diff --git a/flash.h b/flash.h
index 8752c4a..dce0e41 100644
--- a/flash.h
+++ b/flash.h
@@ -149,6 +149,17 @@
 	CHIP_BUSTYPE_UNKNOWN	= CHIP_BUSTYPE_PARALLEL | CHIP_BUSTYPE_LPC | CHIP_BUSTYPE_FWH | CHIP_BUSTYPE_SPI,
 };
 
+/*
+ * How many different contiguous runs of erase blocks with one size each do
+ * we have for a given erase function?
+ */
+#define NUM_ERASEREGIONS 5
+
+/*
+ * How many different erase functions do we have per chip?
+ */
+#define NUM_ERASEFUNCTIONS 5
+
 struct flashchip {
 	const char *vendor;
 	const char *name;
@@ -177,6 +188,19 @@
 	/* Delay after "enter/exit ID mode" commands in microseconds. */
 	int probe_timing;
 	int (*erase) (struct flashchip *flash);
+
+	/*
+	 * Erase blocks and associated erase function. The default entry is a
+	 * chip-sized virtual block together with the chip erase function.
+	 */
+	struct block_eraser {
+		struct eraseblock{
+			unsigned int size; /* Eraseblock size */
+			unsigned int count; /* Number of contiguous blocks with that size */
+		} eraseblocks[NUM_ERASEREGIONS];
+		int (*block_erase) (struct flashchip *flash, unsigned int blockaddr, unsigned int blocklen);
+	} block_erasers[NUM_ERASEFUNCTIONS];
+
 	int (*write) (struct flashchip *flash, uint8_t *buf);
 	int (*read) (struct flashchip *flash, uint8_t *buf, int start, int len);
 
@@ -417,6 +441,7 @@
 #define printf_debug(x...) { if (verbose) printf(x); }
 void map_flash_registers(struct flashchip *flash);
 int read_memmapped(struct flashchip *flash, uint8_t *buf, int start, int len);
+int erase_flash(struct flashchip *flash);
 int min(int a, int b);
 int max(int a, int b);
 int check_erased_range(struct flashchip *flash, int start, int len);
diff --git a/flashchips.c b/flashchips.c
index 3b72cdf..33ebd04 100644
--- a/flashchips.c
+++ b/flashchips.c
@@ -1229,7 +1229,30 @@
 		.tested		= TEST_UNTESTED,
 		.probe		= probe_spi_rdid,
 		.probe_timing	= TIMING_ZERO,
-		.erase		= spi_chip_erase_60_c7,
+		.erase		= NULL,
+		.block_erasers	=
+		{
+			{
+				.eraseblocks = { {4 * 1024, 16} },
+				.block_erase = spi_block_erase_20,
+			},
+			{
+				.eraseblocks = { {64 * 1024, 1} },
+				.block_erase = spi_block_erase_52,
+			},
+			{
+				.eraseblocks = { {64 * 1024, 1} },
+				.block_erase = spi_block_erase_d8,
+			},
+			{
+				.eraseblocks = { {64 * 1024, 1} },
+				.block_erase = spi_block_erase_60,
+			},
+			{
+				.eraseblocks = { {64 * 1024, 1} },
+				.block_erase = spi_block_erase_c7,
+			},
+		},
 		.write		= spi_chip_write_256,
 		.read		= spi_chip_read,
 	},
@@ -1245,7 +1268,26 @@
 		.tested		= TEST_UNTESTED,
 		.probe		= probe_spi_rdid,
 		.probe_timing	= TIMING_ZERO,
-		.erase		= spi_chip_erase_60_c7,
+		.erase		= NULL,
+		.block_erasers	=
+		{
+			{
+				.eraseblocks = { {4 * 1024, 32} },
+				.block_erase = spi_block_erase_20,
+			},
+			{
+				.eraseblocks = { {64 * 1024, 2} },
+				.block_erase = spi_block_erase_d8,
+			},
+			{
+				.eraseblocks = { {128 * 1024, 1} },
+				.block_erase = spi_block_erase_60,
+			},
+			{
+				.eraseblocks = { {128 * 1024, 1} },
+				.block_erase = spi_block_erase_c7,
+			},
+		},
 		.write		= spi_chip_write_256,
 		.read		= spi_chip_read,
 	},
diff --git a/flashrom.c b/flashrom.c
index 6da6741..6c03d93 100644
--- a/flashrom.c
+++ b/flashrom.c
@@ -474,36 +474,66 @@
 
