diff --git a/arch/avr32/mach-at32ap/at32ap700x.c b/arch/avr32/mach-at32ap/at32ap700x.c
index e67c99945428..2747cde8c9a7 100644
--- a/arch/avr32/mach-at32ap/at32ap700x.c
+++ b/arch/avr32/mach-at32ap/at32ap700x.c
@@ -2048,6 +2048,8 @@ at32_add_device_ac97c(unsigned int id, struct ac97c_platform_data *data,
 		rx_dws->reg_width = DW_DMA_SLAVE_WIDTH_16BIT;
 		rx_dws->cfg_hi = DWC_CFGH_SRC_PER(3);
 		rx_dws->cfg_lo &= ~(DWC_CFGL_HS_DST_POL | DWC_CFGL_HS_SRC_POL);
+		rx_dws->src_master = 0;
+		rx_dws->dst_master = 1;
 	}
 
 	/* Check if DMA slave interface for playback should be configured. */
@@ -2056,6 +2058,8 @@ at32_add_device_ac97c(unsigned int id, struct ac97c_platform_data *data,
 		tx_dws->reg_width = DW_DMA_SLAVE_WIDTH_16BIT;
 		tx_dws->cfg_hi = DWC_CFGH_DST_PER(4);
 		tx_dws->cfg_lo &= ~(DWC_CFGL_HS_DST_POL | DWC_CFGL_HS_SRC_POL);
+		rx_dws->src_master = 0;
+		rx_dws->dst_master = 1;
 	}
 
 	if (platform_device_add_data(pdev, data,
@@ -2128,6 +2132,8 @@ at32_add_device_abdac(unsigned int id, struct atmel_abdac_pdata *data)
 	dws->reg_width = DW_DMA_SLAVE_WIDTH_32BIT;
 	dws->cfg_hi = DWC_CFGH_DST_PER(2);
 	dws->cfg_lo &= ~(DWC_CFGL_HS_DST_POL | DWC_CFGL_HS_SRC_POL);
+	dws->src_master = 0;
+	dws->dst_master = 1;
 
 	if (platform_device_add_data(pdev, data,
 				sizeof(struct atmel_abdac_pdata)))
diff --git a/drivers/dma/dw_dmac.c b/drivers/dma/dw_dmac.c
index a3991ab0d67e..08dab3badad2 100644
--- a/drivers/dma/dw_dmac.c
+++ b/drivers/dma/dw_dmac.c
@@ -32,15 +32,18 @@
  * which does not support descriptor writeback.
  */
 
-/* NOTE:  DMS+SMS is system-specific. We should get this information
- * from the platform code somehow.
- */
-#define DWC_DEFAULT_CTLLO	(DWC_CTLL_DST_MSIZE(0)		\
-				| DWC_CTLL_SRC_MSIZE(0)		\
-				| DWC_CTLL_DMS(0)		\
-				| DWC_CTLL_SMS(1)		\
-				| DWC_CTLL_LLP_D_EN		\
-				| DWC_CTLL_LLP_S_EN)
+#define DWC_DEFAULT_CTLLO(private) ({				\
+		struct dw_dma_slave *__slave = (private);	\
+		int dms = __slave ? __slave->dst_master : 0;	\
+		int sms = __slave ? __slave->src_master : 1;	\
+								\
+		(DWC_CTLL_DST_MSIZE(0)				\
+		 | DWC_CTLL_SRC_MSIZE(0)			\
+		 | DWC_CTLL_LLP_D_EN				\
+		 | DWC_CTLL_LLP_S_EN				\
+		 | DWC_CTLL_DMS(dms)				\
+		 | DWC_CTLL_SMS(sms));				\
+	})
 
 /*
  * This is configuration-dependent and usually a funny size like 4095.
@@ -291,6 +294,9 @@ static void dwc_scan_descriptors(struct dw_dma *dw, struct dw_dma_chan *dwc)
 		return;
 	}
 
+	if (list_empty(&dwc->active_list))
+		return;
+
 	dev_vdbg(chan2dev(&dwc->chan), "scan_descriptors: llp=0x%x\n", llp);
 
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(desc, _desc, &dwc->active_list, desc_node) {
@@ -588,7 +594,7 @@ dwc_prep_dma_memcpy(struct dma_chan *chan, dma_addr_t dest, dma_addr_t src,
 	else
 		src_width = dst_width = 0;
 
