diff --git a/tools/spi/spidev_test.c b/tools/spi/spidev_test.c
index a58680b6288a..ac24d051835f 100644
--- a/tools/spi/spidev_test.c
+++ b/tools/spi/spidev_test.c
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ static uint16_t delay;
 static uint16_t word_delay;
 static int verbose;
 static int transfer_size = -1;
+static int transfers = 1;
 static int iterations;
 static int interval = 5; /* interval in seconds for showing transfer rate */
 static int compare;
@@ -123,40 +124,79 @@ static int unescape(char *_dst, char *_src, size_t len)
 	return ret;
 }
 
-static void transfer(int fd, uint8_t const *tx, uint8_t const *rx, size_t len)
+static void transfer(int fd, uint8_t const * const tx, uint8_t const * const rx, size_t len)
 {
 	int ret;
 	int out_fd;
-	struct spi_ioc_transfer tr = {
-		.tx_buf = (unsigned long)tx,
-		.rx_buf = (unsigned long)rx,
-		.len = len,
-		.delay_usecs = delay,
-		.word_delay_usecs = word_delay,
-		.speed_hz = speed,
-		.bits_per_word = bits,
-	};
+	size_t bytes_per_word = DIV_ROUND_UP(bits, 8);
+	int effective_transfers;
+	struct spi_ioc_transfer *tr;
+	size_t len_per_transfer;
+	const uint8_t *tx_buf = tx;
+	const uint8_t *rx_buf = rx;
+	size_t rem;
 
-	if (mode & SPI_TX_OCTAL)
-		tr.tx_nbits = 8;
-	else if (mode & SPI_TX_QUAD)
-		tr.tx_nbits = 4;
-	else if (mode & SPI_TX_DUAL)
-		tr.tx_nbits = 2;
-	if (mode & SPI_RX_OCTAL)
-		tr.rx_nbits = 8;
-	else if (mode & SPI_RX_QUAD)
-		tr.rx_nbits = 4;
-	else if (mode & SPI_RX_DUAL)
-		tr.rx_nbits = 2;
-	if (!(mode & SPI_LOOP)) {
-		if (mode & (SPI_TX_OCTAL | SPI_TX_QUAD | SPI_TX_DUAL))
-			tr.rx_buf = 0;
-		else if (mode & (SPI_RX_OCTAL | SPI_RX_QUAD | SPI_RX_DUAL))
-			tr.tx_buf = 0;
+	if (len) {
+		effective_transfers = min_t(size_t, transfers, DIV_ROUND_UP(len, bytes_per_word));
+		len_per_transfer = roundup(DIV_ROUND_UP(len, effective_transfers), bytes_per_word);
+	} else {
+		/* zero-length transfers may be handled by the driver, deliver as ordered */
+		effective_transfers = transfers;
+		len_per_transfer = 0;
 	}
 
