diff --git a/drivers/iio/accel/adxl372.c b/drivers/iio/accel/adxl372.c
index fc9592407717..758952584f8c 100644
--- a/drivers/iio/accel/adxl372.c
+++ b/drivers/iio/accel/adxl372.c
@@ -1214,6 +1214,7 @@ int adxl372_probe(struct device *dev, struct regmap *regmap,
 	ret = devm_iio_triggered_buffer_setup_ext(dev,
 						  indio_dev, NULL,
 						  adxl372_trigger_handler,
+						  IIO_BUFFER_DIRECTION_IN,
 						  &adxl372_buffer_ops,
 						  adxl372_fifo_attributes);
 	if (ret < 0)
diff --git a/drivers/iio/accel/bmc150-accel-core.c b/drivers/iio/accel/bmc150-accel-core.c
index e8693a42ad46..63216321cdb5 100644
--- a/drivers/iio/accel/bmc150-accel-core.c
+++ b/drivers/iio/accel/bmc150-accel-core.c
@@ -1734,6 +1734,7 @@ int bmc150_accel_core_probe(struct device *dev, struct regmap *regmap, int irq,
 	ret = iio_triggered_buffer_setup_ext(indio_dev,
 					     &iio_pollfunc_store_time,
 					     bmc150_accel_trigger_handler,
+					     IIO_BUFFER_DIRECTION_IN,
 					     &bmc150_accel_buffer_ops,
 					     fifo_attrs);
 	if (ret < 0) {
diff --git a/drivers/iio/adc/at91-sama5d2_adc.c b/drivers/iio/adc/at91-sama5d2_adc.c
index ea5ca163d879..7093611e321e 100644
--- a/drivers/iio/adc/at91-sama5d2_adc.c
+++ b/drivers/iio/adc/at91-sama5d2_adc.c
@@ -1681,8 +1681,8 @@ static int at91_adc_buffer_and_trigger_init(struct device *dev,
 		fifo_attrs = NULL;
 
 	ret = devm_iio_triggered_buffer_setup_ext(&indio->dev, indio,
-		&iio_pollfunc_store_time,
-		&at91_adc_trigger_handler, &at91_buffer_setup_ops, fifo_attrs);
+		&iio_pollfunc_store_time, &at91_adc_trigger_handler,
+		IIO_BUFFER_DIRECTION_IN, &at91_buffer_setup_ops, fifo_attrs);
 	if (ret < 0) {
 		dev_err(dev, "couldn't initialize the buffer.\n");
 		return ret;
diff --git a/drivers/iio/buffer/industrialio-triggered-buffer.c b/drivers/iio/buffer/industrialio-triggered-buffer.c
index f77c4538141e..8d4fc97d1005 100644
--- a/drivers/iio/buffer/industrialio-triggered-buffer.c
+++ b/drivers/iio/buffer/industrialio-triggered-buffer.c
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
  * @indio_dev:		IIO device structure
  * @h:			Function which will be used as pollfunc top half
  * @thread:		Function which will be used as pollfunc bottom half
+ * @direction:		Direction of the data stream (in/out).
  * @setup_ops:		Buffer setup functions to use for this device.
  *			If NULL the default setup functions for triggered
  *			buffers will be used.
@@ -38,6 +39,7 @@
 int iio_triggered_buffer_setup_ext(struct iio_dev *indio_dev,
 	irqreturn_t (*h)(int irq, void *p),
 	irqreturn_t (*thread)(int irq, void *p),
+	enum iio_buffer_direction direction,
 	const struct iio_buffer_setup_ops *setup_ops,
 	const struct attribute **buffer_attrs)
 {
@@ -68,6 +70,7 @@ int iio_triggered_buffer_setup_ext(struct iio_dev *indio_dev,
 	/* Flag that polled ring buffering is possible */
 	indio_dev->modes |= INDIO_BUFFER_TRIGGERED;
 
+	buffer->direction = direction;
 	buffer->attrs = buffer_attrs;
 
 	ret = iio_device_attach_buffer(indio_dev, buffer);
@@ -105,13 +108,14 @@ int devm_iio_triggered_buffer_setup_ext(struct device *dev,
 					struct iio_dev *indio_dev,
 					irqreturn_t (*h)(int irq, void *p),
 					irqreturn_t (*thread)(int irq, void *p),
+					enum iio_buffer_direction direction,
 					const struct iio_buffer_setup_ops *ops,
 					const struct attribute **buffer_attrs)
 {
 	int ret;
 
