diff --git a/drivers/i2c/busses/i2c-imx.c b/drivers/i2c/busses/i2c-imx.c
index 681a43e22a44..ad65450aed91 100644
--- a/drivers/i2c/busses/i2c-imx.c
+++ b/drivers/i2c/busses/i2c-imx.c
@@ -1184,6 +1184,7 @@ static int i2c_imx_read(struct imx_i2c_struct *i2c_imx, struct i2c_msg *msgs,
 	int i, result;
 	unsigned int temp;
 	int block_data = msgs->flags & I2C_M_RECV_LEN;
+	int block_err = 0;
 
 	result = i2c_imx_prepare_read(i2c_imx, msgs, atomic, false);
 	if (result)
@@ -1205,8 +1206,20 @@ static int i2c_imx_read(struct imx_i2c_struct *i2c_imx, struct i2c_msg *msgs,
 		 */
 		if ((!i) && block_data) {
 			len = imx_i2c_read_reg(i2c_imx, IMX_I2C_I2DR);
-			if ((len == 0) || (len > I2C_SMBUS_BLOCK_MAX))
-				return -EPROTO;
+			if ((len == 0) || (len > I2C_SMBUS_BLOCK_MAX)) {
+				/*
+				 * SMBus 3.1 6.5.7: support count byte of 0.
+				 * I2C_SMBUS_BLOCK_MAX case should not hold the SDA either.
+				 */
+				if (len > I2C_SMBUS_BLOCK_MAX)
+					block_err = -EPROTO;
+				temp = imx_i2c_read_reg(i2c_imx, IMX_I2C_I2CR);
+				temp |= I2CR_TXAK;
+				imx_i2c_write_reg(temp, i2c_imx, IMX_I2C_I2CR);
+				msgs->buf[0] = 0;
+				msgs->len = 2;
+				continue;
+			}
 			dev_dbg(&i2c_imx->adapter.dev,
 				"<%s> read length: 0x%X\n",
 				__func__, len);
@@ -1254,7 +1267,7 @@ static int i2c_imx_read(struct imx_i2c_struct *i2c_imx, struct i2c_msg *msgs,
 			"<%s> read byte: B%d=0x%X\n",
 			__func__, i, msgs->buf[i]);
 	}
-	return 0;
+	return block_err;
 }
 
 static int i2c_imx_atomic_read(struct imx_i2c_struct *i2c_imx, struct i2c_msg *msgs,