diff --git a/drivers/spi/spi.c b/drivers/spi/spi.c
index 978dda2c523982f62c676573feb1955da0ca82da..361cced68069ef41aefb2b57e4b33dfa340bfcef 100644
--- a/drivers/spi/spi.c
+++ b/drivers/spi/spi.c
@@ -553,6 +553,10 @@ static void spi_pump_messages(struct kthread_work *work)
 		    master->unprepare_transfer_hardware(master))
 			dev_err(&master->dev,
 				"failed to unprepare transfer hardware\n");
+		if (master->auto_runtime_pm) {
+			pm_runtime_mark_last_busy(master->dev.parent);
+			pm_runtime_put_autosuspend(master->dev.parent);
+		}
 		return;
 	}
 
@@ -572,11 +576,23 @@ static void spi_pump_messages(struct kthread_work *work)
 		master->busy = true;
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&master->queue_lock, flags);
 
+	if (!was_busy && master->auto_runtime_pm) {
+		ret = pm_runtime_get_sync(master->dev.parent);
+		if (ret < 0) {
+			dev_err(&master->dev, "Failed to power device: %d\n",
+				ret);
+			return;
+		}
+	}
+
 	if (!was_busy && master->prepare_transfer_hardware) {
 		ret = master->prepare_transfer_hardware(master);
 		if (ret) {
 			dev_err(&master->dev,
 				"failed to prepare transfer hardware\n");
+
+			if (master->auto_runtime_pm)
+				pm_runtime_put(master->dev.parent);
 			return;
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/include/linux/spi/spi.h b/include/linux/spi/spi.h
index 28e440be1c07aafaa4ac62470344b052f9107d8f..bf0204c00053460c133f30c1ef6f2dec97bf707f 100644
--- a/include/linux/spi/spi.h
+++ b/include/linux/spi/spi.h
@@ -254,6 +254,9 @@ static inline void spi_unregister_driver(struct spi_driver *sdrv)
  * @busy: message pump is busy
  * @running: message pump is running
  * @rt: whether this queue is set to run as a realtime task
+ * @auto_runtime_pm: the core should ensure a runtime PM reference is held
+ *                   while the hardware is prepared, using the parent
+ *                   device for the spidev
  * @prepare_transfer_hardware: a message will soon arrive from the queue
  *	so the subsystem requests the driver to prepare the transfer hardware
  *	by issuing this call
@@ -374,11 +377,13 @@ struct spi_master {
 	bool				busy;
 	bool				running;
 	bool				rt;
+	bool				auto_runtime_pm;
 
 	int (*prepare_transfer_hardware)(struct spi_master *master);
 	int (*transfer_one_message)(struct spi_master *master,
 				    struct spi_message *mesg);
 	int (*unprepare_transfer_hardware)(struct spi_master *master);
+
 	/* gpio chip select */
 	int			*cs_gpios;
 };