = container_of(blist, struct comp_buffer,
 							  sink_list);
+		uint32_t flags;
 
+		irq_local_disable(flags);
 		buffer_detach(buffer, &mod->sink_buffer_list, PPL_DIR_UPSTREAM);
+		irq_local_enable(flags);
 		buffer_free(buffer);
 	}
 
@@ -1185,8 +1193,11 @@ void module_adapter_free(struct comp_dev *dev)
 	list_for_item_safe(blist, _blist, &mod->sink_buffer_list) {
 		struct comp_buffer *buffer = container_of(blist, struct comp_buffer,
 							  sink_list);
+		uint32_t flags;
 
+		irq_local_disable(flags);
 		buffer_detach(buffer, &mod->sink_buffer_list, PPL_DIR_UPSTREAM);
+		irq_local_enable(flags);
 		buffer_free(buffer);
 	}