diff --git a/drivers/remoteproc/remoteproc_cdev.c b/drivers/remoteproc/remoteproc_cdev.c
index b19ea3057bde..b2cee9afb41b 100644
--- a/drivers/remoteproc/remoteproc_cdev.c
+++ b/drivers/remoteproc/remoteproc_cdev.c
@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@ static ssize_t rproc_cdev_write(struct file *filp, const char __user *buf, size_
 		return -EFAULT;
 
 	if (!strncmp(cmd, "start", len)) {
-		if (rproc->state == RPROC_RUNNING)
+		if (rproc->state == RPROC_RUNNING ||
+		    rproc->state == RPROC_ATTACHED)
 			return -EBUSY;
 
 		ret = rproc_boot(rproc);
diff --git a/drivers/remoteproc/remoteproc_sysfs.c b/drivers/remoteproc/remoteproc_sysfs.c
index 4f58be1e13c1..bbfa238e4707 100644
--- a/drivers/remoteproc/remoteproc_sysfs.c
+++ b/drivers/remoteproc/remoteproc_sysfs.c
@@ -194,7 +194,8 @@ static ssize_t state_store(struct device *dev,
 	int ret = 0;
 
 	if (sysfs_streq(buf, "start")) {
-		if (rproc->state == RPROC_RUNNING)
+		if (rproc->state == RPROC_RUNNING ||
+		    rproc->state == RPROC_ATTACHED)
 			return -EBUSY;
 
 		ret = rproc_boot(rproc);