diff --git a/drivers/i2c/busses/i2c-i801.c b/drivers/i2c/busses/i2c-i801.c
index fa346be107f716560889ae4efdf3b591644ccac9..39b913bcaca6e146e1283dc39eb94dafa79c6d57 100644
--- a/drivers/i2c/busses/i2c-i801.c
+++ b/drivers/i2c/busses/i2c-i801.c
@@ -542,12 +542,11 @@ static int i801_block_transaction_by_block(struct i801_priv *priv,
 		return -EOPNOTSUPP;
 	}
 
-	inb_p(SMBHSTCNT(priv)); /* reset the data buffer index */
-
 	/* Use 32-byte buffer to process this transaction */
 	if (read_write == I2C_SMBUS_WRITE) {
 		len = data->block[0];
 		outb_p(len, SMBHSTDAT0(priv));
+		inb_p(SMBHSTCNT(priv)); /* reset the data buffer index */
 		for (i = 0; i < len; i++)
 			outb_p(data->block[i+1], SMBBLKDAT(priv));
 	}
@@ -563,6 +562,7 @@ static int i801_block_transaction_by_block(struct i801_priv *priv,
 			return -EPROTO;
 
 		data->block[0] = len;
+		inb_p(SMBHSTCNT(priv));	/* reset the data buffer index */
 		for (i = 0; i < len; i++)
 			data->block[i + 1] = inb_p(SMBBLKDAT(priv));
 	}