diff --git a/drivers/spi/spi-s3c64xx.c b/drivers/spi/spi-s3c64xx.c
index b7333a8834421889581b77bd2efc2838ccc4901c..4c27426bcb407810be2b2c2a6451f3e2d8e07ea3 100644
--- a/drivers/spi/spi-s3c64xx.c
+++ b/drivers/spi/spi-s3c64xx.c
@@ -503,6 +503,8 @@ static int wait_for_pio(struct s3c64xx_spi_driver_data *sdd,
 		status = readl(regs + S3C64XX_SPI_STATUS);
 	} while (RX_FIFO_LVL(status, sdd) < xfer->len && --val);
 
+	if (!val)
+		return -EIO;
 
 	/* If it was only Tx */
 	if (!xfer->rx_buf) {