diff --git a/sys/dev/sound/pcm/channel.c b/sys/dev/sound/pcm/channel.c
--- a/sys/dev/sound/pcm/channel.c
+++ b/sys/dev/sound/pcm/channel.c
@@ -2330,13 +2330,21 @@
 			    "prev=0x%08x\n", __func__, c->name, go,
 			    c->trigger);
 		if (c->trigger != PCMTRIG_START) {
-			c->trigger = go;
 			CHN_UNLOCK(c);
 			PCM_LOCK(d);
-			CHN_INSERT_HEAD(d, c, channels.pcm.busy);
-			PCM_UNLOCK(d);
 			CHN_LOCK(c);
-			chn_syncstate(c);
+			/*
+			 * Do nothing if another thread started the channel
+			 * already while we had dropped the mutex.
+			 */
+			if (c->trigger == PCMTRIG_START)
+				PCM_UNLOCK(d);
+			else {
+				c->trigger = go;
+				CHN_INSERT_HEAD(d, c, channels.pcm.busy);
+				PCM_UNLOCK(d);
+				chn_syncstate(c);
+			}
 		}
 		break;
 	case PCMTRIG_STOP:
@@ -2347,12 +2355,17 @@
 			    "prev=0x%08x\n", __func__, c->name, go,
 			    c->trigger);
 		if (c->trigger == PCMTRIG_START) {
-			c->trigger = go;
 			CHN_UNLOCK(c);
 			PCM_LOCK(d);
-			CHN_REMOVE(d, c, channels.pcm.busy);
-			PCM_UNLOCK(d);
 			CHN_LOCK(c);
+			/* See comment above. */
+			if (c->trigger != PCMTRIG_START)
+				PCM_UNLOCK(d);
+			else {
+				c->trigger = go;
+				CHN_REMOVE(d, c, channels.pcm.busy);
+				PCM_UNLOCK(d);
+			}
 		}
 		break;
 	default:
diff --git a/sys/dev/sound/pcm/vchan.c b/sys/dev/sound/pcm/vchan.c
--- a/sys/dev/sound/pcm/vchan.c
+++ b/sys/dev/sound/pcm/vchan.c
@@ -146,20 +146,19 @@
 	int ret, otrigger;
 
 	info = data;
-
-	if (!PCMTRIG_COMMON(go) || go == info->trigger)
-		return (0);
-
 	c = info->channel;
 	p = c->parentchannel;
-	otrigger = info->trigger;
-	info->trigger = go;
 
 	CHN_LOCKASSERT(c);
+	if (!PCMTRIG_COMMON(go) || go == info->trigger)
+		return (0);
 
 	CHN_UNLOCK(c);
 	CHN_LOCK(p);
 
+	otrigger = info->trigger;
+	info->trigger = go;
+
 	switch (go) {
 	case PCMTRIG_START:
 		if (otrigger != PCMTRIG_START)