diff --git a/cli_classic.c b/cli_classic.c
index 441fc91..31f7394 100644
--- a/cli_classic.c
+++ b/cli_classic.c
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@
 	       "      --ifd                         read layout from an Intel Firmware Descriptor\n"
 	       " -i | --image <name>                only flash image <name> from flash layout\n"
 	       " -o | --output <logfile>            log output to <logfile>\n"
+	       "      --flash-contents <ref-file>   assume flash contents to be <ref-file>\n"
 	       " -L | --list-supported              print supported devices\n"
 #if CONFIG_PRINT_WIKI == 1
 	       " -z | --list-supported-wiki         print supported devices in wiki syntax\n"
@@ -108,6 +109,10 @@
 	int dont_verify_it = 0, dont_verify_all = 0, list_supported = 0, operation_specified = 0;
 	struct flashrom_layout *layout = NULL;
 	enum programmer prog = PROGRAMMER_INVALID;
+	enum {
+		OPTION_IFD = 0x0100,
+		OPTION_FLASH_CONTENTS,
+	};
 	int ret = 0;
 
 	static const char optstring[] = "r:Rw:v:nNVEfc:l:i:p:Lzho:";
@@ -122,8 +127,9 @@
 		{"verbose",		0, NULL, 'V'},
 		{"force",		0, NULL, 'f'},
 		{"layout",		1, NULL, 'l'},
-		{"ifd",			0, NULL, 0x0100},
+		{"ifd",			0, NULL, OPTION_IFD},
 		{"image",		1, NULL, 'i'},
+		{"flash-contents",	1, NULL, OPTION_FLASH_CONTENTS},
 		{"list-supported",	0, NULL, 'L'},
 		{"list-supported-wiki",	0, NULL, 'z'},
 		{"programmer",		1, NULL, 'p'},
@@ -134,6 +140,7 @@
 	};
 
 	char *filename = NULL;
+	char *referencefile = NULL;
 	char *layoutfile = NULL;
 #ifndef STANDALONE
 	char *logfile = NULL;
@@ -229,7 +236,7 @@
 			}
 			layoutfile = strdup(optarg);
 			break;
-		case 0x0100:
+		case OPTION_IFD:
 			if (layoutfile) {
 				fprintf(stderr, "Error: --layout and --ifd both specified. Aborting.\n");
 				cli_classic_abort_usage();
@@ -243,6 +250,9 @@
 				cli_classic_abort_usage();
 			}
 			break;
+		case OPTION_FLASH_CONTENTS:
+			referencefile = strdup(optarg);
+			break;
 		case 'L':
 			if (++operation_specified > 1) {
 				fprintf(stderr, "More than one operation "
@@ -354,6 +364,9 @@
 	if (layoutfile && check_filename(layoutfile, "layout")) {
 		cli_classic_abort_usage();
 	}
+	if (referencefile && check_filename(referencefile, "reference")) {
+		cli_classic_abort_usage();
+	}
 
 #ifndef STANDALONE
 	if (logfile && check_filename(logfile, "log"))
@@ -569,7 +582,7 @@
 	else if (erase_it)
 		ret = do_erase(fill_flash);
 	else if (write_it)
-		ret = do_write(fill_flash, filename);
+		ret = do_write(fill_flash, filename, referencefile);
 	else if (verify_it)
 		ret = do_verify(fill_flash, filename);
 
@@ -583,6 +596,7 @@
 
 	layout_cleanup();
 	free(filename);
+	free(referencefile);
 	free(layoutfile);
 	free(pparam);
 	/* clean up global variables */
diff --git a/flash.h b/flash.h
index 7bf3cc7..a80a9c2 100644
--- a/flash.h
+++ b/flash.h
@@ -329,7 +329,7 @@
 void finalize_flash_access(struct flashctx *);
 int do_read(struct flashctx *, const char *filename);
 int do_erase(struct flashctx *);
-int do_write(struct flashctx *, const char *const filename);
+int do_write(struct flashctx *, const char *const filename, const char *const referencefile);
 int do_verify(struct flashctx *, const char *const filename);
 
 /* Something happened that shouldn't happen, but we can go on. */
diff --git a/flashrom.c b/flashrom.c
index 26b9863..d87a431 100644
--- a/flashrom.c
+++ b/flashrom.c
@@ -2345,13 +2345,15 @@
  * @param flashctx The context of the flash chip.
  * @param buffer Source buffer to read image from (may be altered for full verification).
  * @param buffer_len Size of source buffer in bytes.
+ * @param refbuffer If given, assume flash chip contains same data as `refbuffer`.
  * @return 0 on success,
  *         4 if buffer_len doesn't match the size of the flash chip,
  *         3 if write was tried but nothing has changed,
  *         2 if write failed and flash contents changed,
  *         or 1 on any other failure.
  */
-int flashrom_image_write(struct flashctx *const flashctx, void *const buffer, const size_t buffer_len)
+int flashrom_image_write(struct flashctx *const flashctx, void *const buffer, const size_t buffer_len,
+                         const void *const refbuffer)
 {
 	const size_t flash_size = flashctx->chip->total_size * 1024;
 	const bool verify_all = flashctx->flags.verify_whole_chip;
@@ -2363,6 +2365,7 @@
 	int ret = 1;
 
 	uint8_t *const newcontents = buffer;
+	const uint8_t *const refcontents = refbuffer;
 	uint8_t *const curcontents = malloc(flash_size);
 	uint8_t *oldcontents = NULL;
 	if (verify_all)
@@ -2387,27 +2390,35 @@
 	if (prepare_flash_access(flashctx, false, true, false, verify))
 		goto _free_ret;
 
