diff --git a/include/sound/soc.h b/include/sound/soc.h
index c703871..23c4efb 100644
--- a/include/sound/soc.h
+++ b/include/sound/soc.h
@@ -785,13 +785,36 @@
 	/* config - must be set by machine driver */
 	const char *name;			/* Codec name */
 	const char *stream_name;		/* Stream name */
-	const char *codec_name;		/* for multi-codec */
-	const struct device_node *codec_of_node;
-	const char *platform_name;	/* for multi-platform */
-	const struct device_node *platform_of_node;
+	/*
+	 * You MAY specify the link's CPU-side device, either by device name,
+	 * or by DT/OF node, but not both. If this information is omitted,
+	 * the CPU-side DAI is matched using .cpu_dai_name only, which hence
+	 * must be globally unique. These fields are currently typically used
+	 * only for codec to codec links, or systems using device tree.
+	 */
+	const char *cpu_name;
+	const struct device_node *cpu_of_node;
+	/*
+	 * You MAY specify the DAI name of the CPU DAI. If this information is
+	 * omitted, the CPU-side DAI is matched using .cpu_name/.cpu_of_node
+	 * only, which only works well when that device exposes a single DAI.
+	 */
 	const char *cpu_dai_name;
-	const struct device_node *cpu_dai_of_node;
+	/*
+	 * You MUST specify the link's codec, either by device name, or by
+	 * DT/OF node, but not both.
+	 */
+	const char *codec_name;
+	const struct device_node *codec_of_node;
+	/* You MUST specify the DAI name within the codec */
 	const char *codec_dai_name;
+	/*
+	 * You MAY specify the link's platform/PCM/DMA driver, either by
+	 * device name, or by DT/OF node, but not both. Some forms of link
+	 * do not need a platform.
+	 */
+	const char *platform_name;
+	const struct device_node *platform_of_node;
 	int be_id;	/* optional ID for machine driver BE identification */
 
 	const struct snd_soc_pcm_stream *params;
diff --git a/sound/soc/mxs/mxs-sgtl5000.c b/sound/soc/mxs/mxs-sgtl5000.c
index 3e6e876..215113b 100644
--- a/sound/soc/mxs/mxs-sgtl5000.c
+++ b/sound/soc/mxs/mxs-sgtl5000.c
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@
 		mxs_sgtl5000_dai[i].codec_name = NULL;
 		mxs_sgtl5000_dai[i].codec_of_node = codec_np;
 		mxs_sgtl5000_dai[i].cpu_dai_name = NULL;
-		mxs_sgtl5000_dai[i].cpu_dai_of_node = saif_np[i];
+		mxs_sgtl5000_dai[i].cpu_of_node = saif_np[i];
 		mxs_sgtl5000_dai[i].platform_name = NULL;
 		mxs_sgtl5000_dai[i].platform_of_node = saif_np[i];
 	}
diff --git a/sound/soc/soc-core.c b/sound/soc/soc-core.c
index b37ee80..ec83505 100644
--- a/sound/soc/soc-core.c
+++ b/sound/soc/soc-core.c
@@ -812,13 +812,15 @@
 
 	/* Find CPU DAI from registered DAIs*/
 	list_for_each_entry(cpu_dai, &dai_list, list) {
-		if (dai_link->cpu_dai_of_node) {
-			if (cpu_dai->dev->of_node != dai_link->cpu_dai_of_node)
-				continue;
-		} else {
-			if (strcmp(cpu_dai->name, dai_link->cpu_dai_name))
-				continue;
-		}
+		if (dai_link->cpu_of_node &&
+		    (cpu_dai->dev->of_node != dai_link->cpu_of_node))
+			continue;
+		if (dai_link->cpu_name &&
+		    strcmp(dev_name(cpu_dai->dev), dai_link->cpu_name))
+			continue;
+		if (dai_link->cpu_dai_name &&
+		    strcmp(cpu_dai->name, dai_link->cpu_dai_name))
+			continue;
 
 		rtd->cpu_dai = cpu_dai;
 	}
@@ -3346,6 +3348,12 @@
 				link->name);
 			return -EINVAL;
 		}
+		/* Codec DAI name must be specified */
+		if (!link->codec_dai_name) {
+			dev_err(card->dev, "codec_dai_name not set for %s\n",
+				link->name);
+			return -EINVAL;
+		}
 
 		/*
 		 * Platform may be specified by either name or OF node, but
@@ -3358,12 +3366,24 @@
 		}
 
 		/*
-		 * CPU DAI must be specified by 1 of name or OF node,
-		 * not both or neither.
+		 * CPU device may be specified by either name or OF node, but
+		 * can be left unspecified, and will be matched based on DAI
+		 * name alone..
 		 */
-		if (!!link->cpu_dai_name == !!link->cpu_dai_of_node) {
+		if (link->cpu_name && link->cpu_of_node) {
 			dev_err(card->dev,
-				"Neither/both cpu_dai name/of_node are set for %s\n",
+				"Neither/both cpu name/of_node are set for %s\n",
+				link->name);
+			return -EINVAL;
+		}
+		/*
+		 * At least one of CPU DAI name or CPU device name/node must be
+		 * specified
+		 */
+		if (!link->cpu_dai_name &&
+		    !(link->cpu_name || link->cpu_of_node)) {
+			dev_err(card->dev,
+				"Neither cpu_dai_name nor cpu_name/of_node are set for %s\n",
 				link->name);
 			return -EINVAL;
 		}
diff --git a/sound/soc/tegra/tegra_alc5632.c b/sound/soc/tegra/tegra_alc5632.c
index 1566957..417b09b 100644
--- a/sound/soc/tegra/tegra_alc5632.c
+++ b/sound/soc/tegra/tegra_alc5632.c
@@ -197,16 +197,16 @@
 		goto err;
 	}
 
