diff --git a/driver/linux/crystalhd_cmds.c b/driver/linux/crystalhd_cmds.c
index cecd710..b62811b 100644
--- a/driver/linux/crystalhd_cmds.c
+++ b/driver/linux/crystalhd_cmds.c
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ static BC_STATUS bc_cproc_get_hwtype(struct crystalhd_cmd *ctx, crystalhd_ioctl_
 static BC_STATUS bc_cproc_reg_rd(struct crystalhd_cmd *ctx,
 				 crystalhd_ioctl_data *idata)
 {
-	if (!ctx || !idata)
+	if (!ctx || !ctx->hw_ctx || !idata)
 		return BC_STS_INV_ARG;
 	idata->udata.u.regAcc.Value = ctx->hw_ctx->pfnReadDevRegister(ctx->adp,
 					idata->udata.u.regAcc.Offset);
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ static BC_STATUS bc_cproc_reg_rd(struct crystalhd_cmd *ctx,
 static BC_STATUS bc_cproc_reg_wr(struct crystalhd_cmd *ctx,
 				 crystalhd_ioctl_data *idata)
 {
-	if (!ctx || !idata)
+	if (!ctx || !ctx->hw_ctx || !idata)
 		return BC_STS_INV_ARG;
 
 	ctx->hw_ctx->pfnWriteDevRegister(ctx->adp, idata->udata.u.regAcc.Offset,
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ static BC_STATUS bc_cproc_reg_wr(struct crystalhd_cmd *ctx,
 static BC_STATUS bc_cproc_link_reg_rd(struct crystalhd_cmd *ctx,
 				      crystalhd_ioctl_data *idata)
 {
-	if (!ctx || !idata)
+	if (!ctx || !ctx->hw_ctx || !idata)
 		return BC_STS_INV_ARG;
 
 	idata->udata.u.regAcc.Value = ctx->hw_ctx->pfnReadFPGARegister(ctx->adp,
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ static BC_STATUS bc_cproc_link_reg_rd(struct crystalhd_cmd *ctx,
 static BC_STATUS bc_cproc_link_reg_wr(struct crystalhd_cmd *ctx,
 				      crystalhd_ioctl_data *idata)
 {
-	if (!ctx || !idata)
+	if (!ctx || !ctx->hw_ctx || !idata)
 		return BC_STS_INV_ARG;
 
 	ctx->hw_ctx->pfnWriteFPGARegister(ctx->adp, idata->udata.u.regAcc.Offset,
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ static BC_STATUS bc_cproc_mem_rd(struct crystalhd_cmd *ctx,
 {
 	BC_STATUS sts = BC_STS_SUCCESS;
 
-	if (!ctx || !idata || !idata->add_cdata)
+	if (!ctx || !ctx->hw_ctx || !idata || !idata->add_cdata)
 		return BC_STS_INV_ARG;
 
 	if (idata->udata.u.devMem.NumDwords > (idata->add_cdata_sz / 4)) {
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ static BC_STATUS bc_cproc_mem_wr(struct crystalhd_cmd *ctx,
 {
 	BC_STATUS sts = BC_STS_SUCCESS;
 
-	if (!ctx || !idata || !idata->add_cdata)
+	if (!ctx || !ctx->hw_ctx || !idata || !idata->add_cdata)
 		return BC_STS_INV_ARG;
 
 	if (idata->udata.u.devMem.NumDwords > (idata->add_cdata_sz / 4)) {
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ static BC_STATUS bc_cproc_download_fw(struct crystalhd_cmd *ctx,
 
 	dev_dbg(chddev(), "Downloading FW\n");
 
-	if (!ctx || !idata || !idata->add_cdata || !idata->add_cdata_sz) {
+	if (!ctx || !ctx->hw_ctx || !idata || !idata->add_cdata || !idata->add_cdata_sz) {
 		dev_err(chddev(), "%s: Invalid Arg\n", __func__);
 		return BC_STS_INV_ARG;
 	}
@@ -350,7 +350,7 @@ static BC_STATUS bc_cproc_do_fw_cmd(struct crystalhd_cmd *ctx, crystalhd_ioctl_d
 	BC_STATUS sts;
 	uint32_t *cmd;
 
