diff --git a/drivers/spi/spi_gpio.c b/drivers/spi/spi_gpio.c
index d2866c293dee0a5f160e5342755ffc8be525f351..26bd03e61855fba412726f23b638066a90abcaa9 100644
--- a/drivers/spi/spi_gpio.c
+++ b/drivers/spi/spi_gpio.c
@@ -178,8 +178,10 @@ static void spi_gpio_chipselect(struct spi_device *spi, int is_active)
 	if (is_active)
 		setsck(spi, spi->mode & SPI_CPOL);
 
-	/* SPI is normally active-low */
-	gpio_set_value(cs, (spi->mode & SPI_CS_HIGH) ? is_active : !is_active);
+	if (cs != SPI_GPIO_NO_CHIPSELECT) {
+		/* SPI is normally active-low */
+		gpio_set_value(cs, (spi->mode & SPI_CS_HIGH) ? is_active : !is_active);
+	}
 }
 
 static int spi_gpio_setup(struct spi_device *spi)
@@ -191,15 +193,17 @@ static int spi_gpio_setup(struct spi_device *spi)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
 	if (!spi->controller_state) {
-		status = gpio_request(cs, dev_name(&spi->dev));
-		if (status)
-			return status;
-		status = gpio_direction_output(cs, spi->mode & SPI_CS_HIGH);
+		if (cs != SPI_GPIO_NO_CHIPSELECT) {
+			status = gpio_request(cs, dev_name(&spi->dev));
+			if (status)
+				return status;
+			status = gpio_direction_output(cs, spi->mode & SPI_CS_HIGH);
+		}
 	}
 	if (!status)
 		status = spi_bitbang_setup(spi);
 	if (status) {
-		if (!spi->controller_state)
+		if (!spi->controller_state && cs != SPI_GPIO_NO_CHIPSELECT)
 			gpio_free(cs);
 	}
 	return status;
@@ -209,7 +213,8 @@ static void spi_gpio_cleanup(struct spi_device *spi)
 {
 	unsigned long	cs = (unsigned long) spi->controller_data;
 
-	gpio_free(cs);
+	if (cs != SPI_GPIO_NO_CHIPSELECT)
+		gpio_free(cs);
 	spi_bitbang_cleanup(spi);
 }
 
diff --git a/include/linux/spi/spi_gpio.h b/include/linux/spi/spi_gpio.h
index 0f01a0f1f40c9718a67dfc08f2561a0c13521fc7..ca6782ee4b9fce4f9208020e552129db6f0fbd5a 100644
--- a/include/linux/spi/spi_gpio.h
+++ b/include/linux/spi/spi_gpio.h
@@ -25,10 +25,16 @@
  *	...
  *	};
  *
+ * If chipselect is not used (there's only one device on the bus), assign
+ * SPI_GPIO_NO_CHIPSELECT to the controller_data:
+ *		.controller_data = (void *) SPI_GPIO_NO_CHIPSELECT;
+ *
  * If the bitbanged bus is later switched to a "native" controller,
  * that platform_device and controller_data should be removed.
  */
 
+#define SPI_GPIO_NO_CHIPSELECT		((unsigned long)-1l)
+
 /**
  * struct spi_gpio_platform_data - parameter for bitbanged SPI master
  * @sck: number of the GPIO used for clock output