diff --git a/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm.c b/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm.c
index 0d2c7c7bf..4201f19dd 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm.c
+++ b/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm.c
@@ -489,6 +489,10 @@ static void add_bind_ctl_params(struct state *state, struct spa_pod_builder *b)
 	int err;
 
 	for (unsigned int i = 0; i < state->num_bind_ctls; i++) {
+
+		if(!state->bound_ctls[i].value || !state->bound_ctls[i].info)
+			continue;
+
 		err = snd_ctl_elem_read(state->ctl, state->bound_ctls[i].value);
 		if (err < 0) {
 			spa_log_warn(state->log, "Could not read elem value for '%s': %s",
@@ -699,6 +703,9 @@ static void bind_ctl_event(struct spa_source *source)
 		for (unsigned int i = 0; i < state->num_bind_ctls; i++) {
 			int err;
 
+			if(!state->bound_ctls[i].value || !state->bound_ctls[i].info)
+				continue;
+
 			// Check if we have the right element
 			snd_ctl_elem_value_get_id(state->bound_ctls[i].value, bound_id);
 			if (snd_ctl_elem_id_compare_set(id, bound_id) ||