diff --git a/drivers/dma/dw_dmac.c b/drivers/dma/dw_dmac.c
index 064a1830a76b..942b50f57f21 100644
--- a/drivers/dma/dw_dmac.c
+++ b/drivers/dma/dw_dmac.c
@@ -87,11 +87,6 @@ static struct dw_desc *dwc_first_active(struct dw_dma_chan *dwc)
 	return list_entry(dwc->active_list.next, struct dw_desc, desc_node);
 }
 
-static struct dw_desc *dwc_first_queued(struct dw_dma_chan *dwc)
-{
-	return list_entry(dwc->queue.next, struct dw_desc, desc_node);
-}
-
 static struct dw_desc *dwc_desc_get(struct dw_dma_chan *dwc)
 {
 	struct dw_desc *desc, *_desc;
@@ -262,10 +257,11 @@ static void dwc_complete_all(struct dw_dma *dw, struct dw_dma_chan *dwc)
 	 * Submit queued descriptors ASAP, i.e. before we go through
 	 * the completed ones.
 	 */
-	if (!list_empty(&dwc->queue))
-		dwc_dostart(dwc, dwc_first_queued(dwc));
 	list_splice_init(&dwc->active_list, &list);
-	list_splice_init(&dwc->queue, &dwc->active_list);
+	if (!list_empty(&dwc->queue)) {
+		list_move(dwc->queue.next, &dwc->active_list);
+		dwc_dostart(dwc, dwc_first_active(dwc));
+	}
 
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(desc, _desc, &list, desc_node)
 		dwc_descriptor_complete(dwc, desc);
@@ -325,8 +321,8 @@ static void dwc_scan_descriptors(struct dw_dma *dw, struct dw_dma_chan *dwc)
 		cpu_relax();
 
 	if (!list_empty(&dwc->queue)) {
-		dwc_dostart(dwc, dwc_first_queued(dwc));
-		list_splice_init(&dwc->queue, &dwc->active_list);
+		list_move(dwc->queue.next, &dwc->active_list);
+		dwc_dostart(dwc, dwc_first_active(dwc));
 	}
 }
 
@@ -352,7 +348,7 @@ static void dwc_handle_error(struct dw_dma *dw, struct dw_dma_chan *dwc)
 	 */
 	bad_desc = dwc_first_active(dwc);
 	list_del_init(&bad_desc->desc_node);
-	list_splice_init(&dwc->queue, dwc->active_list.prev);
+	list_move(dwc->queue.next, dwc->active_list.prev);
 
 	/* Clear the error flag and try to restart the controller */
 	dma_writel(dw, CLEAR.ERROR, dwc->mask);
@@ -547,8 +543,8 @@ static dma_cookie_t dwc_tx_submit(struct dma_async_tx_descriptor *tx)
 	if (list_empty(&dwc->active_list)) {
 		dev_vdbg(chan2dev(tx->chan), "tx_submit: started %u\n",
 				desc->txd.cookie);
-		dwc_dostart(dwc, desc);
 		list_add_tail(&desc->desc_node, &dwc->active_list);
+		dwc_dostart(dwc, dwc_first_active(dwc));
 	} else {
 		dev_vdbg(chan2dev(tx->chan), "tx_submit: queued %u\n",
 				desc->txd.cookie);