diff --git a/drivers/i2c/busses/i2c-imx.c b/drivers/i2c/busses/i2c-imx.c
index be4ad516293b..b4fb4336b4e8 100644
--- a/drivers/i2c/busses/i2c-imx.c
+++ b/drivers/i2c/busses/i2c-imx.c
@@ -843,7 +843,8 @@ static int i2c_imx_read(struct imx_i2c_struct *i2c_imx, struct i2c_msg *msgs,
 	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;
+	int use_dma = i2c_imx->dma && msgs->flags & I2C_M_DMA_SAFE &&
+		msgs->len >= DMA_THRESHOLD && !block_data;
 
 	dev_dbg(&i2c_imx->adapter.dev,
 		"<%s> write slave address: addr=0x%x\n",
@@ -1011,7 +1012,8 @@ static int i2c_imx_xfer_common(struct i2c_adapter *adapter,
 			result = i2c_imx_read(i2c_imx, &msgs[i], is_lastmsg, atomic);
 		} else {
 			if (!atomic &&
-			    i2c_imx->dma && msgs[i].len >= DMA_THRESHOLD)
+			    i2c_imx->dma && msgs[i].len >= DMA_THRESHOLD &&
+				msgs[i].flags & I2C_M_DMA_SAFE)
 				result = i2c_imx_dma_write(i2c_imx, &msgs[i]);
 			else
 				result = i2c_imx_write(i2c_imx, &msgs[i], atomic);