diff --git a/drivers/dma/ste_dma40.c b/drivers/dma/ste_dma40.c
index 0c183a34edea..2c818fadeb2a 100644
--- a/drivers/dma/ste_dma40.c
+++ b/drivers/dma/ste_dma40.c
@@ -2405,7 +2405,13 @@ d40_prep_sg(struct dma_chan *dchan, struct scatterlist *sg_src,
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
-	d40_set_runtime_config_write(dchan, &chan->slave_config, direction);
+	if (direction != DMA_MEM_TO_MEM) {
+		ret = d40_set_runtime_config_write(dchan,
+						   &chan->slave_config,
+						   direction);
+		if (ret)
+			return NULL;
+	}
 
 	spin_lock_irqsave(&chan->lock, flags);
 
@@ -2881,6 +2887,13 @@ static int d40_set_runtime_config_write(struct dma_chan *chan,
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
+	if (direction != cfg->dir) {
+		chan_err(d40c,
+			 "transfer direction %d differs from allocated direction %d\n",
+			 direction, cfg->dir);
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
 	src_addr_width = config->src_addr_width;
 	src_maxburst = config->src_maxburst;
 	dst_addr_width = config->dst_addr_width;
@@ -2889,13 +2902,6 @@ static int d40_set_runtime_config_write(struct dma_chan *chan,
 	if (direction == DMA_DEV_TO_MEM) {
 		config_addr = config->src_addr;
 
-		if (cfg->dir != DMA_DEV_TO_MEM)
-			dev_dbg(d40c->base->dev,
-				"channel was not configured for peripheral "
-				"to memory transfer (%d) overriding\n",
-				cfg->dir);
-		cfg->dir = DMA_DEV_TO_MEM;
-
 		/* Configure the memory side */
 		if (dst_addr_width == DMA_SLAVE_BUSWIDTH_UNDEFINED)
 			dst_addr_width = src_addr_width;
@@ -2905,13 +2911,6 @@ static int d40_set_runtime_config_write(struct dma_chan *chan,
 	} else if (direction == DMA_MEM_TO_DEV) {
 		config_addr = config->dst_addr;
 
-		if (cfg->dir != DMA_MEM_TO_DEV)
-			dev_dbg(d40c->base->dev,
-				"channel was not configured for memory "
-				"to peripheral transfer (%d) overriding\n",
-				cfg->dir);
-		cfg->dir = DMA_MEM_TO_DEV;
-
 		/* Configure the memory side */
 		if (src_addr_width == DMA_SLAVE_BUSWIDTH_UNDEFINED)
 			src_addr_width = dst_addr_width;