diff --git a/src/ipc/ipc-helper.c b/src/ipc/ipc-helper.c
index ad7b3771a16b..53a418ac4823 100644
--- a/src/ipc/ipc-helper.c
+++ b/src/ipc/ipc-helper.c
@@ -333,7 +333,16 @@ __cold int ipc_comp_free(struct ipc *ipc, uint32_t comp_id)
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
+	/* Lock buffer lists to prevent racing with the LL scheduler.
+	 * In user-space builds, irq_local_disable() is a privileged
+	 * operation, so use the per-component list_mutex instead
+	 * (same pattern as PPL_LOCK in pipeline_disconnect()).
+	 */
+#ifdef CONFIG_SOF_USERSPACE_LL
+	sys_mutex_lock(&icd->cd->list_mutex, K_FOREVER);
+#else
 	irq_local_disable(flags);
+#endif
 	comp_dev_for_each_producer_safe(icd->cd, buffer, safe) {
 		comp_buffer_set_sink_component(buffer, NULL);
 		/* This breaks the list, but we anyway delete all buffers */
@@ -346,7 +355,11 @@ __cold int ipc_comp_free(struct ipc *ipc, uint32_t comp_id)
 		comp_buffer_reset_source_list(buffer);
 	}
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_SOF_USERSPACE_LL
+	sys_mutex_unlock(&icd->cd->list_mutex);
+#else
 	irq_local_enable(flags);
+#endif
 
 	/* free component and remove from list */
 	comp_free(icd->cd);