diff --git a/sound/core/init.c b/sound/core/init.c
index 193dae361fac..5377f94eb211 100644
--- a/sound/core/init.c
+++ b/sound/core/init.c
@@ -178,10 +178,8 @@ int snd_card_new(struct device *parent, int idx, const char *xid,
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
 	err = snd_card_init(card, parent, idx, xid, module, extra_size);
-	if (err < 0) {
-		kfree(card);
-		return err;
-	}
+	if (err < 0)
+		return err; /* card is freed by error handler */
 
 	*card_ret = card;
 	return 0;
@@ -233,7 +231,7 @@ int snd_devm_card_new(struct device *parent, int idx, const char *xid,
 	card->managed = true;
 	err = snd_card_init(card, parent, idx, xid, module, extra_size);
 	if (err < 0) {
-		devres_free(card);
+		devres_free(card); /* in managed mode, we need to free manually */
 		return err;
 	}
 
@@ -297,6 +295,8 @@ static int snd_card_init(struct snd_card *card, struct device *parent,
 		mutex_unlock(&snd_card_mutex);
 		dev_err(parent, "cannot find the slot for index %d (range 0-%i), error: %d\n",
 			 idx, snd_ecards_limit - 1, err);
+		if (!card->managed)
+			kfree(card); /* manually free here, as no destructor called */
 		return err;
 	}
 	set_bit(idx, snd_cards_lock);		/* lock it */
diff --git a/sound/usb/endpoint.c b/sound/usb/endpoint.c
index 8c8f9a851f89..eb71df9da831 100644
--- a/sound/usb/endpoint.c
+++ b/sound/usb/endpoint.c
@@ -758,8 +758,7 @@ bool snd_usb_endpoint_compatible(struct snd_usb_audio *chip,
  * The endpoint needs to be closed via snd_usb_endpoint_close() later.
  *
  * Note that this function doesn't configure the endpoint.  The substream
- * needs to set it up later via snd_usb_endpoint_set_params() and
- * snd_usb_endpoint_prepare().
+ * needs to set it up later via snd_usb_endpoint_configure().
  */
 struct snd_usb_endpoint *
 snd_usb_endpoint_open(struct snd_usb_audio *chip,
@@ -1293,13 +1292,12 @@ out_of_memory:
 /*
  * snd_usb_endpoint_set_params: configure an snd_usb_endpoint
  *
- * It's called either from hw_params callback.
  * Determine the number of URBs to be used on this endpoint.
  * An endpoint must be configured before it can be started.
  * An endpoint that is already running can not be reconfigured.
  */
-int snd_usb_endpoint_set_params(struct snd_usb_audio *chip,
-				struct snd_usb_endpoint *ep)
+static int snd_usb_endpoint_set_params(struct snd_usb_audio *chip,
+				       struct snd_usb_endpoint *ep)
 {
 	const struct audioformat *fmt = ep->cur_audiofmt;
 	int err;
@@ -1382,18 +1380,18 @@ static int init_sample_rate(struct snd_usb_audio *chip,
 }
 
 /*
- * snd_usb_endpoint_prepare: Prepare the endpoint
+ * snd_usb_endpoint_configure: Configure the endpoint
  *
  * This function sets up the EP to be fully usable state.
- * It's called either from prepare callback.
+ * It's called either from hw_params or prepare callback.
  * The function checks need_setup flag, and performs nothing unless needed,
  * so it's safe to call this multiple times.
  *
  * This returns zero if unchanged, 1 if the configuration has changed,
  * or a negative error code.
  */
-int snd_usb_endpoint_prepare(struct snd_usb_audio *chip,
-			     struct snd_usb_endpoint *ep)
+int snd_usb_endpoint_configure(struct snd_usb_audio *chip,
+			       struct snd_usb_endpoint *ep)
 {
 	bool iface_first;
 	int err = 0;
@@ -1414,6 +1412,9 @@ int snd_usb_endpoint_prepare(struct snd_usb_audio *chip,
 			if (err < 0)
 				goto unlock;
 		}
+		err = snd_usb_endpoint_set_params(chip, ep);
+		if (err < 0)
+			goto unlock;
 		goto done;
 	}
 
@@ -1441,6 +1442,10 @@ int snd_usb_endpoint_prepare(struct snd_usb_audio *chip,
 	if (err < 0)
 		goto unlock;
 
+	err = snd_usb_endpoint_set_params(chip, ep);
+	if (err < 0)
+		goto unlock;
+
 	err = snd_usb_select_mode_quirk(chip, ep->cur_audiofmt);
 	if (err < 0)
 		goto unlock;
diff --git a/sound/usb/endpoint.h b/sound/usb/endpoint.h
index e67ea28faa54..6a9af04cf175 100644
--- a/sound/usb/endpoint.h
+++ b/sound/usb/endpoint.h
@@ -17,10 +17,8 @@ snd_usb_endpoint_open(struct snd_usb_audio *chip,
 		      bool is_sync_ep);
 void snd_usb_endpoint_close(struct snd_usb_audio *chip,
 			    struct snd_usb_endpoint *ep);
-int snd_usb_endpoint_set_params(struct snd_usb_audio *chip,
-				struct snd_usb_endpoint *ep);
-int snd_usb_endpoint_prepare(struct snd_usb_audio *chip,
-			     struct snd_usb_endpoint *ep);
+int snd_usb_endpoint_configure(struct snd_usb_audio *chip,
+			       struct snd_usb_endpoint *ep);
 int snd_usb_endpoint_get_clock_rate(struct snd_usb_audio *chip, int clock);
 
 bool snd_usb_endpoint_compatible(struct snd_usb_audio *chip,
diff --git a/sound/usb/pcm.c b/sound/usb/pcm.c
index b604f7e95e82..d45d1d7e6664 100644
--- a/sound/usb/pcm.c
+++ b/sound/usb/pcm.c
@@ -443,17 +443,17 @@ static int configure_endpoints(struct snd_usb_audio *chip,
 		if (stop_endpoints(subs, false))
 			sync_pending_stops(subs);
 		if (subs->sync_endpoint) {
-			err = snd_usb_endpoint_prepare(chip, subs->sync_endpoint);
+			err = snd_usb_endpoint_configure(chip, subs->sync_endpoint);
 			if (err < 0)
 				return err;
 		}
-		err = snd_usb_endpoint_prepare(chip, subs->data_endpoint);
+		err = snd_usb_endpoint_configure(chip, subs->data_endpoint);
 		if (err < 0)
 			return err;
 		snd_usb_set_format_quirk(subs, subs->cur_audiofmt);
 	} else {
 		if (subs->sync_endpoint) {
-			err = snd_usb_endpoint_prepare(chip, subs->sync_endpoint);
+			err = snd_usb_endpoint_configure(chip, subs->sync_endpoint);
 			if (err < 0)
 				return err;
 		}
@@ -551,13 +551,7 @@ static int snd_usb_hw_params(struct snd_pcm_substream *substream,
 	subs->cur_audiofmt = fmt;
 	mutex_unlock(&chip->mutex);
 
-	if (subs->sync_endpoint) {
-		ret = snd_usb_endpoint_set_params(chip, subs->sync_endpoint);
-		if (ret < 0)
-			goto unlock;
-	}
-
-	ret = snd_usb_endpoint_set_params(chip, subs->data_endpoint);
+	ret = configure_endpoints(chip, subs);
 
  unlock:
 	if (ret < 0)