diff --git a/drivers/dma/at_hdmac.c b/drivers/dma/at_hdmac.c
index e9d0c3632868f7fb10fd493778f47708024f52d5..cb5522417db65a61740a4298eddc8040be2430b9 100644
--- a/drivers/dma/at_hdmac.c
+++ b/drivers/dma/at_hdmac.c
@@ -1527,16 +1527,26 @@ atc_tx_status(struct dma_chan *chan,
 }
 
 /**
- * atc_issue_pending - try to finish work
+ * atc_issue_pending - takes the first transaction descriptor in the pending
+ * queue and starts the transfer.
  * @chan: target DMA channel
  */
 static void atc_issue_pending(struct dma_chan *chan)
 {
-	struct at_dma_chan	*atchan = to_at_dma_chan(chan);
+	struct at_dma_chan *atchan = to_at_dma_chan(chan);
+	struct at_desc *desc;
+	unsigned long flags;
 
 	dev_vdbg(chan2dev(chan), "issue_pending\n");
 
-	atc_advance_work(atchan);
+	spin_lock_irqsave(&atchan->lock, flags);
+	if (atc_chan_is_enabled(atchan) || list_empty(&atchan->queue))
+		return spin_unlock_irqrestore(&atchan->lock, flags);
+
+	desc = atc_first_queued(atchan);
+	list_move_tail(&desc->desc_node, &atchan->active_list);
+	atc_dostart(atchan, desc);
+	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&atchan->lock, flags);
 }
 
 /**