diff --git a/sound/soc/atmel/Kconfig b/sound/soc/atmel/Kconfig
index d1dc8e6366dc..71f2d42188c4 100644
--- a/sound/soc/atmel/Kconfig
+++ b/sound/soc/atmel/Kconfig
@@ -10,11 +10,11 @@ config SND_ATMEL_SOC
 if SND_ATMEL_SOC
 
 config SND_ATMEL_SOC_PDC
-	tristate
+	bool
 	depends on HAS_DMA
 
 config SND_ATMEL_SOC_DMA
-	tristate
+	bool
 	select SND_SOC_GENERIC_DMAENGINE_PCM
 
 config SND_ATMEL_SOC_SSC
diff --git a/sound/soc/atmel/Makefile b/sound/soc/atmel/Makefile
index 1f6890ed3738..c7d2989791be 100644
--- a/sound/soc/atmel/Makefile
+++ b/sound/soc/atmel/Makefile
@@ -6,8 +6,14 @@ snd-soc-atmel_ssc_dai-objs := atmel_ssc_dai.o
 snd-soc-atmel-i2s-objs := atmel-i2s.o
 snd-soc-mchp-i2s-mcc-objs := mchp-i2s-mcc.o
 
-obj-$(CONFIG_SND_ATMEL_SOC_PDC) += snd-soc-atmel-pcm-pdc.o
-obj-$(CONFIG_SND_ATMEL_SOC_DMA) += snd-soc-atmel-pcm-dma.o
+# pdc and dma need to both be built-in if any user of
+# ssc is built-in.
+ifdef CONFIG_SND_ATMEL_SOC_PDC
+obj-$(CONFIG_SND_ATMEL_SOC_SSC) += snd-soc-atmel-pcm-pdc.o
+endif
+ifdef CONFIG_SND_ATMEL_SOC_DMA
+obj-$(CONFIG_SND_ATMEL_SOC_SSC) += snd-soc-atmel-pcm-dma.o
+endif
 obj-$(CONFIG_SND_ATMEL_SOC_SSC) += snd-soc-atmel_ssc_dai.o
 obj-$(CONFIG_SND_ATMEL_SOC_I2S) += snd-soc-atmel-i2s.o
 obj-$(CONFIG_SND_MCHP_SOC_I2S_MCC) += snd-soc-mchp-i2s-mcc.o