diff --git a/arch/arm/mach-pxa/idp.c b/arch/arm/mach-pxa/idp.c
index c410d84b243d..66070acaa888 100644
--- a/arch/arm/mach-pxa/idp.c
+++ b/arch/arm/mach-pxa/idp.c
@@ -83,7 +83,8 @@ static struct resource smc91x_resources[] = {
 };
 
 static struct smc91x_platdata smc91x_platdata = {
-	.flags = SMC91X_USE_32BIT | SMC91X_USE_DMA | SMC91X_NOWAIT,
+	.flags = SMC91X_USE_8BIT | SMC91X_USE_16BIT | SMC91X_USE_32BIT |
+		 SMC91X_USE_DMA | SMC91X_NOWAIT,
 };
 
 static struct platform_device smc91x_device = {
diff --git a/arch/arm/mach-pxa/xcep.c b/arch/arm/mach-pxa/xcep.c
index 3f06cd90567a..056369ef250e 100644
--- a/arch/arm/mach-pxa/xcep.c
+++ b/arch/arm/mach-pxa/xcep.c
@@ -120,7 +120,8 @@ static struct resource smc91x_resources[] = {
 };
 
 static struct smc91x_platdata xcep_smc91x_info = {
-	.flags	= SMC91X_USE_32BIT | SMC91X_NOWAIT | SMC91X_USE_DMA,
+	.flags	= SMC91X_USE_8BIT | SMC91X_USE_16BIT | SMC91X_USE_32BIT |
+		  SMC91X_NOWAIT | SMC91X_USE_DMA,
 };
 
 static struct platform_device smc91x_device = {
diff --git a/arch/arm/mach-realview/core.c b/arch/arm/mach-realview/core.c
index baf174542e36..a0ead0ae23d6 100644
--- a/arch/arm/mach-realview/core.c
+++ b/arch/arm/mach-realview/core.c
@@ -93,7 +93,8 @@ static struct smsc911x_platform_config smsc911x_config = {
 };
 
 static struct smc91x_platdata smc91x_platdata = {
-	.flags = SMC91X_USE_32BIT | SMC91X_NOWAIT,
+	.flags = SMC91X_USE_8BIT | SMC91X_USE_16BIT | SMC91X_USE_32BIT |
+		 SMC91X_NOWAIT,
 };
 
 static struct platform_device realview_eth_device = {
diff --git a/arch/arm/mach-sa1100/pleb.c b/arch/arm/mach-sa1100/pleb.c
index 1525d7b5f1b7..88149f85bc49 100644
--- a/arch/arm/mach-sa1100/pleb.c
+++ b/arch/arm/mach-sa1100/pleb.c
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ static struct resource smc91x_resources[] = {
 };
 
 static struct smc91x_platdata smc91x_platdata = {
-	.flags = SMC91X_USE_16BIT | SMC91X_NOWAIT,
+	.flags = SMC91X_USE_16BIT | SMC91X_USE_8BIT | SMC91X_NOWAIT,
 };
 
 static struct platform_device smc91x_device = {
diff --git a/arch/blackfin/mach-bf561/boards/cm_bf561.c b/arch/blackfin/mach-bf561/boards/cm_bf561.c
index c6db52ba3a06..10c57771822d 100644
--- a/arch/blackfin/mach-bf561/boards/cm_bf561.c
+++ b/arch/blackfin/mach-bf561/boards/cm_bf561.c
@@ -146,7 +146,8 @@ static struct platform_device hitachi_fb_device = {
 #include <linux/smc91x.h>
 
 static struct smc91x_platdata smc91x_info = {
-	.flags = SMC91X_USE_32BIT | SMC91X_NOWAIT,
+	.flags = SMC91X_USE_8BIT | SMC91X_USE_16BIT | SMC91X_USE_32BIT |
+		 SMC91X_NOWAIT,
 	.leda = RPC_LED_100_10,
 	.ledb = RPC_LED_TX_RX,
 };
diff --git a/arch/blackfin/mach-bf561/boards/ezkit.c b/arch/blackfin/mach-bf561/boards/ezkit.c
index f35525b55819..57d1c43726d9 100644
--- a/arch/blackfin/mach-bf561/boards/ezkit.c
+++ b/arch/blackfin/mach-bf561/boards/ezkit.c
@@ -134,7 +134,8 @@ static struct platform_device net2272_bfin_device = {
 #include <linux/smc91x.h>
 
 static struct smc91x_platdata smc91x_info = {
-	.flags = SMC91X_USE_32BIT | SMC91X_NOWAIT,
+	.flags = SMC91X_USE_8BIT | SMC91X_USE_16BIT | SMC91X_USE_32BIT |
+		 SMC91X_NOWAIT,
 	.leda = RPC_LED_100_10,
 	.ledb = RPC_LED_TX_RX,
 };
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/smsc/smc91x.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/smsc/smc91x.c
index 726b80f45906..503a3b6dce91 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/smsc/smc91x.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/smsc/smc91x.c
@@ -2275,6 +2275,13 @@ static int smc_drv_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 	if (pd) {
 		memcpy(&lp->cfg, pd, sizeof(lp->cfg));
 		lp->io_shift = SMC91X_IO_SHIFT(lp->cfg.flags);
+
+		if (!SMC_8BIT(lp) && !SMC_16BIT(lp)) {
+			dev_err(&pdev->dev,
+				"at least one of 8-bit or 16-bit access support is required.\n");
+			ret = -ENXIO;
+			goto out_free_netdev;
+		}
 	}
 
