diff --git a/sound/soc/sunxi/sun4i-i2s.c b/sound/soc/sunxi/sun4i-i2s.c
index 6ee9c2995b4f..46e4da18c27f 100644
--- a/sound/soc/sunxi/sun4i-i2s.c
+++ b/sound/soc/sunxi/sun4i-i2s.c
@@ -48,6 +48,9 @@
 #define SUN4I_I2S_FMT0_FMT_I2S				(0 << 0)
 
 #define SUN4I_I2S_FMT1_REG		0x08
+#define SUN4I_I2S_FMT1_REG_SEXT_MASK		BIT(8)
+#define SUN4I_I2S_FMT1_REG_SEXT(sext)			((sext) << 8)
+
 #define SUN4I_I2S_FIFO_TX_REG		0x0c
 #define SUN4I_I2S_FIFO_RX_REG		0x10
 
@@ -105,6 +108,9 @@
 #define SUN8I_I2S_FMT0_BCLK_POLARITY_INVERTED		(1 << 7)
 #define SUN8I_I2S_FMT0_BCLK_POLARITY_NORMAL		(0 << 7)
 
+#define SUN8I_I2S_FMT1_REG_SEXT_MASK		GENMASK(5, 4)
+#define SUN8I_I2S_FMT1_REG_SEXT(sext)			((sext) << 4)
+
 #define SUN8I_I2S_INT_STA_REG		0x0c
 #define SUN8I_I2S_FIFO_TX_REG		0x20
 
@@ -686,6 +692,7 @@ static int sun4i_i2s_set_soc_fmt(const struct sun4i_i2s *i2s,
 	}
 	regmap_update_bits(i2s->regmap, SUN4I_I2S_CTRL_REG,
 			   SUN4I_I2S_CTRL_MODE_MASK, val);
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -788,6 +795,11 @@ static int sun8i_i2s_set_soc_fmt(const struct sun4i_i2s *i2s,
 			   SUN8I_I2S_CTRL_BCLK_OUT | SUN8I_I2S_CTRL_LRCK_OUT,
 			   val);
 
+	/* Set sign extension to pad out LSB with 0 */
+	regmap_update_bits(i2s->regmap, SUN4I_I2S_FMT1_REG,
+			   SUN8I_I2S_FMT1_REG_SEXT_MASK,
+			   SUN8I_I2S_FMT1_REG_SEXT(0));
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -890,6 +902,11 @@ static int sun50i_h6_i2s_set_soc_fmt(const struct sun4i_i2s *i2s,
 			   SUN8I_I2S_CTRL_BCLK_OUT | SUN8I_I2S_CTRL_LRCK_OUT,
 			   val);
 
+	/* Set sign extension to pad out LSB with 0 */
+	regmap_update_bits(i2s->regmap, SUN4I_I2S_FMT1_REG,
+			   SUN8I_I2S_FMT1_REG_SEXT_MASK,
+			   SUN8I_I2S_FMT1_REG_SEXT(0));
+
 	return 0;
 }