diff --git a/drivers/i2c/busses/i2c-imx.c b/drivers/i2c/busses/i2c-imx.c
index 0207e194f84b..eb11ac3d6aba 100644
--- a/drivers/i2c/busses/i2c-imx.c
+++ b/drivers/i2c/busses/i2c-imx.c
@@ -668,9 +668,6 @@ static int i2c_imx_dma_read(struct imx_i2c_struct *i2c_imx,
 	struct imx_i2c_dma *dma = i2c_imx->dma;
 	struct device *dev = &i2c_imx->adapter.dev;
 
-	temp = imx_i2c_read_reg(i2c_imx, IMX_I2C_I2CR);
-	temp |= I2CR_DMAEN;
-	imx_i2c_write_reg(temp, i2c_imx, IMX_I2C_I2CR);
 
 	dma->chan_using = dma->chan_rx;
 	dma->dma_transfer_dir = DMA_DEV_TO_MEM;
@@ -784,6 +781,7 @@ static int i2c_imx_read(struct imx_i2c_struct *i2c_imx, struct i2c_msg *msgs, bo
 	int i, result;
 	unsigned int temp;
 	int block_data = msgs->flags & I2C_M_RECV_LEN;
+	int use_dma = i2c_imx->dma && msgs->len >= DMA_THRESHOLD && !block_data;
 
 	dev_dbg(&i2c_imx->adapter.dev,
 		"<%s> write slave address: addr=0x%x\n",
@@ -810,12 +808,14 @@ static int i2c_imx_read(struct imx_i2c_struct *i2c_imx, struct i2c_msg *msgs, bo
 	 */
 	if ((msgs->len - 1) || block_data)
 		temp &= ~I2CR_TXAK;
+	if (use_dma)
+		temp |= I2CR_DMAEN;
 	imx_i2c_write_reg(temp, i2c_imx, IMX_I2C_I2CR);
 	imx_i2c_read_reg(i2c_imx, IMX_I2C_I2DR); /* dummy read */
 
 	dev_dbg(&i2c_imx->adapter.dev, "<%s> read data\n", __func__);
 
-	if (i2c_imx->dma && msgs->len >= DMA_THRESHOLD && !block_data)
+	if (use_dma)
 		return i2c_imx_dma_read(i2c_imx, msgs, is_lastmsg);
 
 	/* read data */