diff --git a/src/arch/host/include/arch/atomic.h b/src/arch/host/include/arch/atomic.h
index d9e9fad8b401..7534748e1516 100644
--- a/src/arch/host/include/arch/atomic.h
+++ b/src/arch/host/include/arch/atomic.h
@@ -56,14 +56,14 @@ static inline void arch_atomic_init(atomic_t *a, int32_t value)
 }
 
 /* use gcc atomic built-ins for host library */
-static inline void arch_atomic_add(atomic_t *a, int32_t value)
+static inline int32_t arch_atomic_add(atomic_t *a, int32_t value)
 {
-	__sync_fetch_and_add(&a->value, value);
+	return __sync_fetch_and_add(&a->value, value);
 }
 
-static inline void arch_atomic_sub(atomic_t *a, int32_t value)
+static inline int32_t arch_atomic_sub(atomic_t *a, int32_t value)
 {
-	__sync_fetch_and_sub(&a->value, value);
+	return __sync_fetch_and_sub(&a->value, value);
 }
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/arch/xtensa/include/arch/atomic.h b/src/arch/xtensa/include/arch/atomic.h
index aadc6dbb8399..1e368df12b36 100644
--- a/src/arch/xtensa/include/arch/atomic.h
+++ b/src/arch/xtensa/include/arch/atomic.h
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ static inline void arch_atomic_init(atomic_t *a, int32_t value)
 	arch_atomic_set(a, value);
 }
 
-static inline void arch_atomic_add(atomic_t *a, int32_t value)
+static inline int32_t arch_atomic_add(atomic_t *a, int32_t value)
 {
 	int32_t result, current;
 
@@ -67,9 +67,11 @@ static inline void arch_atomic_add(atomic_t *a, int32_t value)
 		: "=&a" (result), "=&a" (current)
 		: "a" (&a->value), "a" (value)
 		: "memory");
+
+	return (*(volatile int32_t *)&a->value);
 }
 
-static inline void arch_atomic_sub(atomic_t *a, int32_t value)
+static inline int32_t arch_atomic_sub(atomic_t *a, int32_t value)
 {
 	int32_t result, current;
 
@@ -82,6 +84,8 @@ static inline void arch_atomic_sub(atomic_t *a, int32_t value)
 		: "=&a" (result), "=&a" (current)
 		: "a" (&a->value), "a" (value)
 		: "memory");
+
+	return (*(volatile int32_t *)&a->value);
 }
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/include/sof/atomic.h b/src/include/sof/atomic.h
index 656121545cf3..6dc010985ff0 100644
--- a/src/include/sof/atomic.h
+++ b/src/include/sof/atomic.h
@@ -50,14 +50,14 @@ static inline void atomic_set(atomic_t *a, int32_t value)
 	arch_atomic_set(a, value);
 }
 
-static inline void atomic_add(atomic_t *a, int32_t value)
+static inline int32_t atomic_add(atomic_t *a, int32_t value)
 {
-	arch_atomic_add(a, value);
+	return arch_atomic_add(a, value);
 }
 
-static inline void atomic_sub(atomic_t *a, int32_t value)
+static inline int32_t atomic_sub(atomic_t *a, int32_t value)
 {
-	arch_atomic_sub(a, value);
+	return arch_atomic_sub(a, value);
 }
 
 #endif