diff --git a/sound/soc/soc-core.c b/sound/soc/soc-core.c
index d2ef014af215dc5a41ae284f5e9a1c850a981b72..ef69f5a0270991e7990055b109282cd6e66afa08 100644
--- a/sound/soc/soc-core.c
+++ b/sound/soc/soc-core.c
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #include <linux/bitops.h>
 #include <linux/debugfs.h>
 #include <linux/platform_device.h>
+#include <linux/ctype.h>
 #include <linux/slab.h>
 #include <sound/ac97_codec.h>
 #include <sound/core.h>
@@ -1434,9 +1435,20 @@ static void snd_soc_instantiate_card(struct snd_soc_card *card)
 		 "%s", card->name);
 	snprintf(card->snd_card->longname, sizeof(card->snd_card->longname),
 		 "%s", card->long_name ? card->long_name : card->name);
-	if (card->driver_name)
-		strlcpy(card->snd_card->driver, card->driver_name,
-			sizeof(card->snd_card->driver));
+	snprintf(card->snd_card->driver, sizeof(card->snd_card->driver),
+		 "%s", card->driver_name ? card->driver_name : card->name);
+	for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(card->snd_card->driver); i++) {
+		switch (card->snd_card->driver[i]) {
+		case '_':
+		case '-':
+		case '\0':
+			break;
+		default:
+			if (!isalnum(card->snd_card->driver[i]))
+				card->snd_card->driver[i] = '_';
+			break;
+		}
+	}
 
 	if (card->late_probe) {
 		ret = card->late_probe(card);