-	ret = iio_triggered_buffer_setup_ext(indio_dev, h, thread, ops,
-					     buffer_attrs);
+	ret = iio_triggered_buffer_setup_ext(indio_dev, h, thread, direction,
+					     ops, buffer_attrs);
 	if (ret)
 		return ret;
 
diff --git a/drivers/iio/common/cros_ec_sensors/cros_ec_sensors_core.c b/drivers/iio/common/cros_ec_sensors/cros_ec_sensors_core.c
index 28bde13003b7..e9f64da06f89 100644
--- a/drivers/iio/common/cros_ec_sensors/cros_ec_sensors_core.c
+++ b/drivers/iio/common/cros_ec_sensors/cros_ec_sensors_core.c
@@ -360,8 +360,9 @@ int cros_ec_sensors_core_init(struct platform_device *pdev,
 			 * The only way to get samples in buffer is to set a
 			 * software trigger (systrig, hrtimer).
 			 */
-			ret = devm_iio_triggered_buffer_setup(dev, indio_dev,
-					NULL, trigger_capture, NULL);
+			ret = devm_iio_triggered_buffer_setup_ext(dev,
+					indio_dev, NULL, trigger_capture,
+					IIO_BUFFER_DIRECTION_IN, NULL);
 			if (ret)
 				return ret;
 		}
diff --git a/drivers/iio/common/hid-sensors/hid-sensor-trigger.c b/drivers/iio/common/hid-sensors/hid-sensor-trigger.c
index a4ec11a3b68a..1151434038d4 100644
--- a/drivers/iio/common/hid-sensors/hid-sensor-trigger.c
+++ b/drivers/iio/common/hid-sensors/hid-sensor-trigger.c
@@ -241,8 +241,9 @@ int hid_sensor_setup_trigger(struct iio_dev *indio_dev, const char *name,
 		fifo_attrs = NULL;
 
 	ret = iio_triggered_buffer_setup_ext(indio_dev,
-					     &iio_pollfunc_store_time,
-					     NULL, NULL, fifo_attrs);
+					     &iio_pollfunc_store_time, NULL,
+					     IIO_BUFFER_DIRECTION_IN,
+					     NULL, fifo_attrs);
 	if (ret) {
 		dev_err(&indio_dev->dev, "Triggered Buffer Setup Failed\n");
 		return ret;
diff --git a/include/linux/iio/triggered_buffer.h b/include/linux/iio/triggered_buffer.h
index 7f154d1f8739..7490b05fc5b2 100644
--- a/include/linux/iio/triggered_buffer.h
+++ b/include/linux/iio/triggered_buffer.h
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #ifndef _LINUX_IIO_TRIGGERED_BUFFER_H_
 #define _LINUX_IIO_TRIGGERED_BUFFER_H_
 
+#include <linux/iio/buffer.h>
 #include <linux/interrupt.h>
 
 struct attribute;
@@ -11,21 +12,27 @@ struct iio_buffer_setup_ops;
 int iio_triggered_buffer_setup_ext(struct iio_dev *indio_dev,
 	irqreturn_t (*h)(int irq, void *p),
 	irqreturn_t (*thread)(int irq, void *p),
+	enum iio_buffer_direction direction,
 	const struct iio_buffer_setup_ops *setup_ops,
 	const struct attribute **buffer_attrs);
 void iio_triggered_buffer_cleanup(struct iio_dev *indio_dev);
 
 #define iio_triggered_buffer_setup(indio_dev, h, thread, setup_ops)		\
-	iio_triggered_buffer_setup_ext((indio_dev), (h), (thread), (setup_ops), NULL)
+	iio_triggered_buffer_setup_ext((indio_dev), (h), (thread),		\
+					IIO_BUFFER_DIRECTION_IN, (setup_ops),	\
+					NULL)
 
 int devm_iio_triggered_buffer_setup_ext(struct device *dev,
 					struct iio_dev *indio_dev,
 					irqreturn_t (*h)(int irq, void *p),
 					irqreturn_t (*thread)(int irq, void *p),
+					enum iio_buffer_direction direction,
 					const struct iio_buffer_setup_ops *ops,
 					const struct attribute **buffer_attrs);
 
 #define devm_iio_triggered_buffer_setup(dev, indio_dev, h, thread, setup_ops)	\
-	devm_iio_triggered_buffer_setup_ext((dev), (indio_dev), (h), (thread), (setup_ops), NULL)
+	devm_iio_triggered_buffer_setup_ext((dev), (indio_dev), (h), (thread),	\
+					    IIO_BUFFER_DIRECTION_IN,		\
+					    (setup_ops), NULL)
 
 #endif
