diff --git a/drivers/spi/q2spi-gsi.c b/drivers/spi/q2spi-gsi.c
index 1e233c97d07c..0af382331462 100644
--- a/drivers/spi/q2spi-gsi.c
+++ b/drivers/spi/q2spi-gsi.c
@@ -130,6 +130,7 @@ static void q2spi_check_m_irq_err_status(struct q2spi_geni *q2spi, u32 cb_status
 		Q2SPI_DEBUG(q2spi, "%s Q2SPI_CHEKSUM_FAIL\n", __func__);
 	if (status & Q2SPI_START_SEQ_TIMEOUT) {
 		q2spi->is_start_seq_fail = true;
+		complete_all(&q2spi->wait_comp_start_fail);
 		Q2SPI_DEBUG(q2spi, "%s Q2SPI_START_SEQ_TIMEOUT\n", __func__);
 	}
 	if (status & Q2SPI_STOP_SEQ_TIMEOUT)
@@ -495,15 +496,15 @@ int check_gsi_transfer_completion_db_rx(struct q2spi_geni *q2spi)
 int check_gsi_transfer_completion(struct q2spi_geni *q2spi)
 {
 	int i = 0, ret = 0;
-	unsigned long timeout = 0, xfer_timeout = 0;
+	unsigned long timeleft = 0, xfer_timeout = 0;
 
 	xfer_timeout = XFER_TIMEOUT_OFFSET;
 	Q2SPI_DEBUG(q2spi, "%s tx_eot:%d rx_eot:%d\n", __func__,
 		    q2spi->gsi->num_tx_eot, q2spi->gsi->num_rx_eot);
 	for (i = 0 ; i < q2spi->gsi->num_tx_eot; i++) {
-		timeout =
+		timeleft =
 			wait_for_completion_timeout(&q2spi->tx_cb, msecs_to_jiffies(xfer_timeout));
-		if (!timeout) {
+		if (!timeleft) {
 			Q2SPI_DEBUG(q2spi, "%s PID:%d Tx[%d] timeout\n", __func__, current->pid, i);
 			ret = -ETIMEDOUT;
 			goto err_gsi_geni_transfer;
@@ -513,9 +514,9 @@ int check_gsi_transfer_completion(struct q2spi_geni *q2spi)
 	}
 
 	for (i = 0 ; i < q2spi->gsi->num_rx_eot; i++) {
-		timeout =
+		timeleft =
 			wait_for_completion_timeout(&q2spi->rx_cb, msecs_to_jiffies(xfer_timeout));
-		if (!timeout) {
+		if (!timeleft) {
 			Q2SPI_DEBUG(q2spi, "%s PID:%d Rx[%d] timeout\n", __func__, current->pid, i);
 			ret = -ETIMEDOUT;
 			goto err_gsi_geni_transfer;
@@ -524,11 +525,15 @@ int check_gsi_transfer_completion(struct q2spi_geni *q2spi)
 		}
 	}
 err_gsi_geni_transfer:
-	if (q2spi->gsi->qup_gsi_err || !timeout) {
+	if (q2spi->gsi->qup_gsi_err || !timeleft) {
 		ret = -ETIMEDOUT;
 		Q2SPI_DEBUG(q2spi, "%s Err QUP Gsi Error\n", __func__);
 		q2spi->gsi->qup_gsi_err = false;
 		q2spi->setup_config0 = false;
+		/* Block on TX completion callback for start sequence failure */
+		wait_for_completion_interruptible_timeout
+				(&q2spi->wait_comp_start_fail,
+				msecs_to_jiffies(TIMEOUT_MSECONDS));
 		if (!q2spi->is_start_seq_fail)
 			gpi_q2spi_terminate_all(q2spi->gsi->tx_c);
 	}
diff --git a/drivers/spi/q2spi-msm-geni.c b/drivers/spi/q2spi-msm-geni.c
index a5cb66cd941c..4b64d1c66d91 100644
--- a/drivers/spi/q2spi-msm-geni.c
+++ b/drivers/spi/q2spi-msm-geni.c
@@ -2267,7 +2267,9 @@ static ssize_t q2spi_transfer(struct file *filp, const char __user *buf, size_t
 		pm_runtime_set_suspended(q2spi->dev);
 		goto err;
 	}
+
 	q2spi->is_start_seq_fail = false;
+	reinit_completion(&q2spi->wait_comp_start_fail);
 	Q2SPI_DEBUG(q2spi, "%s PM after get_sync count:%d\n", __func__,
 		    atomic_read(&q2spi->dev->power.usage_count));
 	q2spi_wait_for_doorbell_setup_ready(q2spi);
@@ -2286,6 +2288,7 @@ static ssize_t q2spi_transfer(struct file *filp, const char __user *buf, size_t
 		ret = -ENOMEM;
 		goto err;
 	}
+
 	Q2SPI_DEBUG(q2spi, "%s flow_id:%d\n", __func__, flow_id);
 	ret = q2spi_transfer_with_retries(q2spi, q2spi_req, cur_q2spi_pkt, len, flow_id, user_buf);
 	Q2SPI_DEBUG(q2spi, "%s transfer_with_retries ret:%d\n", __func__, ret);
@@ -4421,6 +4424,7 @@ static int q2spi_geni_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 	atomic_set(&q2spi->sma_rd_pending, 0);
 	init_completion(&q2spi->sma_wr_comp);
 	init_completion(&q2spi->sma_rd_comp);
+	init_completion(&q2spi->wait_comp_start_fail);
 
 	/* Pre allocate buffers for transfers */
 	ret = q2spi_pre_alloc_buffers(q2spi);
diff --git a/drivers/spi/q2spi-msm.h b/drivers/spi/q2spi-msm.h
index 83cf08b298da..e0b4db019da5 100644
--- a/drivers/spi/q2spi-msm.h
+++ b/drivers/spi/q2spi-msm.h
@@ -529,6 +529,7 @@ struct q2spi_dma_transfer {
  * @q2spi_sleep_cmd_enable: reflects start sending the sleep command to slave
  * @q2spi_cr_hdr_err: reflects CR Header incorrect in CR Header
  * @is_start_seq_fail: start sequence fail due to slave not responding
+ * @wait_comp_start_fail: completion for transfer callback during start sequence failure
  */
 struct q2spi_geni {
 	struct device *wrapper_dev;
@@ -636,6 +637,7 @@ struct q2spi_geni {
 	bool q2spi_sleep_cmd_enable;
 	bool q2spi_cr_hdr_err;
 	bool is_start_seq_fail;
+	struct completion wait_comp_start_fail;
 };
 
 /**