diff --git a/src/pcm/pcm_dshare.c b/src/pcm/pcm_dshare.c
index b75809c8..bf28db98 100644
--- a/src/pcm/pcm_dshare.c
+++ b/src/pcm/pcm_dshare.c
@@ -508,7 +508,8 @@ static int snd_pcm_dshare_close(snd_pcm_t *pcm)
 
 	if (dshare->timer)
 		snd_timer_close(dshare->timer);
-	do_silence(pcm);
+	if (dshare->bindings)
+		do_silence(pcm);
 	snd_pcm_direct_semaphore_down(dshare, DIRECT_IPC_SEM_CLIENT);
 	dshare->shmptr->u.dshare.chn_mask &= ~dshare->u.dshare.chn_mask;
 	snd_pcm_close(dshare->spcm);
@@ -621,6 +622,12 @@ static void snd_pcm_dshare_dump(snd_pcm_t *pcm, snd_output_t *out)
 		snd_pcm_dump(dshare->spcm, out);
 }
 
+static const snd_pcm_ops_t snd_pcm_dshare_dummy_ops = {
+	.close = snd_pcm_dshare_close,
+};
+
+static const snd_pcm_fast_ops_t snd_pcm_dshare_fast_dummy_ops;
+
 static const snd_pcm_ops_t snd_pcm_dshare_ops = {
 	.close = snd_pcm_dshare_close,
 	.info = snd_pcm_direct_info,
@@ -712,13 +719,7 @@ int snd_pcm_dshare_open(snd_pcm_t **pcmp, const char *name,
 	ret = snd_pcm_direct_parse_bindings(dshare, params, opts->bindings);
 	if (ret < 0)
 		goto _err_nosem;
-		
-	if (!dshare->bindings) {
-		SNDERR("dshare: specify bindings!!!");
-		ret = -EINVAL;
-		goto _err_nosem;
-	}
-	
+
 	dshare->ipc_key = opts->ipc_key;
 	dshare->ipc_perm = opts->ipc_perm;
 	dshare->ipc_gid = opts->ipc_gid;
@@ -751,9 +752,14 @@ int snd_pcm_dshare_open(snd_pcm_t **pcmp, const char *name,
 		SNDERR("unable to create IPC shm instance");
 		goto _err;
 	}
-		
-	pcm->ops = &snd_pcm_dshare_ops;
-	pcm->fast_ops = &snd_pcm_dshare_fast_ops;
+
+	if (!dshare->bindings) {
+		pcm->ops = &snd_pcm_dshare_dummy_ops;
+		pcm->fast_ops = &snd_pcm_dshare_fast_dummy_ops;
+	} else {
+		pcm->ops = &snd_pcm_dshare_ops;
+		pcm->fast_ops = &snd_pcm_dshare_fast_ops;
+	}
 	pcm->private_data = dshare;
 	dshare->state = SND_PCM_STATE_OPEN;
 	dshare->slowptr = opts->slowptr;
@@ -843,7 +849,7 @@ int snd_pcm_dshare_open(snd_pcm_t **pcmp, const char *name,
 		dshare->spcm = spcm;
 	}
 
-	for (chn = 0; chn < dshare->channels; chn++) {
+	for (chn = 0; dshare->bindings && (chn < dshare->channels); chn++) {
 		unsigned int dchn = dshare->bindings ? dshare->bindings[chn] : chn;
 		if (dchn != UINT_MAX)
 			dshare->u.dshare.chn_mask |= (1ULL << dchn);