diff --git a/drivers/i2c/busses/i2c-rcar.c b/drivers/i2c/busses/i2c-rcar.c
index b0d85f5957d4ddbae6e48b810174b9230e1343bd..d39a4606f72d3d7849d2727a4f83cad298bd58e3 100644
--- a/drivers/i2c/busses/i2c-rcar.c
+++ b/drivers/i2c/busses/i2c-rcar.c
@@ -480,6 +480,10 @@ static void rcar_i2c_irq_send(struct rcar_i2c_priv *priv, u32 msr)
 	if (!(msr & MDE))
 		return;
 
+	/* Check if DMA can be enabled and take over */
+	if (priv->pos == 1 && rcar_i2c_dma(priv))
+		return;
+
 	if (priv->pos < msg->len) {
 		/*
 		 * Prepare next data to ICRXTX register.
@@ -490,13 +494,6 @@ static void rcar_i2c_irq_send(struct rcar_i2c_priv *priv, u32 msr)
 		 */
 		rcar_i2c_write(priv, ICRXTX, msg->buf[priv->pos]);
 		priv->pos++;
-
-		/*
-		 * Try to use DMA to transmit the rest of the data if
-		 * address transfer phase just finished.
-		 */
-		if (msr & MAT)
-			rcar_i2c_dma(priv);
 	} else {
 		/*
 		 * The last data was pushed to ICRXTX on _PREV_ empty irq.