diff --git a/drivers/remoteproc/imx_rproc.c b/drivers/remoteproc/imx_rproc.c
index e913c5efcdbf..8537eccfd73a 100644
--- a/drivers/remoteproc/imx_rproc.c
+++ b/drivers/remoteproc/imx_rproc.c
@@ -365,6 +365,76 @@ bool imx_rproc_ready(struct rproc *rproc)
 	return true;
 }
 
+static int imx_rproc_rebuild_channels(struct rproc *rproc)
+{
+	struct imx_rproc *priv = rproc->priv;
+	struct mbox_client *cl = &priv->cl;
+	struct device *dev = priv->dev;
+	int ret = 0;
+
+	if (!priv->tx_ch) {
+		priv->tx_ch = mbox_request_channel_byname(cl, "tx");
+		if (IS_ERR(priv->tx_ch)) {
+			ret = PTR_ERR(priv->tx_ch);
+			dev_err(dev, "failed to restart tx chan %d\n", ret);
+			priv->tx_ch = NULL;
+
+			goto err_exit;
+		}
+	}
+
+	if (!priv->rx_ch) {
+		priv->rx_ch = mbox_request_channel_byname(cl, "rx");
+		if (IS_ERR(priv->rx_ch)) {
+			ret = PTR_ERR(priv->rx_ch);
+			dev_err(dev, "failed to restart rx chan %d\n", ret);
+			priv->rx_ch = NULL;
+
+			goto err_exit;
+		}
+	}
+
+	if (!priv->rxdb_ch) {
+		priv->rxdb_ch = mbox_request_channel_byname(cl, "rxdb");
+		if (IS_ERR(priv->rxdb_ch)) {
+			ret = PTR_ERR(priv->rxdb_ch);
+			dev_err(dev, "failed to restart rxdb chan %d\n", ret);
+			priv->rxdb_ch = NULL;
+
+			goto err_exit;
+		}
+	}
+
+	/* txdb is optional */
+	if (!priv->txdb_ch) {
+		priv->txdb_ch = mbox_request_channel_byname(cl, "txdb");
+		if (IS_ERR(priv->txdb_ch))
+			priv->txdb_ch = NULL;
+	}
+
+err_exit:
+	return ret;
+}
+
+static void imx_rproc_free_channels(struct rproc *rproc)
+{
+	struct imx_rproc *priv = rproc->priv;
+	__u32 mmsg;
+
+	if (priv->txdb_ch)
+		mbox_send_message(priv->txdb_ch, (void *)&mmsg);
+
+	mbox_free_channel(priv->tx_ch);
+	mbox_free_channel(priv->rx_ch);
+	mbox_free_channel(priv->rxdb_ch);
+	mbox_free_channel(priv->txdb_ch);
+
+	priv->tx_ch = NULL;
+	priv->rx_ch = NULL;
+	priv->rxdb_ch = NULL;
+	priv->txdb_ch = NULL;
+}
+
 static int imx_rproc_start(struct rproc *rproc)
 {
 	struct imx_rproc *priv = rproc->priv;
@@ -376,6 +446,10 @@ static int imx_rproc_start(struct rproc *rproc)
 
 	if (priv->ipc_only) {
 		dev_info(dev, "%s: IPC only\n", __func__);
+		ret = imx_rproc_rebuild_channels(rproc);
+		if (ret < 0)
+			return -EINVAL;
+
 		/* To partition M4, we need block userspace stop/start */
 		if (priv->skip_fw_load_recovery) {
 			priv->skip_fw_load_recovery = false;
@@ -451,6 +525,8 @@ static int imx_rproc_stop(struct rproc *rproc)
 
 	if (priv->ipc_only) {
 		dev_info(dev, "%s: IPC only\n", __func__);
+		imx_rproc_free_channels(rproc);
+
 		/*
 		 * TO i.MX8 Paritioned M4, M4 reboot is handled by itself,
 		 * so we still keep early boot and skip fw load flag