-	ctllo = DWC_DEFAULT_CTLLO
+	ctllo = DWC_DEFAULT_CTLLO(chan->private)
 			| DWC_CTLL_DST_WIDTH(dst_width)
 			| DWC_CTLL_SRC_WIDTH(src_width)
 			| DWC_CTLL_DST_INC
@@ -669,7 +675,7 @@ dwc_prep_slave_sg(struct dma_chan *chan, struct scatterlist *sgl,
 
 	switch (direction) {
 	case DMA_TO_DEVICE:
-		ctllo = (DWC_DEFAULT_CTLLO
+		ctllo = (DWC_DEFAULT_CTLLO(chan->private)
 				| DWC_CTLL_DST_WIDTH(reg_width)
 				| DWC_CTLL_DST_FIX
 				| DWC_CTLL_SRC_INC
@@ -714,7 +720,7 @@ dwc_prep_slave_sg(struct dma_chan *chan, struct scatterlist *sgl,
 		}
 		break;
 	case DMA_FROM_DEVICE:
-		ctllo = (DWC_DEFAULT_CTLLO
+		ctllo = (DWC_DEFAULT_CTLLO(chan->private)
 				| DWC_CTLL_SRC_WIDTH(reg_width)
 				| DWC_CTLL_DST_INC
 				| DWC_CTLL_SRC_FIX
@@ -1126,7 +1132,7 @@ struct dw_cyclic_desc *dw_dma_cyclic_prep(struct dma_chan *chan,
 		case DMA_TO_DEVICE:
 			desc->lli.dar = dws->tx_reg;
 			desc->lli.sar = buf_addr + (period_len * i);
-			desc->lli.ctllo = (DWC_DEFAULT_CTLLO
+			desc->lli.ctllo = (DWC_DEFAULT_CTLLO(chan->private)
 					| DWC_CTLL_DST_WIDTH(reg_width)
 					| DWC_CTLL_SRC_WIDTH(reg_width)
 					| DWC_CTLL_DST_FIX
@@ -1137,7 +1143,7 @@ struct dw_cyclic_desc *dw_dma_cyclic_prep(struct dma_chan *chan,
 		case DMA_FROM_DEVICE:
 			desc->lli.dar = buf_addr + (period_len * i);
 			desc->lli.sar = dws->rx_reg;
-			desc->lli.ctllo = (DWC_DEFAULT_CTLLO
+			desc->lli.ctllo = (DWC_DEFAULT_CTLLO(chan->private)
 					| DWC_CTLL_SRC_WIDTH(reg_width)
 					| DWC_CTLL_DST_WIDTH(reg_width)
 					| DWC_CTLL_DST_INC
@@ -1335,6 +1341,8 @@ static int __init dw_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 
 	dma_cap_set(DMA_MEMCPY, dw->dma.cap_mask);
 	dma_cap_set(DMA_SLAVE, dw->dma.cap_mask);
+	if (pdata->is_private)
+		dma_cap_set(DMA_PRIVATE, dw->dma.cap_mask);
 	dw->dma.dev = &pdev->dev;
 	dw->dma.device_alloc_chan_resources = dwc_alloc_chan_resources;
 	dw->dma.device_free_chan_resources = dwc_free_chan_resources;
diff --git a/include/linux/dw_dmac.h b/include/linux/dw_dmac.h
index c8aad713a046..deec66b37180 100644
--- a/include/linux/dw_dmac.h
+++ b/include/linux/dw_dmac.h
@@ -16,9 +16,12 @@
 /**
  * struct dw_dma_platform_data - Controller configuration parameters
  * @nr_channels: Number of channels supported by hardware (max 8)
+ * @is_private: The device channels should be marked as private and not for
+ *	by the general purpose DMA channel allocator.
  */
 struct dw_dma_platform_data {
 	unsigned int	nr_channels;
+	bool		is_private;
 };
 
 /**
@@ -52,6 +55,8 @@ struct dw_dma_slave {
 	enum dw_dma_slave_width	reg_width;
 	u32			cfg_hi;
 	u32			cfg_lo;
+	int			src_master;
+	int			dst_master;
 };
 
 /* Platform-configurable bits in CFG_HI */