diff --git a/drivers/i2c/busses/i2c-i801.c b/drivers/i2c/busses/i2c-i801.c
index 8794e70..56db310 100644
--- a/drivers/i2c/busses/i2c-i801.c
+++ b/drivers/i2c/busses/i2c-i801.c
@@ -317,7 +317,13 @@ static int i801_check_post(struct i801_priv *priv, int status)
 	 * DEV_ERR.
 	 */
 	if (unlikely(status < 0)) {
-		dev_err(&priv->pci_dev->dev, "Transaction timeout\n");
+		result = status;
+		if (status == -EPROTO)
+			dev_err(&priv->pci_dev->dev,
+				"Illegal SMBus block read size %d\n",
+				priv->len);
+		else
+			dev_err(&priv->pci_dev->dev, "Transaction timeout\n");
 		/* try to stop the current command */
 		dev_dbg(&priv->pci_dev->dev, "Terminating the current operation\n");
 		outb_p(inb_p(SMBHSTCNT(priv)) | SMBHSTCNT_KILL,
@@ -333,7 +339,7 @@ static int i801_check_post(struct i801_priv *priv, int status)
 			dev_err(&priv->pci_dev->dev,
 				"Failed terminating the transaction\n");
 		outb_p(STATUS_FLAGS, SMBHSTSTS(priv));
-		return -ETIMEDOUT;
+		return result;
 	}
 
 	if (status & SMBHSTSTS_FAILED) {
@@ -414,15 +420,14 @@ static int i801_transaction(struct i801_priv *priv, int xact)
 				 "Timeout waiting for interrupt!\n");
 		}
 		priv->status = 0;
-		return i801_check_post(priv, status);
+		return status;
 	}
 
 	/* the current contents of SMBHSTCNT can be overwritten, since PEC,
 	 * SMBSCMD are passed in xact */
 	outb_p(xact | SMBHSTCNT_START, SMBHSTCNT(priv));
 
-	status = i801_wait_intr(priv);
-	return i801_check_post(priv, status);
+	return i801_wait_intr(priv);
 }
 
 static int i801_block_transaction_by_block(struct i801_priv *priv,
@@ -444,11 +449,11 @@ static int i801_block_transaction_by_block(struct i801_priv *priv,
 
 	status = i801_transaction(priv, I801_BLOCK_DATA |
 				  (hwpec ? SMBHSTCNT_PEC_EN : 0));
-	if (status)
+	if (status < 0 || status & STATUS_ERROR_FLAGS)
 		return status;
 
 	if (read_write == I2C_SMBUS_READ) {
-		len = inb_p(SMBHSTDAT0(priv));
+		len = priv->len = inb_p(SMBHSTDAT0(priv));
 		if (len < 1 || len > I2C_SMBUS_BLOCK_MAX)
 			return -EPROTO;
 
@@ -456,7 +461,7 @@ static int i801_block_transaction_by_block(struct i801_priv *priv,
 		for (i = 0; i < len; i++)
 			data->block[i + 1] = inb_p(SMBBLKDAT(priv));
 	}
-	return 0;
+	return status;
 }
 
 static void i801_isr_byte_done(struct i801_priv *priv)
@@ -590,7 +595,7 @@ static int i801_block_transaction_byte_by_byte(struct i801_priv *priv,
 				 "Timeout waiting for interrupt!\n");
 		}
 		priv->status = 0;
-		return i801_check_post(priv, status);
+		return status;
 	}
 
 	for (i = 1; i <= len; i++) {
@@ -604,24 +609,14 @@ static int i801_block_transaction_byte_by_byte(struct i801_priv *priv,
 
 		status = i801_wait_byte_done(priv);
 		if (status)
-			goto exit;
+			return status;
 
 		if (i == 1 && read_write == I2C_SMBUS_READ
 		 && command != I2C_SMBUS_I2C_BLOCK_DATA) {
-			len = inb_p(SMBHSTDAT0(priv));
-			if (len < 1 || len > I2C_SMBUS_BLOCK_MAX) {
-				dev_err(&priv->pci_dev->dev,
-					"Illegal SMBus block read size %d\n",
-					len);
-				/* Recover */
-				while (inb_p(SMBHSTSTS(priv)) &
-				       SMBHSTSTS_HOST_BUSY)
-					outb_p(SMBHSTSTS_BYTE_DONE,
-					       SMBHSTSTS(priv));
-				outb_p(SMBHSTSTS_INTR, SMBHSTSTS(priv));
+			priv->len = inb_p(SMBHSTDAT0(priv));
+			if (priv->len < 1 || priv->len > I2C_SMBUS_BLOCK_MAX)
 				return -EPROTO;
-			}
-			data->block[0] = len;
+			data->block[0] = len = priv->len;
 		}
 
 		/* Retrieve/store value in SMBBLKDAT */
@@ -634,9 +629,7 @@ static int i801_block_transaction_byte_by_byte(struct i801_priv *priv,
 		outb_p(SMBHSTSTS_BYTE_DONE, SMBHSTSTS(priv));
 	}
 
-	status = i801_wait_intr(priv);
-exit:
-	return i801_check_post(priv, status);
+	return i801_wait_intr(priv);
 }
 
 static int i801_set_block_buffer_mode(struct i801_priv *priv)
@@ -791,6 +784,12 @@ static s32 i801_access(struct i2c_adapter *adap, u16 addr,
 	else
 		ret = i801_transaction(priv, xact);
 
+	/*
+	 * ret can be status if positive or an error if negative.  Let
+	 * the post check handle it.
+	 */
+	ret = i801_check_post(priv, ret);
+
 	if (hostc >= 0)
 		pci_write_config_byte(priv->pci_dev, SMBHSTCFG, hostc);
 
