diff --git a/drivers/spi/spi-mem.c b/drivers/spi/spi-mem.c
index 37f4443ce9a0..fa1cd6862555 100644
--- a/drivers/spi/spi-mem.c
+++ b/drivers/spi/spi-mem.c
@@ -540,9 +540,18 @@ spi_mem_dirmap_create(struct spi_mem *mem,
 
 	desc->mem = mem;
 	desc->info = *info;
-	if (ctlr->mem_ops && ctlr->mem_ops->dirmap_create)
+	if (ctlr->mem_ops && ctlr->mem_ops->dirmap_create) {
+		ret = spi_mem_access_start(mem);
+		if (ret) {
+			kfree(desc);
+			return ERR_PTR(ret);
+		}
+
 		ret = ctlr->mem_ops->dirmap_create(desc);
 
+		spi_mem_access_end(mem);
+	}
+
 	if (ret) {
 		desc->nodirmap = true;
 		if (!spi_mem_supports_op(desc->mem, &desc->info.op_tmpl))