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
@@ -248,46 +248,26 @@
 };
 CHANNEL_DECLARE(vchan);
 
-static void
-vchan_getparentchannel(struct snddev_info *d,
-    struct pcm_channel **wrch, struct pcm_channel **rdch)
+static struct pcm_channel *
+vchan_getparentchannel(struct snddev_info *d, int direction)
 {
-	struct pcm_channel **ch, *wch, *rch, *c;
+	struct pcm_channel *c = NULL;
 
 	KASSERT(d != NULL, ("%s(): NULL snddev_info", __func__));
 
 	PCM_BUSYASSERT(d);
 	PCM_UNLOCKASSERT(d);
 
-	wch = NULL;
-	rch = NULL;
-
-	CHN_FOREACH(c, d, channels.pcm) {
+	CHN_FOREACH(c, d, channels.pcm.primary) {
 		CHN_LOCK(c);
-		ch = (c->direction == PCMDIR_PLAY) ? &wch : &rch;
-		if (c->flags & CHN_F_VIRTUAL) {
-			/* Sanity check */
-			if (*ch != NULL && *ch != c->parentchannel) {
-				CHN_UNLOCK(c);
-				*ch = NULL;
-				break;
-			}
-		} else {
-			/* No way!! */
-			if (*ch != NULL) {
-				CHN_UNLOCK(c);
-				*ch = NULL;
-				break;
-			}
-			*ch = c;
+		if (c->direction == direction) {
+			CHN_UNLOCK(c);
+			break;
 		}
 		CHN_UNLOCK(c);
 	}
 
-	if (wrch != NULL)
-		*wrch = wch;
-	if (rdch != NULL)
-		*rdch = rch;
+	return (c);
 }
 
 static int
@@ -384,19 +364,11 @@
 	PCM_ACQUIRE(d);
 	PCM_UNLOCK(d);
 
-	if (direction == PCMDIR_PLAY)
-		vchan_getparentchannel(d, &c, NULL);
-	else
-		vchan_getparentchannel(d, NULL, &c);
-
-	if (c == NULL) {
+	if ((c = vchan_getparentchannel(d, direction)) == NULL) {
 		PCM_RELEASE_QUICK(d);
 		return (EINVAL);
 	}
 
-	KASSERT(direction == c->direction, ("%s(): invalid direction %d/%d",
-	    __func__, direction, c->direction));
-
 	CHN_LOCK(c);
 	if (c->flags & CHN_F_VCHAN_PASSTHROUGH)
 		strlcpy(dtype, "passthrough", sizeof(dtype));
@@ -486,19 +458,11 @@
 	PCM_ACQUIRE(d);
 	PCM_UNLOCK(d);
 
-	if (direction == PCMDIR_PLAY)
-		vchan_getparentchannel(d, &c, NULL);
-	else
-		vchan_getparentchannel(d, NULL, &c);
-
-	if (c == NULL) {
+	if ((c = vchan_getparentchannel(d, direction)) == NULL) {
 		PCM_RELEASE_QUICK(d);
 		return (EINVAL);
 	}
 
-	KASSERT(direction == c->direction, ("%s(): invalid direction %d/%d",
-	    __func__, direction, c->direction));
-
 	newspd = *vchanrate;
 
 	ret = sysctl_handle_int(oidp, &newspd, 0, req);
@@ -592,19 +556,11 @@
 	PCM_ACQUIRE(d);
 	PCM_UNLOCK(d);
 
-	if (direction == PCMDIR_PLAY)
-		vchan_getparentchannel(d, &c, NULL);
-	else
-		vchan_getparentchannel(d, NULL, &c);
-
-	if (c == NULL) {
+	if ((c = vchan_getparentchannel(d, direction)) == NULL) {
 		PCM_RELEASE_QUICK(d);
 		return (EINVAL);
 	}
 
-	KASSERT(direction == c->direction, ("%s(): invalid direction %d/%d",
-	    __func__, direction, c->direction));
-
 	bzero(fmtstr, sizeof(fmtstr));
 
 	if (snd_afmt2str(*vchanformat, fmtstr, sizeof(fmtstr)) != *vchanformat)