diff --git a/src/arch/xtensa/include/arch/task.h b/src/arch/xtensa/include/arch/task.h
index de8ded4f91fb..f25dd2d6317f 100644
--- a/src/arch/xtensa/include/arch/task.h
+++ b/src/arch/xtensa/include/arch/task.h
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ static void _irq_task(void *arg)
 		task = container_of(clist, struct task, irq_list);
 		list_item_del(clist);
 
-		if (task->func && task->state == TASK_STATE_PENDING) {
+		if (task->func) {
 			schedule_task_running(task);
 			run_task = 1;
 		} else {
diff --git a/src/audio/pipeline.c b/src/audio/pipeline.c
index 12722031b76e..8d2ae47830d2 100644
--- a/src/audio/pipeline.c
+++ b/src/audio/pipeline.c
@@ -1271,7 +1271,8 @@ void pipeline_schedule_copy(struct pipeline *p, uint64_t start)
  * buffers prior to trigger start. */
 void pipeline_schedule_copy_idle(struct pipeline *p)
 {
-	schedule_task_idle(&p->pipe_task, p->ipc_pipe.deadline);
+//	schedule_task_idle(&p->pipe_task, p->ipc_pipe.deadline);
+	schedule_task(&p->pipe_task, 0, p->ipc_pipe.deadline);
 }
 
 void pipeline_schedule_cancel(struct pipeline *p)
diff --git a/src/include/sof/schedule.h b/src/include/sof/schedule.h
index a5609ab1bb55..b6b619ebfbe1 100644
--- a/src/include/sof/schedule.h
+++ b/src/include/sof/schedule.h
@@ -91,6 +91,8 @@ struct task {
 	/* runtime duration in scheduling clock base */
 	uint64_t max_rtime;		/* max time taken to run */
 	completion_t complete;
+
+	uint32_t pending_cnt;
 };
 
 struct schedule_data **arch_schedule_get(void);
@@ -111,6 +113,7 @@ static inline void schedule_task_init(struct task *task, void (*func)(void *),
 	void *data)
 {
 	task->core = 0;
+	task->pending_cnt = 0;
 	task->state = TASK_STATE_INIT;
 	task->func = func;
 	task->data = data;
@@ -119,6 +122,7 @@ static inline void schedule_task_init(struct task *task, void (*func)(void *),
 static inline void schedule_task_free(struct task *task)
 {
 	task->state = TASK_STATE_FREE;
+	task->pending_cnt = 0;
 	task->func = NULL;
 	task->data = NULL;
 }
diff --git a/src/lib/schedule.c b/src/lib/schedule.c
index 616c6dd4d43a..faff023db4fd 100644
--- a/src/lib/schedule.c
+++ b/src/lib/schedule.c
@@ -263,17 +263,17 @@ static int _schedule_task(struct task *task, uint64_t start, uint64_t deadline)
 
 	spin_lock_irq(&sch->lock, flags);
 
-	/* is task already pending ? - not enough MIPS to complete ? */
-	if (task->state == TASK_STATE_PENDING) {
-		trace_schedule("_schedule_task(), task already pending");
-		spin_unlock_irq(&sch->lock, flags);
-		return 0;
-	}
-
-	/* is task already queued ? - not enough MIPS to complete ? */
-	if (task->state == TASK_STATE_QUEUED) {
-		trace_schedule("_schedule_task(), task already queued");
-		spin_unlock_irq(&sch->lock, flags);
+	/*
+	 * increase pending_cnt, will schedule it after this
+	 * pending one is finished.
+	 */
+	if (task->state == TASK_STATE_PENDING ||
+	    task->state == TASK_STATE_QUEUED ||
+	    task->state == TASK_STATE_RUNNING ||
+	    task->state == TASK_STATE_PREEMPTED) {
+		trace_schedule("task 0x%xalready WIP, schedule it later...",
+				 (uint32_t)(uint32_t *)task);
+		task->pending_cnt++;
 		return 0;
 	}
 
@@ -292,6 +292,9 @@ static int _schedule_task(struct task *task, uint64_t start, uint64_t deadline)
 	/* calculate deadline - TODO: include MIPS */
 	task->deadline = task->start + ticks_per_ms * deadline / 1000;
 
+	if (task->pending_cnt)
+		task->pending_cnt--;
+
 	/* add task to list */
 	list_item_append(&task->list, &sch->list);
 	task->state = TASK_STATE_QUEUED;
@@ -337,6 +340,8 @@ void schedule_task(struct task *task, uint64_t start, uint64_t deadline)
 void schedule_task_complete(struct task *task)
 {
 	struct schedule_data *sch = *arch_schedule_get();
+	uint64_t ticks_per_ms;
+	uint64_t deadline;
 	uint32_t flags;
 
 	tracev_schedule("schedule_task_complete()");
@@ -367,6 +372,13 @@ void schedule_task_complete(struct task *task)
 
 	/* tell any waiter that task has completed */
 	wait_completed(&task->complete);
+
+	/* schedule the same pending task */
+	if (task->pending_cnt) {
+		ticks_per_ms = clock_ms_to_ticks(sch->clock, 1);
+		deadline = (task->deadline - task->start) * 1000 / ticks_per_ms;
+		schedule_task(task, 0, deadline);
+	}
 }
 
 /* Update task state to running */