diff --git a/tools/spi/spidev_test.c b/tools/spi/spidev_test.c
index e46eaef4d2ab..7b343803903e 100644
--- a/tools/spi/spidev_test.c
+++ b/tools/spi/spidev_test.c
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ static int verbose;
 static int transfer_size = -1;
 static int iterations;
 static int interval = 5; /* interval in seconds for showing transfer rate */
+static int compare;
 static int random_input;
 static int input_choices;
 
@@ -174,7 +175,7 @@ static void transfer(int fd, uint8_t const *tx, uint8_t const *rx, size_t len)
 	if (verbose)
 		hex_dump(rx, len, 32, "RX");
 
-	if (mode & SPI_LOOP) {
+	if (compare || mode & SPI_LOOP) {
 		if (memcmp(tx, rx, len)) {
 			fprintf(stderr, "transfer error !\n");
 			hex_dump(tx, len, 32, "TX");
@@ -186,13 +187,14 @@ 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 [-2348CDFHILMNORSZbdilopsvw]\n", prog);
+	printf("Usage: %s [-2348CDFHILMNORSZbcdilopsvw]\n", prog);
 	puts("general device settings:\n"
 		 "  -D --device         device to use (default /dev/spidev1.1)\n"
 		 "  -s --speed          max speed (Hz)\n"
 		 "  -d --delay          delay (usec)\n"
 		 "  -w --word-delay     word delay (usec)\n"
 		 "  -l --loop           loopback\n"
+		 "  -c --compare        compare RX'ed and TX'ed data\n"
 		 "spi mode:\n"
 		 "  -H --cpha           clock phase\n"
 		 "  -O --cpol           clock polarity\n"
@@ -230,6 +232,7 @@ static void parse_opts(int argc, char *argv[])
 			{ "delay",         1, 0, 'd' },
 			{ "word-delay",    1, 0, 'w' },
 			{ "loop",          0, 0, 'l' },
+			{ "compare",       0, 0, 'c' },
 			{ "cpha",          0, 0, 'H' },
 			{ "cpol",          0, 0, 'O' },
 			{ "rx-cpha-flip",  0, 0, 'F' },
@@ -253,7 +256,7 @@ static void parse_opts(int argc, char *argv[])
 		};
 		int c;
 
-		c = getopt_long(argc, argv, "D:s:d:w:b:i:o:lHOLC3ZFMNR248p:vS:I:",
+		c = getopt_long(argc, argv, "D:s:d:w:b:i:o:lcHOLC3ZFMNR248p:vS:I:",
 				lopts, NULL);
 
 		if (c == -1)
@@ -285,6 +288,9 @@ static void parse_opts(int argc, char *argv[])
 		case 'l':
 			mode |= SPI_LOOP;
 			break;
+		case 'c':
+			compare = 1;
+			break;
 		case 'H':
 			mode |= SPI_CPHA;
 			break;
@@ -466,6 +472,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	if (iterations && transfer_size < 0)
 		pabort("-I (--iter) is only implemented for -S (--size)");
 
+	if (compare && mode & (SPI_TX_OCTAL | SPI_TX_QUAD | SPI_TX_DUAL))
+		pabort("-c (--compare) conflicts with -2 (--dual), -4 (--quad) or -8 (--octal)");
+
 	fd = open(device, O_RDWR);
 	if (fd < 0)
 		pabort("can't open device");