-	/*
-	 * Read the whole chip to be able to check whether regions need to be
-	 * erased and to give better diagnostics in case write fails.
-	 * The alternative is to read only the regions which are to be
-	 * preserved, but in that case we might perform unneeded erase which
-	 * takes time as well.
-	 */
-	msg_cinfo("Reading old flash chip contents... ");
-	if (verify_all) {
-		if (flashctx->chip->read(flashctx, oldcontents, 0, flash_size)) {
-			msg_cinfo("FAILED.\n");
-			goto _finalize_ret;
-		}
-		memcpy(curcontents, oldcontents, flash_size);
+	/* If given, assume flash chip contains same data as `refcontents`. */
+	if (refcontents) {
+		msg_cinfo("Assuming old flash chip contents as ref-file...\n");
+		memcpy(curcontents, refcontents, flash_size);
+		if (oldcontents)
+			memcpy(oldcontents, refcontents, flash_size);
 	} else {
-		if (read_by_layout(flashctx, curcontents)) {
-			msg_cinfo("FAILED.\n");
-			goto _finalize_ret;
+		/*
+		 * Read the whole chip to be able to check whether regions need to be
+		 * erased and to give better diagnostics in case write fails.
+		 * The alternative is to read only the regions which are to be
+		 * preserved, but in that case we might perform unneeded erase which
+		 * takes time as well.
+		 */
+		msg_cinfo("Reading old flash chip contents... ");
+		if (verify_all) {
+			if (flashctx->chip->read(flashctx, oldcontents, 0, flash_size)) {
+				msg_cinfo("FAILED.\n");
+				goto _finalize_ret;
+			}
+			memcpy(curcontents, oldcontents, flash_size);
+		} else {
+			if (read_by_layout(flashctx, curcontents)) {
+				msg_cinfo("FAILED.\n");
+				goto _finalize_ret;
+			}
 		}
+		msg_cinfo("done.\n");
 	}
-	msg_cinfo("done.\n");
 
 	if (write_by_layout(flashctx, curcontents, newcontents)) {
 		msg_cerr("Uh oh. Erase/write failed. ");
@@ -2542,13 +2553,15 @@
 	return ret;
 }
 
-int do_write(struct flashctx *const flash, const char *const filename)
+int do_write(struct flashctx *const flash, const char *const filename, const char *const referencefile)
 {
 	const size_t flash_size = flash->chip->total_size * 1024;
 	int ret = 1;
 
 	uint8_t *const newcontents = malloc(flash_size);
-	if (!newcontents) {
+	uint8_t *const refcontents = referencefile ? malloc(flash_size) : NULL;
+
+	if (!newcontents || (referencefile && !refcontents)) {
 		msg_gerr("Out of memory!\n");
 		goto _free_ret;
 	}
@@ -2556,9 +2569,15 @@
 	if (read_buf_from_file(newcontents, flash_size, filename))
 		goto _free_ret;
 
-	ret = flashrom_image_write(flash, newcontents, flash_size);
+	if (referencefile) {
+		if (read_buf_from_file(refcontents, flash_size, referencefile))
+			goto _free_ret;
+	}
+
+	ret = flashrom_image_write(flash, newcontents, flash_size, refcontents);
 
 _free_ret:
+	free(refcontents);
 	free(newcontents);
 	return ret;
 }
diff --git a/libflashrom.h b/libflashrom.h
index d3f3ded..786147b 100644
--- a/libflashrom.h
+++ b/libflashrom.h
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@
 bool flashrom_flag_get(const struct flashrom_flashctx *, enum flashrom_flag);
 
 int flashrom_image_read(struct flashrom_flashctx *, void *buffer, size_t buffer_len);
-int flashrom_image_write(struct flashrom_flashctx *, void *buffer, size_t buffer_len);
+int flashrom_image_write(struct flashrom_flashctx *, void *buffer, size_t buffer_len, const void *refbuffer);
 int flashrom_image_verify(struct flashrom_flashctx *, const void *buffer, size_t buffer_len);
 
 struct flashrom_layout;
@@ -69,4 +69,4 @@
 void flashrom_layout_release(struct flashrom_layout *);
 void flashrom_layout_set(struct flashrom_flashctx *, const struct flashrom_layout *);
 
-#endif				/* !__LIBFLASHROM_H__ */
+#endif				/* !__LIBFLASHROM_H__ */
\ No newline at end of file