diff --git a/src/audio/copier/copier.c b/src/audio/copier/copier.c
index 6e7b379a1f33..de5baca01b11 100644
--- a/src/audio/copier/copier.c
+++ b/src/audio/copier/copier.c
@@ -178,6 +178,17 @@ __cold static int copier_init(struct processing_module *mod)
 	if (node_id.dw != IPC4_INVALID_NODE_ID) {
 		cd->direction = get_gateway_direction(node_id.f.dma_type);
 
+		/*
+		 * A gateway copier wires itself into the pipeline graph, so it needs a
+		 * valid parent pipeline (base FW modules using IPC4_INVALID_PIPELINE_ID
+		 * are exempt in comp_new_ipc4()). Reject here to avoid a NULL deref.
+		 */
+		if (!dev->pipeline) {
+			comp_err(dev, "gateway copier requires a valid parent pipeline");
+			ret = -EINVAL;
+			goto error;
+		}
+
 		switch (node_id.f.dma_type) {
 		case ipc4_hda_host_output_class:
 		case ipc4_hda_host_input_class:
diff --git a/src/include/ipc4/module.h b/src/include/ipc4/module.h
index 4e60ebc9bc13..11d548fb4161 100644
--- a/src/include/ipc4/module.h
+++ b/src/include/ipc4/module.h
@@ -151,6 +151,10 @@ struct ipc4_module_init_data {
 
   \remark hide_methods
 */
+
+/** Reserved ppl_instance_id: module has no parent pipeline (e.g. probe). */
+#define IPC4_INVALID_PIPELINE_ID 0xFF
+
 struct ipc4_module_init_instance {
 
 	union {
diff --git a/src/ipc/ipc4/helper.c b/src/ipc/ipc4/helper.c
index 5881fbbfb0b5..017df21288b9 100644
--- a/src/ipc/ipc4/helper.c
+++ b/src/ipc/ipc4/helper.c
@@ -145,6 +145,21 @@ __cold struct comp_dev *comp_new_ipc4(struct ipc4_module_init_instance *module_i
 		       ipc_config.ipc_config_size);
 		return NULL;
 	}
+
+	/*
+	 * Reject a module naming a non-existent parent pipeline: otherwise
+	 * dev->pipeline stays NULL and a later init path (e.g. the copier)
+	 * dereferences it. IPC4_INVALID_PIPELINE_ID is exempt - it marks base FW
+	 * modules with no parent pipeline. IPC_COMP_ALL: the pipeline may run on a
+	 * different core than this module.
+	 */
+	if (ipc_config.pipeline_id != IPC4_INVALID_PIPELINE_ID &&
+	    !ipc_get_comp_by_ppl_id(ipc_get(), COMP_TYPE_PIPELINE, ipc_config.pipeline_id,
+				    IPC_COMP_ALL)) {
+		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 *)