diff --git a/drivers/i2c/busses/i2c-xiic.c b/drivers/i2c/busses/i2c-xiic.c
index 9a71e50d21f1..0c51c0ffdda9 100644
--- a/drivers/i2c/busses/i2c-xiic.c
+++ b/drivers/i2c/busses/i2c-xiic.c
@@ -532,6 +532,7 @@ static void xiic_start_recv(struct xiic_i2c *i2c)
 {
 	u8 rx_watermark;
 	struct i2c_msg *msg = i2c->rx_msg = i2c->tx_msg;
+	unsigned long flags;
 
 	/* Clear and enable Rx full interrupt. */
 	xiic_irq_clr_en(i2c, XIIC_INTR_RX_FULL_MASK | XIIC_INTR_TX_ERROR_MASK);
@@ -547,6 +548,7 @@ static void xiic_start_recv(struct xiic_i2c *i2c)
 		rx_watermark = IIC_RX_FIFO_DEPTH;
 	xiic_setreg8(i2c, XIIC_RFD_REG_OFFSET, rx_watermark - 1);
 
+	local_irq_save(flags);
 	if (!(msg->flags & I2C_M_NOSTART))
 		/* write the address */
 		xiic_setreg16(i2c, XIIC_DTR_REG_OFFSET,
@@ -556,6 +558,8 @@ static void xiic_start_recv(struct xiic_i2c *i2c)
 
 	xiic_setreg16(i2c, XIIC_DTR_REG_OFFSET,
 		msg->len | ((i2c->nmsgs == 1) ? XIIC_TX_DYN_STOP_MASK : 0));
+	local_irq_restore(flags);
+
 	if (i2c->nmsgs == 1)
 		/* very last, enable bus not busy as well */
 		xiic_irq_clr_en(i2c, XIIC_INTR_BNB_MASK);