diff --git a/spa/plugins/alsa/acp/acp.c b/spa/plugins/alsa/acp/acp.c
index 5fa42750f..0d773ef8a 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/alsa/acp/acp.c
+++ b/spa/plugins/alsa/acp/acp.c
@@ -242,9 +242,13 @@ static void init_device(pa_card *impl, pa_alsa_device *dev, pa_alsa_direction_t
 	dev->ports = pa_hashmap_new(pa_idxset_string_hash_func,
 			pa_idxset_string_compare_func);
 	if (m->ucm_context.ucm) {
-		const char *alibpref;
+		const char *alibpref = NULL;
 		dev->ucm_context = &m->ucm_context;
-		if ((snd_use_case_get(impl->ucm.ucm_mgr, "_alibpref", &alibpref) == 0)) {
+		if ((snd_use_case_get(impl->ucm.ucm_mgr, "_alibpref", &alibpref) != 0))
+			alibpref = NULL;
+		if (alibpref == NULL)
+			alibpref = spa_aprintf("_ucm%04X.", impl->card.index);
+		if (alibpref != NULL) {
 			char **d;
 			for (d = m->device_strings; *d; d++) {
 				if (pa_startswith(*d, alibpref)) {