diff --git a/src/ipc/ipc4/helper.c b/src/ipc/ipc4/helper.c
index 5881fbbfb0b5..d341200a2d2b 100644
--- a/src/ipc/ipc4/helper.c
+++ b/src/ipc/ipc4/helper.c
@@ -145,6 +145,23 @@ __cold struct comp_dev *comp_new_ipc4(struct ipc4_module_init_instance *module_i
 		       ipc_config.ipc_config_size);
 		return NULL;
 	}
+
+	/*
+	 * The parent pipeline referenced by ppl_instance_id must already exist.
+	 * IPC4 requires the host to create the pipeline (SOF_IPC4_GLB_CREATE_PIPELINE)
+	 * before instantiating any module inside it. Validate the reference here, at
+	 * the common creation entry point, before allocating the component. This
+	 * guarantees the "a live IPC4 component always belongs to a live pipeline"
+	 * invariant for every driver, so no module init path (e.g. the copier writing
+	 * pipeline->source_comp / pipeline->sink_comp) can dereference a NULL
+	 * dev->pipeline.
+	 */
+	if (!ipc_get_comp_by_ppl_id(ipc_get(), COMP_TYPE_PIPELINE, ipc_config.pipeline_id,
+				    IPC_COMP_IGNORE_REMOTE)) {
+		tr_err(&ipc_tr, "comp 0x%x: parent pipeline %u does not exist", comp_id,
+		       (uint32_t)ipc_config.pipeline_id);
+		return NULL;
+	}
 #ifdef CONFIG_DCACHE_LINE_SIZE
 	if (!IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_LIBRARY))
 		sys_cache_data_invd_range((__sparse_force void __sparse_cache *)