 #if IS_BUILTIN(CONFIG_OF)
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/smsc/smc91x.h b/drivers/net/ethernet/smsc/smc91x.h
index 1a55c7976df0..e17671c9d1b0 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/smsc/smc91x.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/smsc/smc91x.h
@@ -37,6 +37,27 @@
 #include <linux/smc91x.h>
 
 /*
+ * Any 16-bit access is performed with two 8-bit accesses if the hardware
+ * can't do it directly. Most registers are 16-bit so those are mandatory.
+ */
+#define SMC_outw_b(x, a, r)						\
+	do {								\
+		unsigned int __val16 = (x);				\
+		unsigned int __reg = (r);				\
+		SMC_outb(__val16, a, __reg);				\
+		SMC_outb(__val16 >> 8, a, __reg + (1 << SMC_IO_SHIFT));	\
+	} while (0)
+
+#define SMC_inw_b(a, r)							\
+	({								\
+		unsigned int __val16;					\
+		unsigned int __reg = r;					\
+		__val16  = SMC_inb(a, __reg);				\
+		__val16 |= SMC_inb(a, __reg + (1 << SMC_IO_SHIFT)) << 8; \
+		__val16;						\
+	})
+
+/*
  * Define your architecture specific bus configuration parameters here.
  */
 
@@ -55,10 +76,30 @@
 #define SMC_IO_SHIFT		(lp->io_shift)
 
 #define SMC_inb(a, r)		readb((a) + (r))
-#define SMC_inw(a, r)		readw((a) + (r))
+#define SMC_inw(a, r)							\
+	({								\
+		unsigned int __smc_r = r;				\
+		SMC_16BIT(lp) ? readw((a) + __smc_r) :			\
+		SMC_8BIT(lp) ? SMC_inw_b(a, __smc_r) :			\
+		({ BUG(); 0; });					\
+	})
+
 #define SMC_inl(a, r)		readl((a) + (r))
 #define SMC_outb(v, a, r)	writeb(v, (a) + (r))
+#define SMC_outw(v, a, r)						\
+	do {								\
+		unsigned int __v = v, __smc_r = r;			\
+		if (SMC_16BIT(lp))					\
+			__SMC_outw(__v, a, __smc_r);			\
+		else if (SMC_8BIT(lp))					\
+			SMC_outw_b(__v, a, __smc_r);			\
+		else							\
+			BUG();						\
+	} while (0)
+
 #define SMC_outl(v, a, r)	writel(v, (a) + (r))
+#define SMC_insb(a, r, p, l)	readsb((a) + (r), p, l)
+#define SMC_outsb(a, r, p, l)	writesb((a) + (r), p, l)
 #define SMC_insw(a, r, p, l)	readsw((a) + (r), p, l)
 #define SMC_outsw(a, r, p, l)	writesw((a) + (r), p, l)
 #define SMC_insl(a, r, p, l)	readsl((a) + (r), p, l)
@@ -66,7 +107,7 @@
 #define SMC_IRQ_FLAGS		(-1)	/* from resource */
 
 /* We actually can't write halfwords properly if not word aligned */
-static inline void SMC_outw(u16 val, void __iomem *ioaddr, int reg)
+static inline void __SMC_outw(u16 val, void __iomem *ioaddr, int reg)
 {
 	if ((machine_is_mainstone() || machine_is_stargate2() ||
 	     machine_is_pxa_idp()) && reg & 2) {
@@ -416,24 +457,8 @@ smc_pxa_dma_insw(void __iomem *ioaddr, struct smc_local *lp, int reg, int dma,
 
 #if ! SMC_CAN_USE_16BIT
 
-/*
- * Any 16-bit access is performed with two 8-bit accesses if the hardware
- * can't do it directly. Most registers are 16-bit so those are mandatory.
- */
-#define SMC_outw(x, ioaddr, reg)					\
-	do {								\
-		unsigned int __val16 = (x);				\
-		SMC_outb( __val16, ioaddr, reg );			\
-		SMC_outb( __val16 >> 8, ioaddr, reg + (1 << SMC_IO_SHIFT));\
-	} while (0)
-#define SMC_inw(ioaddr, reg)						\
-	({								\
-		unsigned int __val16;					\
-		__val16 =  SMC_inb( ioaddr, reg );			\
-		__val16 |= SMC_inb( ioaddr, reg + (1 << SMC_IO_SHIFT)) << 8; \
-		__val16;						\
-	})
-
+#define SMC_outw(x, ioaddr, reg)	SMC_outw_b(x, ioaddr, reg)
+#define SMC_inw(ioaddr, reg)		SMC_inw_b(ioaddr, reg)
 #define SMC_insw(a, r, p, l)		BUG()
 #define SMC_outsw(a, r, p, l)		BUG()
 
diff --git a/include/linux/smc91x.h b/include/linux/smc91x.h
index 76199b75d584..e302c447e057 100644
--- a/include/linux/smc91x.h
+++ b/include/linux/smc91x.h
@@ -1,6 +1,16 @@
 #ifndef __SMC91X_H__
 #define __SMC91X_H__
 
+/*
+ * These bits define which access sizes a platform can support, rather
+ * than the maximal access size.  So, if your platform can do 16-bit
+ * and 32-bit accesses to the SMC91x device, but not 8-bit, set both
+ * SMC91X_USE_16BIT and SMC91X_USE_32BIT.
+ *
+ * The SMC91x driver requires at least one of SMC91X_USE_8BIT or
+ * SMC91X_USE_16BIT to be supported - just setting SMC91X_USE_32BIT is
+ * an invalid configuration.
+ */
 #define SMC91X_USE_8BIT (1 << 0)
 #define SMC91X_USE_16BIT (1 << 1)
 #define SMC91X_USE_32BIT (1 << 2)
