diff --git a/sound/soc/sof/topology.c b/sound/soc/sof/topology.c
index 534f004f61622186bcb6209388a3d56071465182..1723dd11acd7713d966ec0b971cbf907966155ff 100644
--- a/sound/soc/sof/topology.c
+++ b/sound/soc/sof/topology.c
@@ -2514,6 +2514,15 @@ static int sof_widget_unload(struct snd_soc_component *scomp,
 
 		/* power down the pipeline schedule core */
 		pipeline = swidget->private;
+
+		/*
+		 * Runtime PM should still function normally if topology loading fails and
+		 * it's components are unloaded. Do not power down the primary core so that the
+		 * CTX_SAVE IPC can succeed during runtime suspend.
+		 */
+		if (pipeline->core == SOF_DSP_PRIMARY_CORE)
+			break;
+
 		ret = snd_sof_dsp_core_power_down(sdev, 1 << pipeline->core);
 		if (ret < 0)
 			dev_err(scomp->dev, "error: powering down pipeline schedule core %d\n",