diff --git a/hw/audio/trace-events b/hw/audio/trace-events
index 3badcab2e8..33e24d0011 100644
--- a/hw/audio/trace-events
+++ b/hw/audio/trace-events
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ virtio_snd_handle_pcm_set_params(uint32_t stream) "VIRTIO_SND_PCM_SET_PARAMS cal
 virtio_snd_handle_ctrl(void *vdev, void *vq) "snd %p: handle ctrl event for queue %p"
 virtio_snd_handle_pcm_info(uint32_t stream) "VIRTIO_SND_R_PCM_INFO called for stream %"PRIu32
 virtio_snd_handle_pcm_start_stop(const char *code, uint32_t stream) "%s called for stream %"PRIu32
+virtio_snd_handle_pcm_release(uint32_t stream) "VIRTIO_SND_PCM_RELEASE called for stream %"PRIu32
 virtio_snd_handle_code(uint32_t val, const char *code) "ctrl code msg val = %"PRIu32" == %s"
 virtio_snd_handle_chmap_info(void) "VIRTIO_SND_CHMAP_INFO called"
 virtio_snd_handle_event(void) "event queue callback called"
diff --git a/hw/audio/virtio-snd.c b/hw/audio/virtio-snd.c
index 31a1942754..9cff724f62 100644
--- a/hw/audio/virtio-snd.c
+++ b/hw/audio/virtio-snd.c
@@ -541,6 +541,52 @@ static void virtio_snd_handle_pcm_start_stop(VirtIOSound *s,
     stream->active = start;
 }
 
+/*
+ * Handles VIRTIO_SND_R_PCM_RELEASE. Releases the buffer resources allocated to
+ * a stream.
+ *
+ * @s: VirtIOSound device
+ * @cmd: The request command queue element from VirtIOSound cmdq field
+ */
+static void virtio_snd_handle_pcm_release(VirtIOSound *s,
+                                          virtio_snd_ctrl_command *cmd)
+{
+    uint32_t stream_id;
+    VirtIOSoundPCMStream *stream;
+    size_t msg_sz = iov_to_buf(cmd->elem->out_sg,
+                               cmd->elem->out_num,
+                               sizeof(virtio_snd_hdr),
+                               &stream_id,
+                               sizeof(stream_id));
+
+    if (msg_sz != sizeof(stream_id)) {
+        /*
+         * TODO: do we need to set DEVICE_NEEDS_RESET?
+         */
+        qemu_log_mask(LOG_GUEST_ERROR,
+                "%s: virtio-snd command size incorrect %zu vs \
+                %zu\n", __func__, msg_sz, sizeof(stream_id));
+        cmd->resp.code = cpu_to_le32(VIRTIO_SND_S_BAD_MSG);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    stream_id = le32_to_cpu(stream_id);
+    trace_virtio_snd_handle_pcm_release(stream_id);
+    stream = virtio_snd_pcm_get_stream(s, stream_id);
+    if (stream == NULL) {
+        /*
+         * TODO: do we need to set DEVICE_NEEDS_RESET?
+         */
+        error_report("already released stream %"PRIu32, stream_id);
+        virtio_error(VIRTIO_DEVICE(s),
+                     "already released stream %"PRIu32,
+                     stream_id);
+        cmd->resp.code = cpu_to_le32(VIRTIO_SND_S_BAD_MSG);
+        return;
+    }
+    cmd->resp.code = cpu_to_le32(VIRTIO_SND_S_OK);
+}
+
 /*
  * The actual processing done in virtio_snd_process_cmdq().
  *
@@ -594,7 +640,7 @@ process_cmd(VirtIOSound *s, virtio_snd_ctrl_command *cmd)
         virtio_snd_handle_pcm_prepare(s, cmd);
         break;
     case VIRTIO_SND_R_PCM_RELEASE:
-        cmd->resp.code = cpu_to_le32(VIRTIO_SND_S_NOT_SUPP);
+        virtio_snd_handle_pcm_release(s, cmd);
         break;
     case VIRTIO_SND_R_CHMAP_INFO:
         qemu_log_mask(LOG_UNIMP,