trace_spi_message_start(msg);
 
-       ret = spi_split_transfers_maxsize(ctlr, msg,
-                                         spi_max_transfer_size(msg->spi),
-                                         GFP_KERNEL | GFP_DMA);
-       if (ret) {
-               msg->status = ret;
-               spi_finalize_current_message(ctlr);
-               return ret;
+       /*
+        * If an SPI controller does not support toggling the CS line on each
+        * transfer (indicated by the SPI_CS_WORD flag) or we are using a GPIO
+        * for the CS line, we can emulate the CS-per-word hardware function by
+        * splitting transfers into one-word transfers and ensuring that
+        * cs_change is set for each transfer.
+        */
+       if ((msg->spi->mode & SPI_CS_WORD) && (!(ctlr->mode_bits & SPI_CS_WORD) ||
+                                              spi_is_csgpiod(msg->spi))) {
+               ret = spi_split_transfers_maxwords(ctlr, msg, 1, GFP_KERNEL);
+               if (ret) {
+                       msg->status = ret;
+                       spi_finalize_current_message(ctlr);
+                       return ret;
+               }
+
+               list_for_each_entry(xfer, &msg->transfers, transfer_list) {
+                       /* Don't change cs_change on the last entry in the list */
+                       if (list_is_last(&xfer->transfer_list, &msg->transfers))
+                               break;
+                       xfer->cs_change = 1;
+               }
+       } else {
+               ret = spi_split_transfers_maxsize(ctlr, msg,
+                                                 spi_max_transfer_size(msg->spi),
+                                                 GFP_KERNEL | GFP_DMA);
+               if (ret) {
+                       msg->status = ret;
+                       spi_finalize_current_message(ctlr);
+                       return ret;
+               }
        }
 
        if (ctlr->prepare_message) {
 
        message->spi = spi;
 
-       /*
-        * If an SPI controller does not support toggling the CS line on each
-        * transfer (indicated by the SPI_CS_WORD flag) or we are using a GPIO
-        * for the CS line, we can emulate the CS-per-word hardware function by
-        * splitting transfers into one-word transfers and ensuring that
-        * cs_change is set for each transfer.
-        */
-       if ((spi->mode & SPI_CS_WORD) && (!(ctlr->mode_bits & SPI_CS_WORD) ||
-                                         spi_is_csgpiod(spi))) {
-               size_t maxsize = BITS_TO_BYTES(spi->bits_per_word);
-               int ret;
-
-               ret = spi_split_transfers_maxsize(ctlr, message, maxsize,
-                                                 GFP_KERNEL);
-               if (ret)
-                       return ret;
-
-               list_for_each_entry(xfer, &message->transfers, transfer_list) {
-                       /* Don't change cs_change on the last entry in the list */
-                       if (list_is_last(&xfer->transfer_list, &message->transfers))
-                               break;
-                       xfer->cs_change = 1;
-               }
-       }
-
        /*
         * Half-duplex links include original MicroWire, and ones with
         * only one data pin like SPI_3WIRE (switches direction) or where