diff --git a/flash.h b/flash.h
index 6b4dcb8..2b305b4 100644
--- a/flash.h
+++ b/flash.h
@@ -617,6 +617,7 @@
 int spi_chip_erase_d8(struct flashchip *flash);
 int spi_block_erase_52(const struct flashchip *flash, unsigned long addr);
 int spi_block_erase_d8(const struct flashchip *flash, unsigned long addr);
+int spi_chip_write_1(struct flashchip *flash, uint8_t *buf);
 int spi_chip_write(struct flashchip *flash, uint8_t *buf);
 int spi_chip_read(struct flashchip *flash, uint8_t *buf);
 uint8_t spi_read_status_register(void);
@@ -645,7 +646,7 @@
 int ich_spi_command(unsigned int writecnt, unsigned int readcnt,
 		    const unsigned char *writearr, unsigned char *readarr);
 int ich_spi_read(struct flashchip *flash, uint8_t * buf);
-int ich_spi_write(struct flashchip *flash, uint8_t * buf);
+int ich_spi_write_256(struct flashchip *flash, uint8_t * buf);
 
 /* it87spi.c */
 extern uint16_t it8716f_flashport;
@@ -653,13 +654,14 @@
 int it8716f_spi_command(unsigned int writecnt, unsigned int readcnt,
 			const unsigned char *writearr, unsigned char *readarr);
 int it8716f_spi_chip_read(struct flashchip *flash, uint8_t *buf);
-int it8716f_spi_chip_write(struct flashchip *flash, uint8_t *buf);
+int it8716f_spi_chip_write_1(struct flashchip *flash, uint8_t *buf);
+int it8716f_spi_chip_write_256(struct flashchip *flash, uint8_t *buf);
 
 /* sb600spi.c */
 int sb600_spi_command(unsigned int writecnt, unsigned int readcnt,
 		      const unsigned char *writearr, unsigned char *readarr);
 int sb600_spi_read(struct flashchip *flash, uint8_t *buf);
-int sb600_spi_write(struct flashchip *flash, uint8_t *buf);
+int sb600_spi_write_1(struct flashchip *flash, uint8_t *buf);
 uint8_t sb600_read_status_register(void);
 extern uint8_t volatile *sb600_spibar;
 
@@ -758,7 +760,7 @@
 int wbsio_check_for_spi(const char *name);
 int wbsio_spi_command(unsigned int writecnt, unsigned int readcnt, const unsigned char *writearr, unsigned char *readarr);
 int wbsio_spi_read(struct flashchip *flash, uint8_t *buf);
-int wbsio_spi_write(struct flashchip *flash, uint8_t *buf);
+int wbsio_spi_write_1(struct flashchip *flash, uint8_t *buf);
 
 /* stm50flw0x0x.c */
 int probe_stm50flw0x0x(struct flashchip *flash);
diff --git a/ichspi.c b/ichspi.c
index 19f4b80..e25237a 100644
--- a/ichspi.c
+++ b/ichspi.c
@@ -707,7 +707,7 @@
 	return rc;
 }
 
-int ich_spi_write(struct flashchip *flash, uint8_t * buf)
+int ich_spi_write_256(struct flashchip *flash, uint8_t * buf)
 {
 	int i, j, rc = 0;
 	int total_size = flash->total_size * 1024;
diff --git a/it87spi.c b/it87spi.c
index d7f1833..c2f42ed 100644
--- a/it87spi.c
+++ b/it87spi.c
@@ -219,10 +219,12 @@
 }
 
 /*
- * IT8716F only allows maximum of 512 kb SPI mapped to LPC memory cycles
  * Program chip using firmware cycle byte programming. (SLOW!)
+ * This is for chips which can only handle one byte writes
+ * and for chips where memory mapped programming is impossible due to
+ * size constraints in IT87* (over 512 kB)
  */
-int it8716f_over512k_spi_chip_write(struct flashchip *flash, uint8_t *buf)
+int it8716f_spi_chip_write_1(struct flashchip *flash, uint8_t *buf)
 {
 	int total_size = 1024 * flash->total_size;
 	int i;
@@ -269,13 +271,17 @@
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int it8716f_spi_chip_write(struct flashchip *flash, uint8_t *buf)
+int it8716f_spi_chip_write_256(struct flashchip *flash, uint8_t *buf)
 {
 	int total_size = 1024 * flash->total_size;
 	int i;
 