 int erase_flash(struct flashchip *flash)
 {
-	uint32_t erasedbytes;
-	unsigned long size = flash->total_size * 1024;
-	unsigned char *buf = calloc(size, sizeof(char));
+	int i, j, k, ret = 0, found = 0;
+
 	printf("Erasing flash chip... ");
-	if (NULL == flash->erase) {
-		printf("FAILED!\n");
+	for (k = 0; k < NUM_ERASEFUNCTIONS; k++) {
+		unsigned long done = 0;
+		struct block_eraser eraser = flash->block_erasers[k];
+
+		printf_debug("Looking at blockwise erase function %i... ", k);
+		if (!eraser.block_erase && !eraser.eraseblocks[0].count) {
+			printf_debug("not defined. "
+				"Looking for another erase function.\n");
+			continue;
+		}
+		if (!eraser.block_erase && eraser.eraseblocks[0].count) {
+			printf_debug("eraseblock layout is known, but no "
+				"matching block erase function found. "
+				"Looking for another erase function.\n");
+			continue;
+		}
+		if (eraser.block_erase && !eraser.eraseblocks[0].count) {
+			printf_debug("block erase function found, but "
+				"eraseblock layout is unknown. "
+				"Looking for another erase function.\n");
+			continue;
+		}
+		found = 1;
+		printf_debug("trying... ");
+		for (i = 0; i < NUM_ERASEREGIONS; i++) {
+			/* count==0 for all automatically initialized array
+			 * members so the loop below won't be executed for them.
+			 */
+			for (j = 0; j < eraser.eraseblocks[i].count; j++) {
+				ret = eraser.block_erase(flash, done + eraser.eraseblocks[i].size * j, eraser.eraseblocks[i].size);
+				if (ret)
+					break;
+			}
+			if (ret)
+				break;
+		}
+		/* If everything is OK, don't try another erase function. */
+		if (!ret)
+			break;
+	}
+	/* If no block erase function was found or block erase failed, retry. */
+	if ((!found || ret) && (flash->erase)) {
+		found = 1;
+		printf_debug("Trying whole-chip erase function... ");
+		ret = flash->erase(flash);
+	}
+	if (!found) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: flashrom has no erase function for this flash chip.\n");
 		return 1;
 	}
-	flash->erase(flash);
 
-	/* FIXME: The lines below are superfluous. We should check the result
-	 * of flash->erase(flash) instead.
-	 */
-	if (!flash->read) {
-		printf("FAILED!\n");
-		fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: flashrom has no read function for this flash chip.\n");
-		return 1;
-	} else
-		flash->read(flash, buf, 0, size);
-
-	for (erasedbytes = 0; erasedbytes < size; erasedbytes++)
-		if (0xff != buf[erasedbytes]) {
-			printf("FAILED!\n");
-			fprintf(stderr, "ERROR at 0x%08x: Expected=0xff, Read=0x%02x\n",
-				erasedbytes, buf[erasedbytes]);
-			return 1;
-		}
-	printf("SUCCESS.\n");
-	return 0;
+	if (ret) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "FAILED!\n");
+	} else {
+		printf("SUCCESS.\n");
+	}
+	return ret;
 }
 
 void emergency_help_message()
diff --git a/ft2232_spi.c b/ft2232_spi.c
index 9bf1af3..ee8d67d 100644
--- a/ft2232_spi.c
+++ b/ft2232_spi.c
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@
 	spi_disable_blockprotect();
 	/* Erase first */
 	printf("Erasing flash before programming... ");
-	if (flash->erase(flash)) {
+	if (erase_flash(flash)) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "ERASE FAILED!\n");
 		return -1;
 	}
diff --git a/it87spi.c b/it87spi.c
index d58f837..a5dc06e 100644
--- a/it87spi.c
+++ b/it87spi.c
@@ -279,7 +279,7 @@
 		spi_disable_blockprotect();
 		/* Erase first */
 		printf("Erasing flash before programming... ");
-		if (flash->erase(flash)) {
+		if (erase_flash(flash)) {
 			fprintf(stderr, "ERASE FAILED!\n");
 			return -1;
 		}
diff --git a/sb600spi.c b/sb600spi.c
index c853f42..0738a86 100644
--- a/sb600spi.c
+++ b/sb600spi.c
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@
 	spi_disable_blockprotect();
 	/* Erase first */
 	printf("Erasing flash before programming... ");
-	if (flash->erase(flash)) {
+	if (erase_flash(flash)) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "ERASE FAILED!\n");
 		return -1;
 	}
diff --git a/spi.c b/spi.c
index 7a17b24..86ffe69 100644
--- a/spi.c
+++ b/spi.c
@@ -972,7 +972,7 @@
 	spi_disable_blockprotect();
 	/* Erase first */
 	printf("Erasing flash before programming... ");
-	if (flash->erase(flash)) {
+	if (erase_flash(flash)) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "ERASE FAILED!\n");
 		return -1;
 	}
@@ -1021,7 +1021,7 @@
 	default:
 		break;
 	}
-	if (flash->erase(flash)) {
+	if (erase_flash(flash)) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "ERASE FAILED!\n");
 		return -1;
 	}
diff --git a/w39v040c.c b/w39v040c.c
index bfa9853..722ae29 100644
--- a/w39v040c.c
+++ b/w39v040c.c
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@
 	int page_size = flash->page_size;
 	chipaddr bios = flash->virtual_memory;
 
-	if (flash->erase(flash)) {
+	if (erase_flash(flash)) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "ERASE FAILED!\n");
 		return -1;
 	}