diff --git a/drivers/ata/libata-scsi.c b/drivers/ata/libata-scsi.c
index 264ae60e3fd8ae1a7e5ccb583545b1f6e6eac958..4bb268b9aaeb524baf7d1465f6f1d84f8c6c660e 100644
--- a/drivers/ata/libata-scsi.c
+++ b/drivers/ata/libata-scsi.c
@@ -824,6 +824,9 @@ static void ata_scsi_sdev_config(struct scsi_device *sdev)
 	 * requests.
 	 */
 	sdev->max_device_blocked = 1;
+
+	/* set the min alignment */
+	blk_queue_update_dma_alignment(sdev->request_queue, ATA_DMA_PAD_SZ - 1);
 }
 
 static void ata_scsi_dev_config(struct scsi_device *sdev,
@@ -878,7 +881,7 @@ int ata_scsi_slave_config(struct scsi_device *sdev)
 	if (dev)
 		ata_scsi_dev_config(sdev, dev);
 
-	return 0;	/* scsi layer doesn't check return value, sigh */
+	return 0;
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/drivers/firewire/fw-sbp2.c b/drivers/firewire/fw-sbp2.c
index 624ff3e082f68116f4efe158c80fcdd0c7f27a74..c2169d215bf7473d3fa2a983bd3852b8ab329a24 100644
--- a/drivers/firewire/fw-sbp2.c
+++ b/drivers/firewire/fw-sbp2.c
@@ -1238,6 +1238,12 @@ static int sbp2_scsi_slave_alloc(struct scsi_device *sdev)
 
 	sdev->allow_restart = 1;
 
+	/*
+	 * Update the dma alignment (minimum alignment requirements for
+	 * start and end of DMA transfers) to be a sector
+	 */
+	blk_queue_update_dma_alignment(sdev->request_queue, 511);
+
 	if (lu->tgt->workarounds & SBP2_WORKAROUND_INQUIRY_36)
 		sdev->inquiry_len = 36;
 
diff --git a/drivers/ieee1394/sbp2.c b/drivers/ieee1394/sbp2.c
index b83d254bc86edec605f1f78ba510a59566f2baef..1eda11abeb1e0b3cb912cb7e0c9bcac196b79810 100644
--- a/drivers/ieee1394/sbp2.c
+++ b/drivers/ieee1394/sbp2.c
@@ -1963,6 +1963,12 @@ static int sbp2scsi_slave_alloc(struct scsi_device *sdev)
 	lu->sdev = sdev;
 	sdev->allow_restart = 1;
 
+	/*
+	 * Update the dma alignment (minimum alignment requirements for
+	 * start and end of DMA transfers) to be a sector
+	 */
+	blk_queue_update_dma_alignment(sdev->request_queue, 511);
+
 	if (lu->workarounds & SBP2_WORKAROUND_INQUIRY_36)
 		sdev->inquiry_len = 36;
 	return 0;
diff --git a/drivers/scsi/scsi_lib.c b/drivers/scsi/scsi_lib.c
index db52222885b76f2267bf5ff3e22978843951885c..de601370c05b0a76ad5e8ddfedf4839259efb20c 100644
--- a/drivers/scsi/scsi_lib.c
+++ b/drivers/scsi/scsi_lib.c
@@ -1668,6 +1668,14 @@ struct request_queue *__scsi_alloc_queue(struct Scsi_Host *shost,
 
 	if (!shost->use_clustering)
 		clear_bit(QUEUE_FLAG_CLUSTER, &q->queue_flags);
+
+	/*
+	 * set a reasonable default alignment on word boundaries: the
+	 * host and device may alter it using
+	 * blk_queue_update_dma_alignment() later.
+	 */
+	blk_queue_dma_alignment(q, 0x03);
+
 	return q;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(__scsi_alloc_queue);
diff --git a/drivers/usb/storage/scsiglue.c b/drivers/usb/storage/scsiglue.c
index 7c9593b7b04e27da6c21577c18e6c3f907206f07..dd8b13ef2414b5996426cfe0989bb306ec114caa 100644
--- a/drivers/usb/storage/scsiglue.c
+++ b/drivers/usb/storage/scsiglue.c
@@ -81,6 +81,16 @@ static int slave_alloc (struct scsi_device *sdev)
 	 */
 	sdev->inquiry_len = 36;
 
+	/* Scatter-gather buffers (all but the last) must have a length
+	 * divisible by the bulk maxpacket size.  Otherwise a data packet
+	 * would end up being short, causing a premature end to the data
+	 * transfer.  Since high-speed bulk pipes have a maxpacket size
+	 * of 512, we'll use that as the scsi device queue's DMA alignment
+	 * mask.  Guaranteeing proper alignment of the first buffer will
+	 * have the desired effect because, except at the beginning and
+	 * the end, scatter-gather buffers follow page boundaries. */
+	blk_queue_update_dma_alignment(sdev->request_queue, (512 - 1));
+
 	/*
 	 * The UFI spec treates the Peripheral Qualifier bits in an
 	 * INQUIRY result as reserved and requires devices to set them
@@ -100,16 +110,6 @@ static int slave_configure(struct scsi_device *sdev)
 {
 	struct us_data *us = host_to_us(sdev->host);
 
-	/* Scatter-gather buffers (all but the last) must have a length
-	 * divisible by the bulk maxpacket size.  Otherwise a data packet
-	 * would end up being short, causing a premature end to the data
-	 * transfer.  Since high-speed bulk pipes have a maxpacket size
-	 * of 512, we'll use that as the scsi device queue's DMA alignment
-	 * mask.  Guaranteeing proper alignment of the first buffer will
-	 * have the desired effect because, except at the beginning and
-	 * the end, scatter-gather buffers follow page boundaries. */
-	blk_queue_dma_alignment(sdev->request_queue, (512 - 1));
-
 	/* Many devices have trouble transfering more than 32KB at a time,
 	 * while others have trouble with more than 64K. At this time we
 	 * are limiting both to 32K (64 sectores).