diff --git a/drivers/char/adsprpc.c b/drivers/char/adsprpc.c
index 0032a5659bd2..1759027fa88c 100644
--- a/drivers/char/adsprpc.c
+++ b/drivers/char/adsprpc.c
@@ -206,6 +206,13 @@ enum fastrpc_buf_type {
 	USERHEAP_BUF,
 };
 
+/* Types of RPC calls to DSP */
+enum fastrpc_msg_type {
+	USER_MSG = 0,
+	KERNEL_MSG_WITH_ZERO_PID,
+	KERNEL_MSG_WITH_NONZERO_PID,
+};
+
 #define PERF_END (void)0
 
 #define PERF(enb, cnt, ff) \
@@ -2686,7 +2693,7 @@ static int fastrpc_invoke_send(struct smq_invoke_ctx *ctx,
 	msg->tid = current->pid;
 	if (fl->sessionid)
 		msg->tid |= (1 << SESSION_ID_INDEX);
-	if (kernel)
+	if (kernel == KERNEL_MSG_WITH_ZERO_PID)
 		msg->pid = 0;
 	msg->invoke.header.ctx = ctx->ctxid | fl->pd;
 	msg->invoke.header.handle = handle;
@@ -3225,7 +3232,7 @@ static int fastrpc_internal_invoke2(struct fastrpc_file *fl,
 		if (err)
 			goto bail;
 		VERIFY(err, 0 == (err = fastrpc_internal_invoke(fl, fl->mode,
-					0, &p.inv)));
+					USER_MSG, &p.inv)));
 		if (err)
 			goto bail;
 		break;
@@ -3332,7 +3339,7 @@ static int fastrpc_init_attach_process(struct fastrpc_file *fl,
 		fl->pd = 2;
 	}
 
-	err = fastrpc_internal_invoke(fl, FASTRPC_MODE_PARALLEL, 1, &ioctl);
+	err = fastrpc_internal_invoke(fl, FASTRPC_MODE_PARALLEL, KERNEL_MSG_WITH_ZERO_PID, &ioctl);
 	if (err)
 		goto bail;
 bail:
@@ -3503,7 +3510,7 @@ static int fastrpc_init_create_dynamic_process(struct fastrpc_file *fl,
 	ioctl.attrs = NULL;
 	ioctl.crc = NULL;
 	ioctl.job = NULL;
-	err = fastrpc_internal_invoke(fl, FASTRPC_MODE_PARALLEL, 1, &ioctl);
+	err = fastrpc_internal_invoke(fl, FASTRPC_MODE_PARALLEL, KERNEL_MSG_WITH_ZERO_PID, &ioctl);
 	if (err)
 		goto bail;
 bail:
@@ -3648,7 +3655,7 @@ static int fastrpc_init_create_static_process(struct fastrpc_file *fl,
 	ioctl.attrs = NULL;
 	ioctl.crc = NULL;
 	ioctl.job = NULL;
-	err = fastrpc_internal_invoke(fl, FASTRPC_MODE_PARALLEL, 1, &ioctl);
+	err = fastrpc_internal_invoke(fl, FASTRPC_MODE_PARALLEL, KERNEL_MSG_WITH_ZERO_PID, &ioctl);
 	if (err)
 		goto bail;
 bail:
@@ -3749,7 +3756,7 @@ static int fastrpc_send_cpuinfo_to_dsp(struct fastrpc_file *fl)
 	ioctl.job = NULL;
 	fl->pd = 1;
 
-	err = fastrpc_internal_invoke(fl, FASTRPC_MODE_PARALLEL, 1, &ioctl);
+	err = fastrpc_internal_invoke(fl, FASTRPC_MODE_PARALLEL, KERNEL_MSG_WITH_ZERO_PID, &ioctl);
 	if (!err)
 		me->channel[fl->cid].cpuinfo_status = true;
 bail:
@@ -3788,7 +3795,7 @@ static int fastrpc_get_info_from_dsp(struct fastrpc_file *fl,
 	ioctl.job = NULL;
 	fl->pd = 1;
 