-	ret = ioctl(fd, SPI_IOC_MESSAGE(1), &tr);
+	if (SPI_MSGSIZE(effective_transfers) == 0)
+		pabort("too many transfers, SPI_IOC_MESSAGE size limit exceeded");
+
+	tr = calloc(effective_transfers, sizeof(*tr));
+	if (!tr)
+		pabort("can't allocate transfer array");
+
+	rem = len;
+
+	for (int i = 0; i < effective_transfers; i++) {
+		size_t n = min(rem, len_per_transfer);
+
+		tr[i] = (struct spi_ioc_transfer) {
+			.tx_buf = (unsigned long)tx_buf,
+			.rx_buf = (unsigned long)rx_buf,
+			.len = n,
+			.delay_usecs = delay,
+			.word_delay_usecs = word_delay,
+			.speed_hz = speed,
+			.bits_per_word = bits,
+		};
+
+		if (tx_buf)
+			tx_buf += n;
+
+		if (rx_buf)
+			rx_buf += n;
+
+		rem -= n;
+
+		if (mode & SPI_TX_OCTAL)
+			tr[i].tx_nbits = 8;
+		else if (mode & SPI_TX_QUAD)
+			tr[i].tx_nbits = 4;
+		else if (mode & SPI_TX_DUAL)
+			tr[i].tx_nbits = 2;
+		if (mode & SPI_RX_OCTAL)
+			tr[i].rx_nbits = 8;
+		else if (mode & SPI_RX_QUAD)
+			tr[i].rx_nbits = 4;
+		else if (mode & SPI_RX_DUAL)
+			tr[i].rx_nbits = 2;
+		if (!(mode & SPI_LOOP)) {
+			if (mode & (SPI_TX_OCTAL | SPI_TX_QUAD | SPI_TX_DUAL))
+				tr[i].rx_buf = 0;
+			else if (mode & (SPI_RX_OCTAL | SPI_RX_QUAD | SPI_RX_DUAL))
+				tr[i].tx_buf = 0;
+		}
+	}
+
+	ret = ioctl(fd, SPI_IOC_MESSAGE(effective_transfers), tr);
+	free(tr);
 	if (ret < 0)
 		pabort("can't send spi message");
 
@@ -190,7 +230,7 @@ static void transfer(int fd, uint8_t const *tx, uint8_t const *rx, size_t len)
 
 static void print_usage(const char *prog)
 {
-	printf("Usage: %s [-2348CDFHILMNOPRSZbcdiloprstvwz]\n", prog);
+	printf("Usage: %s [-2348CDFHILMNOPRSTZbcdiloprstvwz]\n", prog);
 	puts("general device settings:\n"
 		 "  -D --device         device to use (default /dev/spidev1.1)\n"
 		 "  -s --speed          max speed (Hz)\n"
@@ -225,6 +265,7 @@ static void print_usage(const char *prog)
 		 "  -N --no-cs          no chip select\n"
 		 "  -R --ready          slave pulls low to pause\n"
 		 "  -M --mosi-idle-low  leave mosi line low when idle\n"
+		 "  -T --transfers      number of transfers\n"
 		 "misc:\n"
 		 "  -v --verbose        Verbose (show tx buffer)\n");
 	exit(1);
@@ -262,12 +303,13 @@ static void parse_opts(int argc, char *argv[])
 			{ "ready",         0, 0, 'R' },
 			{ "mosi-idle-low", 0, 0, 'M' },
 			{ "predictable",   1, 0, 'P' },
+			{ "transfers",     1, 0, 'T' },
 			{ "verbose",       0, 0, 'v' },
 			{ NULL, 0, 0, 0 },
 		};
 		int c;
 
-		c = getopt_long(argc, argv, "D:s:d:w:b:i:o:lctrHOLC3ZFMNR248p:P:vS:zI:",
+		c = getopt_long(argc, argv, "D:s:d:w:b:i:o:lctrHOLC3ZFMNR248p:P:T:vS:zI:",
 				lopts, NULL);
 
 		if (c == -1)
@@ -332,6 +374,9 @@ static void parse_opts(int argc, char *argv[])
 		case 'M':
 			mode |= SPI_MOSI_IDLE_LOW;
 			break;
+		case 'T':
+			transfers = atoi(optarg);
+			break;
 		case 'N':
 			mode |= SPI_NO_CS;
 			break;
@@ -533,6 +578,12 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	if (compare && mode & (SPI_TX_OCTAL | SPI_TX_QUAD | SPI_TX_DUAL))
 		pabort("-c (--compare) conflicts with -2 (--dual), -4 (--quad) or -8 (--octal)");
 
+	if (transfers < 1)
+		pabort("-T (--transfers) must be 1 or above");
+
+	if (bits < 1)
+		pabort("-b (--bpw) must be 1 or above");
+
 	fd = open(device, O_RDWR);
 	if (fd < 0)
 		pabort("can't open device");