diff --git a/drivers/dma/ste_dma40.c b/drivers/dma/ste_dma40.c
index b809339f1776..0ffdfd9a1c9d 100644
--- a/drivers/dma/ste_dma40.c
+++ b/drivers/dma/ste_dma40.c
@@ -1890,7 +1890,8 @@ static int d40_validate_conf(struct d40_chan *d40c,
 	    d40c->base->gen_dmac.num_event_groups)
 		invalid_dev_type = true;
 
-	if (!conf->dir) {
+	if (conf->dir != DMA_MEM_TO_MEM &&
+	    !is_slave_direction(conf->dir)) {
 		chan_err(d40c, "Invalid direction.\n");
 		res = -EINVAL;
 	}
@@ -2185,12 +2186,17 @@ static int d40_allocate_channel(struct d40_chan *d40c, bool *first_phy_user)
 static int d40_config_memcpy(struct d40_chan *d40c)
 {
 	dma_cap_mask_t cap = d40c->chan.device->cap_mask;
+	int ret;
 
 	if (dma_has_cap(DMA_MEMCPY, cap) && !dma_has_cap(DMA_SLAVE, cap)) {
 		d40c->dma_cfg = dma40_memcpy_conf_log;
 		d40c->dma_cfg.dev_type =
 			d40c->base->plat_data->memcpy_channels[d40c->chan.chan_id];
 
+		ret = d40_validate_conf(d40c, &d40c->dma_cfg);
+		if (ret)
+			return ret;
+
 		d40_log_cfg(&d40c->dma_cfg,
 			    &d40c->log_def.lcsp1, &d40c->log_def.lcsp3);
 
@@ -2198,6 +2204,10 @@ static int d40_config_memcpy(struct d40_chan *d40c)
 		   dma_has_cap(DMA_SLAVE, cap)) {
 		d40c->dma_cfg = dma40_memcpy_conf_phy;
 
+		ret = d40_validate_conf(d40c, &d40c->dma_cfg);
+		if (ret)
+			return ret;
+
 		/* Generate interrupt at end of transfer or relink. */
 		d40c->dst_def_cfg |= BIT(D40_SREG_CFG_TIM_POS);