diff --git a/drivers/dma/dma_nxp_edma.c b/drivers/dma/dma_nxp_edma.c
index 7d4f6e8b44958ab..449720edabc808a 100644
--- a/drivers/dma/dma_nxp_edma.c
+++ b/drivers/dma/dma_nxp_edma.c
@@ -270,11 +270,11 @@ static int edma_config(const struct device *dev, uint32_t chan_id,
 		chan->cyclic_buffer = false;
 	}
 
-	/* change channel's state to CONFIGURED */
-	ret = channel_change_state(chan, CHAN_STATE_CONFIGURED);
-	if (ret < 0) {
-		LOG_ERR("failed to change channel %d state to CONFIGURED", chan_id);
-		return ret;
+	/* check if transition to CONFIGURED is allowed */
+	if (!channel_allows_transition(chan, CHAN_STATE_CONFIGURED)) {
+		LOG_ERR("chan %d transition from %d to CONFIGURED not allowed",
+			chan_id, chan->state);
+		return -EPERM;
 	}
 
 	ret = get_transfer_type(dma_cfg->channel_direction, &transfer_type);
@@ -335,6 +335,8 @@ static int edma_config(const struct device *dev, uint32_t chan_id,
 	/* dump register status - for debugging purposes */
 	edma_dump_channel_registers(data, chan_id);
 
+	chan->state = CHAN_STATE_CONFIGURED;
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -389,7 +391,6 @@ static int edma_suspend(const struct device *dev, uint32_t chan_id)
 	struct edma_data *data;
 	const struct edma_config *cfg;
 	struct edma_channel *chan;
-	int ret;
 
 	data = dev->data;
 	cfg = dev->config;
@@ -403,11 +404,11 @@ static int edma_suspend(const struct device *dev, uint32_t chan_id)
 
 	edma_dump_channel_registers(data, chan_id);
 
-	/* change channel's state to SUSPENDED */
-	ret = channel_change_state(chan, CHAN_STATE_SUSPENDED);
-	if (ret < 0) {
-		LOG_ERR("failed to change channel %d state to SUSPENDED", chan_id);
-		return ret;
+	/* check if transition to SUSPENDED is allowed */
+	if (!channel_allows_transition(chan, CHAN_STATE_SUSPENDED)) {
+		LOG_ERR("chan %d transition from %d to SUSPENDED not allowed",
+			chan_id, chan->state);
+		return -EPERM;
 	}
 
 	LOG_DBG("suspending channel %u", chan_id);
@@ -416,6 +417,8 @@ static int edma_suspend(const struct device *dev, uint32_t chan_id)
 	EDMA_ChannelRegUpdate(data->hal_cfg, chan_id,
 			      EDMA_TCD_CH_CSR, 0, EDMA_TCD_CH_CSR_ERQ_MASK);
 
+	chan->state = CHAN_STATE_SUSPENDED;
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -439,11 +442,11 @@ static int edma_stop(const struct device *dev, uint32_t chan_id)
 
 	prev_state = chan->state;
 
-	/* change channel's state to STOPPED */
-	ret = channel_change_state(chan, CHAN_STATE_STOPPED);
-	if (ret < 0) {
-		LOG_ERR("failed to change channel %d state to STOPPED", chan_id);
-		return ret;
+	/* check if transition to STOPPED is allowed */
+	if (!channel_allows_transition(chan, CHAN_STATE_STOPPED)) {
+		LOG_ERR("chan %d transition from %d to STOPPED not allowed",
+			chan_id, chan->state);
+		return -EPERM;
 	}
 
 	LOG_DBG("stopping channel %u", chan_id);
@@ -482,6 +485,8 @@ static int edma_stop(const struct device *dev, uint32_t chan_id)
 
 	edma_dump_channel_registers(data, chan_id);
 
+	chan->state = CHAN_STATE_STOPPED;
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -490,7 +495,6 @@ static int edma_start(const struct device *dev, uint32_t chan_id)
 	struct edma_data *data;
 	const struct edma_config *cfg;
 	struct edma_channel *chan;
-	int ret;
 
 	data = dev->data;
 	cfg = dev->config;
@@ -502,11 +506,11 @@ static int edma_start(const struct device *dev, uint32_t chan_id)
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
-	/* change channel's state to STARTED */
-	ret = channel_change_state(chan, CHAN_STATE_STARTED);
-	if (ret < 0) {
-		LOG_ERR("failed to change channel %d state to STARTED", chan_id);
-		return ret;
+	/* check if transition to STARTED is allowed */
+	if (!channel_allows_transition(chan, CHAN_STATE_STARTED)) {
+		LOG_ERR("chan %d transition from %d to STARTED not allowed",
+			chan_id, chan->state);
+		return -EPERM;
 	}
 
 	LOG_DBG("starting channel %u", chan_id);
@@ -517,6 +521,8 @@ static int edma_start(const struct device *dev, uint32_t chan_id)
 	EDMA_ChannelRegUpdate(data->hal_cfg, chan_id,
 			      EDMA_TCD_CH_CSR, EDMA_TCD_CH_CSR_ERQ_MASK, 0);
 
+	chan->state = CHAN_STATE_STARTED;
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/dma/dma_nxp_edma.h b/drivers/dma/dma_nxp_edma.h
index f45740d981d2150..287657dd87fb87d 100644
--- a/drivers/dma/dma_nxp_edma.h
+++ b/drivers/dma/dma_nxp_edma.h
@@ -221,52 +221,47 @@ struct edma_config {
 	bool contiguous_channels;
 };
 
-static inline int channel_change_state(struct edma_channel *chan,
-				       enum channel_state next)
+static inline bool channel_allows_transition(struct edma_channel *chan,
+					     enum channel_state next)
 {
 	enum channel_state prev = chan->state;
 
-	LOG_DBG("attempting to change state from %d to %d for channel %d", prev, next, chan->id);
-
 	/* validate transition */
 	switch (prev) {
 	case CHAN_STATE_INIT:
 		if (next != CHAN_STATE_CONFIGURED) {
-			return -EPERM;
+			return false;
 		}
 		break;
 	case CHAN_STATE_CONFIGURED:
 		if (next != CHAN_STATE_STARTED &&
 		    next != CHAN_STATE_CONFIGURED) {
-			return -EPERM;
+			return false;
 		}
 		break;
 	case CHAN_STATE_STARTED:
 		if (next != CHAN_STATE_STOPPED &&
 		    next != CHAN_STATE_SUSPENDED) {
-			return -EPERM;
+			return false;
 		}
 		break;
 	case CHAN_STATE_STOPPED:
 		if (next != CHAN_STATE_CONFIGURED) {
-			return -EPERM;
+			return false;
 		}
 		break;
 	case CHAN_STATE_SUSPENDED:
 		if (next != CHAN_STATE_STARTED &&
 		    next != CHAN_STATE_STOPPED) {
-			return -EPERM;
+			return false;
 		}
 		break;
 	default:
 		LOG_ERR("invalid channel previous state: %d", prev);
-		return -EINVAL;
+		return false;
 	}
 
-	/* transition OK, proceed */
-	chan->state = next;
-
-	return 0;
+	return true;
 }
 
 static inline int get_transfer_type(enum dma_channel_direction dir, uint32_t *type)