-	if (!(ctx->state & BC_LINK_INIT)) {
+	if ( !ctx || !idata || !(ctx->state & BC_LINK_INIT) || !ctx->hw_ctx) {
 		dev_dbg(dev, "Link invalid state do fw cmd %x \n", ctx->state);
 		return BC_STS_ERR_USAGE;
 	}
@@ -432,7 +432,7 @@ static BC_STATUS bc_cproc_hw_txdma(struct crystalhd_cmd *ctx,
 	wait_queue_head_t event;
 	int rc = 0;
 
-	if (!ctx || !idata || !dio) {
+	if (!ctx || !ctx->hw_ctx || !idata || !dio) {
 		dev_err(dev, "%s: Invalid Arg\n", __func__);
 		return BC_STS_INV_ARG;
 	}
@@ -573,7 +573,7 @@ static BC_STATUS bc_cproc_add_cap_buff(struct crystalhd_cmd *ctx,
 	struct crystalhd_dio_req *dio_hnd = NULL;
 	BC_STATUS sts = BC_STS_SUCCESS;
 
-	if (!ctx || !idata) {
+	if (!ctx || !ctx->hw_ctx || !idata) {
 		dev_err(dev, "%s: Invalid Arg\n", __func__);
 		return BC_STS_INV_ARG;
 	}
@@ -631,7 +631,7 @@ static BC_STATUS bc_cproc_fetch_frame(struct crystalhd_cmd *ctx,
 	BC_STATUS sts = BC_STS_SUCCESS;
 	BC_DEC_OUT_BUFF *frame;
 
-	if (!ctx || !idata) {
+	if (!ctx || !ctx->hw_ctx || !idata) {
 		dev_err(dev, "%s: Invalid Arg\n", __func__);
 		return BC_STS_INV_ARG;
 	}
@@ -673,6 +673,10 @@ static BC_STATUS bc_cproc_fetch_frame(struct crystalhd_cmd *ctx,
 static BC_STATUS bc_cproc_start_capture(struct crystalhd_cmd *ctx,
 					crystalhd_ioctl_data *idata)
 {
+	if (!ctx || !ctx->hw_ctx || !idata) {
+		return BC_STS_INV_ARG;
+	}
+
 	ctx->state |= BC_LINK_CAP_EN;
 
 	if( idata->udata.u.RxCap.PauseThsh )
@@ -705,7 +709,7 @@ static BC_STATUS bc_cproc_flush_cap_buffs(struct crystalhd_cmd *ctx,
 	struct device *dev = chddev();
 	struct crystalhd_rx_dma_pkt *rpkt;
 
-	if (!ctx || !idata) {
+	if (!ctx || !ctx->hw_ctx || !idata) {
 		dev_err(dev, "%s: Invalid Arg\n", __func__);
 		return BC_STS_INV_ARG;
 	}
@@ -745,7 +749,7 @@ static BC_STATUS bc_cproc_get_stats(struct crystalhd_cmd *ctx,
 	bool readTxOnly = false;
 	unsigned long irqflags;
 
-	if (!ctx || !idata) {
+	if (!ctx || !ctx->hw_ctx || !idata) {
 		dev_err(chddev(), "%s: Invalid Arg\n", __func__);
 		return BC_STS_INV_ARG;
 	}
@@ -948,9 +952,9 @@ BC_STATUS crystalhd_suspend(struct crystalhd_cmd *ctx, crystalhd_ioctl_data *ida
 	BC_STATUS sts = BC_STS_SUCCESS;
 	struct crystalhd_rx_dma_pkt *rpkt = NULL;
 
-	if (!ctx || !idata) {
-		dev_err(dev, "Invalid Parameters\n");
-		return BC_STS_ERROR;
+	if (!ctx || !ctx->hw_ctx || !idata) {
+		dev_err(dev, "%s: Invalid Arg\n", __func__);
+		return BC_STS_INV_ARG;
 	}
 
 	if (ctx->state & BC_LINK_SUSPEND)