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
@@ -838,18 +838,13 @@
 
 	CHN_UNLOCK(c);
 
-	if (!(parent->flags & CHN_F_BUSY))
-		return (EBUSY);
-
-	if (CHN_EMPTY(parent, children))
-		return (EINVAL);
-
-	/* remove us from our parent's children list */
-	CHN_REMOVE(parent, c, children);
-
-	if (CHN_EMPTY(parent, children)) {
-		parent->flags &= ~(CHN_F_BUSY | CHN_F_HAS_VCHAN);
-		chn_reset(parent, parent->format, parent->speed);
+	if (!CHN_EMPTY(parent, children)) {
+		/* remove us from our parent's children list */
+		CHN_REMOVE_SAFE(parent, c, children);
+		if (CHN_EMPTY(parent, children)) {
+			parent->flags &= ~(CHN_F_BUSY | CHN_F_HAS_VCHAN);
+			chn_reset(parent, parent->format, parent->speed);
+		}
 	}
 
 	CHN_UNLOCK(parent);