diff --git a/include/sound/soc-dapm.h b/include/sound/soc-dapm.h
index 485fc9d1a7bc6c2879e5ed58b7e16ba3258a65b0..d3a76b55186cf8434076167511cb01f1236faddc 100644
--- a/include/sound/soc-dapm.h
+++ b/include/sound/soc-dapm.h
@@ -440,7 +440,6 @@ void dapm_mark_endpoints_dirty(struct snd_soc_card *card);
 int snd_soc_dapm_dai_get_connected_widgets(struct snd_soc_dai *dai, int stream,
 	struct snd_soc_dapm_widget_list **list);
 
-struct snd_soc_codec *snd_soc_dapm_kcontrol_codec(struct snd_kcontrol *kcontrol);
 struct snd_soc_dapm_context *snd_soc_dapm_kcontrol_dapm(
 	struct snd_kcontrol *kcontrol);
 
diff --git a/include/sound/soc.h b/include/sound/soc.h
index bc6cfabc0e357cc129b20007364dc30a174bfbc3..92b92ac120bbfdba50aaabc6820b4fa2477d2ba6 100644
--- a/include/sound/soc.h
+++ b/include/sound/soc.h
@@ -1268,6 +1268,19 @@ static inline struct snd_soc_dapm_context *snd_soc_component_get_dapm(
 	return component->dapm_ptr;
 }
 
+/**
+ * snd_soc_dapm_kcontrol_codec() - Returns the codec associated to a kcontrol
+ * @kcontrol: The kcontrol
+ *
+ * This function must only be used on DAPM contexts that are known to be part of
+ * a CODEC (e.g. in a CODEC driver). Otherwise the behavior is undefined.
+ */
+static inline struct snd_soc_codec *snd_soc_dapm_kcontrol_codec(
+	struct snd_kcontrol *kcontrol)
+{
+	return snd_soc_dapm_to_codec(snd_soc_dapm_kcontrol_dapm(kcontrol));
+}
+
 /* codec IO */
 unsigned int snd_soc_read(struct snd_soc_codec *codec, unsigned int reg);
 int snd_soc_write(struct snd_soc_codec *codec, unsigned int reg,
diff --git a/sound/soc/soc-dapm.c b/sound/soc/soc-dapm.c
index 1fd2d458824edd1e814d0b91f718ec231667efab..dc05469e2ccfaab8ff8cf97a799608e842999602 100644
--- a/sound/soc/soc-dapm.c
+++ b/sound/soc/soc-dapm.c
@@ -473,16 +473,6 @@ struct snd_soc_dapm_context *snd_soc_dapm_kcontrol_dapm(
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(snd_soc_dapm_kcontrol_dapm);
 
-/**
- * snd_soc_dapm_kcontrol_codec() - Returns the codec associated to a kcontrol
- * @kcontrol: The kcontrol
- */
-struct snd_soc_codec *snd_soc_dapm_kcontrol_codec(struct snd_kcontrol *kcontrol)
-{
-	return snd_soc_dapm_to_codec(snd_soc_dapm_kcontrol_dapm(kcontrol));
-}
-EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(snd_soc_dapm_kcontrol_codec);
-
 static void dapm_reset(struct snd_soc_card *card)
 {
 	struct snd_soc_dapm_widget *w;