-	tegra_alc5632_dai.cpu_dai_of_node = of_parse_phandle(
+	tegra_alc5632_dai.cpu_of_node = of_parse_phandle(
 			pdev->dev.of_node, "nvidia,i2s-controller", 0);
-	if (!tegra_alc5632_dai.cpu_dai_of_node) {
+	if (!tegra_alc5632_dai.cpu_of_node) {
 		dev_err(&pdev->dev,
 		"Property 'nvidia,i2s-controller' missing or invalid\n");
 		ret = -EINVAL;
 		goto err;
 	}
 
-	tegra_alc5632_dai.platform_of_node = tegra_alc5632_dai.cpu_dai_of_node;
+	tegra_alc5632_dai.platform_of_node = tegra_alc5632_dai.cpu_of_node;
 
 	ret = tegra_asoc_utils_init(&alc5632->util_data, &pdev->dev);
 	if (ret)
diff --git a/sound/soc/tegra/tegra_wm8753.c b/sound/soc/tegra/tegra_wm8753.c
index 4e77026..02bd5a8 100644
--- a/sound/soc/tegra/tegra_wm8753.c
+++ b/sound/soc/tegra/tegra_wm8753.c
@@ -157,9 +157,9 @@
 		goto err;
 	}
 
-	tegra_wm8753_dai.cpu_dai_of_node = of_parse_phandle(
+	tegra_wm8753_dai.cpu_of_node = of_parse_phandle(
 			pdev->dev.of_node, "nvidia,i2s-controller", 0);
-	if (!tegra_wm8753_dai.cpu_dai_of_node) {
+	if (!tegra_wm8753_dai.cpu_of_node) {
 		dev_err(&pdev->dev,
 			"Property 'nvidia,i2s-controller' missing or invalid\n");
 		ret = -EINVAL;
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@
 	}
 
 	tegra_wm8753_dai.platform_of_node =
-				tegra_wm8753_dai.cpu_dai_of_node;
+				tegra_wm8753_dai.cpu_of_node;
 
 	ret = tegra_asoc_utils_init(&machine->util_data, &pdev->dev);
 	if (ret)
diff --git a/sound/soc/tegra/tegra_wm8903.c b/sound/soc/tegra/tegra_wm8903.c
index b75e0e8..1fd71e5 100644
--- a/sound/soc/tegra/tegra_wm8903.c
+++ b/sound/soc/tegra/tegra_wm8903.c
@@ -331,9 +331,9 @@
 		}
 
 		tegra_wm8903_dai.cpu_dai_name = NULL;
-		tegra_wm8903_dai.cpu_dai_of_node = of_parse_phandle(np,
+		tegra_wm8903_dai.cpu_of_node = of_parse_phandle(np,
 				"nvidia,i2s-controller", 0);
-		if (!tegra_wm8903_dai.cpu_dai_of_node) {
+		if (!tegra_wm8903_dai.cpu_of_node) {
 			dev_err(&pdev->dev,
 				"Property 'nvidia,i2s-controller' missing or invalid\n");
 			ret = -EINVAL;
@@ -342,7 +342,7 @@
 
 		tegra_wm8903_dai.platform_name = NULL;
 		tegra_wm8903_dai.platform_of_node =
-					tegra_wm8903_dai.cpu_dai_of_node;
+					tegra_wm8903_dai.cpu_of_node;
 	} else {
 		card->dapm_routes = harmony_audio_map;
 		card->num_dapm_routes = ARRAY_SIZE(harmony_audio_map);
diff --git a/sound/soc/tegra/trimslice.c b/sound/soc/tegra/trimslice.c
index 4a8d5b6..5815430 100644
--- a/sound/soc/tegra/trimslice.c
+++ b/sound/soc/tegra/trimslice.c
@@ -162,9 +162,9 @@
 		}
 
 		trimslice_tlv320aic23_dai.cpu_dai_name = NULL;
-		trimslice_tlv320aic23_dai.cpu_dai_of_node = of_parse_phandle(
+		trimslice_tlv320aic23_dai.cpu_of_node = of_parse_phandle(
 				pdev->dev.of_node, "nvidia,i2s-controller", 0);
-		if (!trimslice_tlv320aic23_dai.cpu_dai_of_node) {
+		if (!trimslice_tlv320aic23_dai.cpu_of_node) {
 			dev_err(&pdev->dev,
 				"Property 'nvidia,i2s-controller' missing or invalid\n");
 			ret = -EINVAL;
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@
 
 		trimslice_tlv320aic23_dai.platform_name = NULL;
 		trimslice_tlv320aic23_dai.platform_of_node =
-				trimslice_tlv320aic23_dai.cpu_dai_of_node;
+				trimslice_tlv320aic23_dai.cpu_of_node;
 	}
 
 	ret = tegra_asoc_utils_init(&trimslice->util_data, &pdev->dev);