diff --git a/hw/block/pflash_cfi01.c b/hw/block/pflash_cfi01.c
index 67f1c9773ab3..78ac95b3291e 100644
--- a/hw/block/pflash_cfi01.c
+++ b/hw/block/pflash_cfi01.c
@@ -80,16 +80,39 @@ struct PFlashCFI01 {
     uint16_t ident3;
     uint8_t cfi_table[0x52];
     uint64_t counter;
-    unsigned int writeblock_size;
+    uint32_t writeblock_size;
     MemoryRegion mem;
     char *name;
     void *storage;
     VMChangeStateEntry *vmstate;
     bool old_multiple_chip_handling;
+
+    /* block update buffer */
+    unsigned char *blk_bytes;
+    uint32_t blk_offset;
 };
 
 static int pflash_post_load(void *opaque, int version_id);
 
+static bool pflash_blk_write_state_needed(void *opaque)
+{
+    PFlashCFI01 *pfl = opaque;
+
+    return (pfl->blk_offset != -1);
+}
+
+static const VMStateDescription vmstate_pflash_blk_write = {
+    .name = "pflash_cfi01_blk_write",
+    .version_id = 1,
+    .minimum_version_id = 1,
+    .needed = pflash_blk_write_state_needed,
+    .fields = (const VMStateField[]) {
+        VMSTATE_VBUFFER_UINT32(blk_bytes, PFlashCFI01, 0, NULL, writeblock_size),
+        VMSTATE_UINT32(blk_offset, PFlashCFI01),
+        VMSTATE_END_OF_LIST()
+    }
+};
+
 static const VMStateDescription vmstate_pflash = {
     .name = "pflash_cfi01",
     .version_id = 1,
@@ -101,6 +124,10 @@ static const VMStateDescription vmstate_pflash = {
         VMSTATE_UINT8(status, PFlashCFI01),
         VMSTATE_UINT64(counter, PFlashCFI01),
         VMSTATE_END_OF_LIST()
+    },
+    .subsections = (const VMStateDescription * const []) {
+        &vmstate_pflash_blk_write,
+        NULL
     }
 };
 
@@ -400,13 +427,50 @@ static void pflash_update(PFlashCFI01 *pfl, int offset,
     }
 }
 
+/* copy current flash content to block update buffer */
+static void pflash_blk_write_start(PFlashCFI01 *pfl, hwaddr offset)
+{
+    hwaddr mask = ~(pfl->writeblock_size - 1);
+
+    pfl->blk_offset = offset & mask;
+    memcpy(pfl->blk_bytes, pfl->storage + pfl->blk_offset,
+           pfl->writeblock_size);
+}
+
+/* commit block update buffer changes */
+static void pflash_blk_write_flush(PFlashCFI01 *pfl)
+{
+    g_assert(pfl->blk_offset != -1);
+    memcpy(pfl->storage + pfl->blk_offset, pfl->blk_bytes,
+           pfl->writeblock_size);
+    pflash_update(pfl, pfl->blk_offset, pfl->writeblock_size);
+    pfl->blk_offset = -1;
+}
+
+/* discard block update buffer changes */
+static void pflash_blk_write_abort(PFlashCFI01 *pfl)
+{
+    pfl->blk_offset = -1;
+}
+
 static inline void pflash_data_write(PFlashCFI01 *pfl, hwaddr offset,
                                      uint32_t value, int width, int be)
 {
     uint8_t *p;
 
-    trace_pflash_data_write(pfl->name, offset, width, value, pfl->counter);
-    p = pfl->storage + offset;
+    if (pfl->blk_offset != -1) {
+        /* block write: redirect writes to block update buffer */
+        if ((offset < pfl->blk_offset) ||
+            (offset + width > pfl->blk_offset + pfl->writeblock_size)) {
+            pfl->status |= 0x10; /* Programming error */
+            return;
+        }
+        p = pfl->blk_bytes + (offset - pfl->blk_offset);
+    } else {
+        /* write directly to storage */
+        trace_pflash_data_write(pfl->name, offset, width, value, pfl->counter);
+        p = pfl->storage + offset;
+    }
 
     switch (width) {
     case 1:
@@ -553,6 +617,7 @@ static void pflash_write(PFlashCFI01 *pfl, hwaddr offset,
             trace_pflash_write_block(pfl->name, value);
             pfl->counter = value;
             pfl->wcycle++;
+            pflash_blk_write_start(pfl, offset);
             break;
         case 0x60:
             if (cmd == 0xd0) {
@@ -583,12 +648,7 @@ static void pflash_write(PFlashCFI01 *pfl, hwaddr offset,
         switch (pfl->cmd) {
         case 0xe8: /* Block write */
             /* FIXME check @offset, @width */
-            if (!pfl->ro) {
-                /*
-                 * FIXME writing straight to memory is *wrong*.  We
-                 * should write to a buffer, and flush it to memory
-                 * only on confirm command (see below).
-                 */
+            if (!pfl->ro && (pfl->blk_offset != -1)) {
                 pflash_data_write(pfl, offset, value, width, be);
             } else {
                 pfl->status |= 0x10; /* Programming error */
@@ -597,18 +657,8 @@ static void pflash_write(PFlashCFI01 *pfl, hwaddr offset,
             pfl->status |= 0x80;
 
             if (!pfl->counter) {
-                hwaddr mask = pfl->writeblock_size - 1;
-                mask = ~mask;
-
                 trace_pflash_write(pfl->name, "block write finished");
                 pfl->wcycle++;
-                if (!pfl->ro) {
-                    /* Flush the entire write buffer onto backing storage.  */
-                    /* FIXME premature! */
-                    pflash_update(pfl, offset & mask, pfl->writeblock_size);
-                } else {
-                    pfl->status |= 0x10; /* Programming error */
-                }
             }
 
             pfl->counter--;
@@ -620,20 +670,17 @@ static void pflash_write(PFlashCFI01 *pfl, hwaddr offset,
     case 3: /* Confirm mode */
         switch (pfl->cmd) {
         case 0xe8: /* Block write */
-            if (cmd == 0xd0) {
-                /* FIXME this is where we should write out the buffer */
+            if ((cmd == 0xd0) && !(pfl->status & 0x10)) {
+                pflash_blk_write_flush(pfl);
                 pfl->wcycle = 0;
                 pfl->status |= 0x80;
             } else {
-                qemu_log_mask(LOG_UNIMP,
-                    "%s: Aborting write to buffer not implemented,"
-                    " the data is already written to storage!\n"
-                    "Flash device reset into READ mode.\n",
-                    __func__);
+                pflash_blk_write_abort(pfl);
                 goto mode_read_array;
             }
             break;
         default:
+            pflash_blk_write_abort(pfl);
             goto error_flash;
         }
         break;
@@ -867,6 +914,9 @@ static void pflash_cfi01_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
     pfl->cmd = 0x00;
     pfl->status = 0x80; /* WSM ready */
     pflash_cfi01_fill_cfi_table(pfl);
+
+    pfl->blk_bytes = g_malloc(pfl->writeblock_size);
+    pfl->blk_offset = -1;
 }
 
 static void pflash_cfi01_system_reset(DeviceState *dev)
@@ -886,6 +936,8 @@ static void pflash_cfi01_system_reset(DeviceState *dev)
      * This model deliberately ignores this delay.
      */
     pfl->status = 0x80;
+
+    pfl->blk_offset = -1;
 }
 
 static Property pflash_cfi01_properties[] = {