+	/*
+	 * IT8716F only allows maximum of 512 kb SPI chip size for memory
+	 * mapped access.
+	 */
 	if (total_size > 512 * 1024) {
-		it8716f_over512k_spi_chip_write(flash, buf);
+		it8716f_spi_chip_write_1(flash, buf);
 	} else {
 		for (i = 0; i < total_size / 256; i++) {
 			it8716f_spi_page_program(i, buf,
diff --git a/sb600spi.c b/sb600spi.c
index 095fba1..2ed1dd0 100644
--- a/sb600spi.c
+++ b/sb600spi.c
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@
 	return readarr[0];
 }
 
-int sb600_spi_write(struct flashchip *flash, uint8_t *buf)
+int sb600_spi_write_1(struct flashchip *flash, uint8_t *buf)
 {
 	int rc = 0, i;
 	int total_size = flash->total_size * 1024;
diff --git a/spi.c b/spi.c
index e6d438c..4888504 100644
--- a/spi.c
+++ b/spi.c
@@ -618,19 +618,45 @@
 	return 1;
 }
 
+/*
+ * Program chip using byte programming. (SLOW!)
+ * This is for chips which can only handle one byte writes
+ * and for chips where memory mapped programming is impossible
+ * (e.g. due to size constraints in IT87* for over 512 kB)
+ */
+int spi_chip_write_1(struct flashchip *flash, uint8_t *buf)
+{
+	int total_size = 1024 * flash->total_size;
+	int i;
+
+	spi_disable_blockprotect();
+	for (i = 0; i < total_size; i++) {
+		spi_write_enable();
+		spi_byte_program(i, buf[i]);
+		while (spi_read_status_register() & JEDEC_RDSR_BIT_WIP)
+			myusec_delay(10);
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+/*
+ * Program chip using page (256 bytes) programming.
+ * Some SPI masters can't do this, they use single byte programming instead.
+ */
 int spi_chip_write(struct flashchip *flash, uint8_t *buf)
 {
 	switch (flashbus) {
 	case BUS_TYPE_IT87XX_SPI:
-		return it8716f_spi_chip_write(flash, buf);
+		return it8716f_spi_chip_write_256(flash, buf);
 	case BUS_TYPE_SB600_SPI:
-		return sb600_spi_write(flash, buf);
+		return sb600_spi_write_1(flash, buf);
 	case BUS_TYPE_ICH7_SPI:
 	case BUS_TYPE_ICH9_SPI:
 	case BUS_TYPE_VIA_SPI:
-		return ich_spi_write(flash, buf);
+		return ich_spi_write_256(flash, buf);
 	case BUS_TYPE_WBSIO_SPI:
-		return wbsio_spi_write(flash, buf);
+		return wbsio_spi_write_1(flash, buf);
 	default:
 		printf_debug
 		    ("%s called, but no SPI chipset/strapping detected\n",
@@ -650,7 +676,7 @@
 	case BUS_TYPE_WBSIO_SPI:
 		fprintf(stderr, "%s: impossible with Winbond SPI masters,"
 				" degrading to byte program\n", __func__);
-		return spi_chip_write(flash, buf);
+		return spi_chip_write_1(flash, buf);
 	default:
 		break;
 	}
diff --git a/wbsio_spi.c b/wbsio_spi.c
index 6ab277a..e2cc4b1 100644
--- a/wbsio_spi.c
+++ b/wbsio_spi.c
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int wbsio_spi_write(struct flashchip *flash, uint8_t *buf)
+int wbsio_spi_write_1(struct flashchip *flash, uint8_t *buf)
 {
 	int pos, size = flash->total_size * 1024;
 	int result;