diff --git a/src/audio/pipeline/pipeline-graph.c b/src/audio/pipeline/pipeline-graph.c
index 47d5d0127fd0..84b86bbce62e 100644
--- a/src/audio/pipeline/pipeline-graph.c
+++ b/src/audio/pipeline/pipeline-graph.c
@@ -198,6 +198,7 @@ int pipeline_connect(struct comp_dev *comp, struct comp_buffer *buffer,
 		     int dir)
 {
 	struct list_item *comp_list;
+	struct list_item *buf_list;
 	PPL_LOCK_DECLARE;
 
 	if (dir == PPL_CONN_DIR_COMP_TO_BUFFER)
@@ -207,6 +208,29 @@ int pipeline_connect(struct comp_dev *comp, struct comp_buffer *buffer,
 
 	PPL_LOCK();
 
+	/*
+	 * Guard against double-connecting the same buffer. Calling
+	 * list_item_prepend() on a node that is already in a list creates a
+	 * self-loop (node->next == node) that permanently corrupts the list.
+	 * Consequences:
+	 *   - ipc_comp_free() enters an unbounded loop inside irq_local_disable,
+	 *     stalling the simulation indefinitely.
+	 *   - pipeline_disconnect() / list_item_del() fails to unlink the buffer
+	 *     from the component, leaving a dangling pointer that causes
+	 *     use-after-free when the buffer is later freed.
+	 * This can be triggered by a second IPC CONNECT message for the same
+	 * buffer-component pair (within one testcase, or via state carry-over
+	 * between fuzzer testcases when IPC topology is not torn down).
+	 */
+	buf_list = dir == PPL_DIR_DOWNSTREAM ?
+		&buffer->source_list : &buffer->sink_list;
+	if (!list_is_empty(buf_list)) {
+		comp_err(comp, "buffer %d already connected dir %d",
+			 buf_get_id(buffer), dir);
+		PPL_UNLOCK();
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
 	comp_list = comp_buffer_list(comp, dir);
 	buffer_attach(buffer, comp_list, dir);
 	buffer_set_comp(buffer, comp, dir);