diff --git a/Documentation/spi/spi-summary b/Documentation/spi/spi-summary
index 0f5122eb282b..4a02d2508bc8 100644
--- a/Documentation/spi/spi-summary
+++ b/Documentation/spi/spi-summary
@@ -511,10 +511,16 @@ SPI MASTER METHODS
 	This sets up the device clock rate, SPI mode, and word sizes.
 	Drivers may change the defaults provided by board_info, and then
 	call spi_setup(spi) to invoke this routine.  It may sleep.
+
 	Unless each SPI slave has its own configuration registers, don't
 	change them right away ... otherwise drivers could corrupt I/O
 	that's in progress for other SPI devices.
 
+		** BUG ALERT:  for some reason the first version of
+		** many spi_master drivers seems to get this wrong.
+		** When you code setup(), ASSUME that the controller
+		** is actively processing transfers for another device.
+
     master->transfer(struct spi_device *spi, struct spi_message *message)
     	This must not sleep.  Its responsibility is arrange that the
 	transfer happens and its complete() callback is issued.  The two
diff --git a/include/linux/spi/spi.h b/include/linux/spi/spi.h
index 2cc43fa380cb..a0faa18f7b1b 100644
--- a/include/linux/spi/spi.h
+++ b/include/linux/spi/spi.h
@@ -245,7 +245,12 @@ struct spi_master {
 	 */
 	u16			dma_alignment;
 
-	/* setup mode and clock, etc (spi driver may call many times) */
+	/* Setup mode and clock, etc (spi driver may call many times).
+	 *
+	 * IMPORTANT:  this may be called when transfers to another
+	 * device are active.  DO NOT UPDATE SHARED REGISTERS in ways
+	 * which could break those transfers.
+	 */
 	int			(*setup)(struct spi_device *spi);
 
 	/* bidirectional bulk transfers