-	err = fastrpc_internal_invoke(fl, FASTRPC_MODE_PARALLEL, 1, &ioctl);
+	err = fastrpc_internal_invoke(fl, FASTRPC_MODE_PARALLEL, KERNEL_MSG_WITH_ZERO_PID, &ioctl);
 bail:
 
 	if (err)
@@ -3899,8 +3906,13 @@ static int fastrpc_release_current_dsp_process(struct fastrpc_file *fl)
 	ioctl.attrs = NULL;
 	ioctl.crc = NULL;
 	ioctl.job = NULL;
+	/*
+	 * Pass 2 for "kernel" arg to send kernel msg to DSP
+	 * with non-zero msg PID for the DSP to directly use
+	 * that info to kill the remote process.
+	 */
 	VERIFY(err, 0 == (err = fastrpc_internal_invoke(fl,
-		FASTRPC_MODE_PARALLEL, 1, &ioctl)));
+		FASTRPC_MODE_PARALLEL, KERNEL_MSG_WITH_NONZERO_PID, &ioctl)));
 	if (err && fl->dsp_proc_init)
 		ADSPRPC_ERR(
 			"releasing DSP process failed with %d (0x%x) for %s\n",
@@ -3956,7 +3968,7 @@ static int fastrpc_mem_map_to_dsp(struct fastrpc_file *fl, int fd, int offset,
 	ioctl.crc = NULL;
 	ioctl.job = NULL;
 	VERIFY(err, 0 == (err = fastrpc_internal_invoke(fl,
-		FASTRPC_MODE_PARALLEL, 1, &ioctl)));
+		FASTRPC_MODE_PARALLEL, KERNEL_MSG_WITH_ZERO_PID, &ioctl)));
 	if (err)
 		goto bail;
 	if (raddr)
@@ -3998,7 +4010,7 @@ static int fastrpc_mem_unmap_to_dsp(struct fastrpc_file *fl, int fd,
 	ioctl.crc = NULL;
 	ioctl.job = NULL;
 	VERIFY(err, 0 == (err = fastrpc_internal_invoke(fl,
-		FASTRPC_MODE_PARALLEL, 1, &ioctl)));
+		FASTRPC_MODE_PARALLEL, KERNEL_MSG_WITH_ZERO_PID, &ioctl)));
 	if (err)
 		goto bail;
 bail:
@@ -4038,7 +4050,7 @@ static int fastrpc_unmap_on_dsp(struct fastrpc_file *fl,
 	ioctl.crc = NULL;
 	ioctl.job = NULL;
 	VERIFY(err, 0 == (err = fastrpc_internal_invoke(fl,
-		FASTRPC_MODE_PARALLEL, 1, &ioctl)));
+		FASTRPC_MODE_PARALLEL, KERNEL_MSG_WITH_ZERO_PID, &ioctl)));
 	if (err)
 		goto bail;
 bail:
@@ -4090,7 +4102,7 @@ static int fastrpc_mmap_on_dsp(struct fastrpc_file *fl, uint32_t flags,
 	ioctl.crc = NULL;
 	ioctl.job = NULL;
 	VERIFY(err, 0 == (err = fastrpc_internal_invoke(fl,
-		FASTRPC_MODE_PARALLEL, 1, &ioctl)));
+		FASTRPC_MODE_PARALLEL, KERNEL_MSG_WITH_ZERO_PID, &ioctl)));
 	*raddr = (uintptr_t)routargs.vaddrout;
 	if (err)
 		goto bail;
@@ -4154,7 +4166,7 @@ static int fastrpc_munmap_on_dsp_rh(struct fastrpc_file *fl, uint64_t phys,
 		ioctl.job = NULL;
 
 		VERIFY(err, 0 == (err = fastrpc_internal_invoke(fl,
-				FASTRPC_MODE_PARALLEL, 1, &ioctl)));
+				FASTRPC_MODE_PARALLEL, KERNEL_MSG_WITH_ZERO_PID, &ioctl)));
 		if (err)
 			goto bail;
 	} else if (flags == ADSP_MMAP_REMOTE_HEAP_ADDR) {
@@ -5814,7 +5826,7 @@ static long fastrpc_device_ioctl(struct file *file, unsigned int ioctl_num,
 			goto bail;
 		}
 		VERIFY(err, 0 == (err = fastrpc_internal_invoke(fl, fl->mode,
-						0, &p.inv)));
+						USER_MSG, &p.inv)));
 		if (err)
 			goto bail;
 		break;