#define FC_MAX_I2C_RETRIES 100000
 
-static int flexcop_i2c_operation(struct flexcop_device *fc, flexcop_ibi_value *r100, int max_ack_errors)
+static int flexcop_i2c_operation(struct flexcop_device *fc, flexcop_ibi_value *r100)
 {
-       int i,ack_errors = 0;
+       int i;
        flexcop_ibi_value r;
 
        r100->tw_sm_c_100.working_start = 1;
                        }
                } else {
                        deb_i2c("suffering from an i2c ack_error\n");
-                       if (++ack_errors >= max_ack_errors)
-                               break;
-
-                       fc->write_ibi_reg(fc, tw_sm_c_100, ibi_zero);
-                       fc->write_ibi_reg(fc, tw_sm_c_100, *r100);
+                       return -EREMOTEIO;
                }
        }
        deb_i2c("tried %d times i2c operation, never finished or too many ack errors.\n",i);
        int len = r100.tw_sm_c_100.total_bytes, /* remember total_bytes is buflen-1 */
                ret;
 
-       if ((ret = flexcop_i2c_operation(fc,&r100,30)) != 0)
-               return ret;
-
-       r104 = fc->read_ibi_reg(fc,tw_sm_c_104);
-
-       deb_i2c("read: r100: %08x, r104: %08x\n",r100.raw,r104.raw);
+       if ((ret = flexcop_i2c_operation(fc,&r100)) != 0) {
+               /* The Cablestar needs a different kind of i2c-transfer (does not
+                * support "Repeat Start"):
+                * wait for the ACK failure,
+                * and do a subsequent read with the Bit 30 enabled
+                */
+               r100.tw_sm_c_100.no_base_addr_ack_error = 1;
+               if ((ret = flexcop_i2c_operation(fc,&r100)) != 0) {
+                       deb_i2c("no_base_addr read failed. %d\n",ret);
+                       return ret;
+               }
+       }
 
-       /* there is at least one byte, otherwise we wouldn't be here */
        buf[0] = r100.tw_sm_c_100.data1_reg;
 
-       if (len > 0) buf[1] = r104.tw_sm_c_104.data2_reg;
-       if (len > 1) buf[2] = r104.tw_sm_c_104.data3_reg;
-       if (len > 2) buf[3] = r104.tw_sm_c_104.data4_reg;
+       if (len > 0) {
+               r104 = fc->read_ibi_reg(fc,tw_sm_c_104);
+               deb_i2c("read: r100: %08x, r104: %08x\n",r100.raw,r104.raw);
+
+               /* there is at least one more byte, otherwise we wouldn't be here */
+               buf[1] = r104.tw_sm_c_104.data2_reg;
+               if (len > 1) buf[2] = r104.tw_sm_c_104.data3_reg;
+               if (len > 2) buf[3] = r104.tw_sm_c_104.data4_reg;
+       }
 
        return 0;
 }
 
        /* write the additional i2c data before doing the actual i2c operation */
        fc->write_ibi_reg(fc,tw_sm_c_104,r104);
+       return flexcop_i2c_operation(fc,&r100);
+}
+
+int flexcop_i2c_request(struct flexcop_device *fc, flexcop_access_op_t op,
+               flexcop_i2c_port_t port, u8 chipaddr, u8 addr, u8 *buf, u16 len)
+{
+       int ret;
+       u16 bytes_to_transfer;
+       flexcop_ibi_value r100;
+
+       deb_i2c("op = %d\n",op);
+       r100.raw = 0;
+       r100.tw_sm_c_100.chipaddr = chipaddr;
+       r100.tw_sm_c_100.twoWS_rw = op;
+       r100.tw_sm_c_100.twoWS_port_reg = port;
+
+       while (len != 0) {
+               bytes_to_transfer = len > 4 ? 4 : len;
 
-       return flexcop_i2c_operation(fc,&r100,30);
+               r100.tw_sm_c_100.total_bytes = bytes_to_transfer - 1;
+               r100.tw_sm_c_100.baseaddr = addr;
+
+               if (op == FC_READ)
+                       ret = flexcop_i2c_read4(fc, r100, buf);
+               else
+                       ret = flexcop_i2c_write4(fc,r100, buf);
+
+               if (ret < 0)
+                       return ret;
+
+               buf  += bytes_to_transfer;
+               addr += bytes_to_transfer;
+               len  -= bytes_to_transfer;
+       };
+
+       return 0;
 }
+/* exported for PCI i2c */
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(flexcop_i2c_request);
 
 /* master xfer callback for demodulator */
 static int flexcop_master_xfer(struct i2c_adapter *i2c_adap, struct i2c_msg msgs[], int num)
        return ret;
 }
 
-int flexcop_i2c_request(struct flexcop_device *fc, flexcop_access_op_t op,
-               flexcop_i2c_port_t port, u8 chipaddr, u8 addr, u8 *buf, u16 len)
-{
-       int ret;
-       u16 bytes_to_transfer;
-       flexcop_ibi_value r100;
-
-       deb_i2c("op = %d\n",op);
-       r100.raw = 0;
-       r100.tw_sm_c_100.chipaddr = chipaddr;
-       r100.tw_sm_c_100.twoWS_rw = op;
-       r100.tw_sm_c_100.twoWS_port_reg = port;
-
-       while (len != 0) {
-               bytes_to_transfer = len > 4 ? 4 : len;
-
-               r100.tw_sm_c_100.total_bytes = bytes_to_transfer - 1;
-               r100.tw_sm_c_100.baseaddr = addr;
-
-               if (op == FC_READ)
-                       ret = flexcop_i2c_read4(fc, r100, buf);
-               else
-                       ret = flexcop_i2c_write4(fc,r100, buf);
-
-               if (ret < 0)
-                       return ret;
-
-               buf  += bytes_to_transfer;
-               addr += bytes_to_transfer;
-               len  -= bytes_to_transfer;
-       };
-
-       return 0;
-}
-/* exported for PCI i2c */
-EXPORT_SYMBOL(flexcop_i2c_request);
-
 static u32 flexcop_i2c_func(struct i2c_adapter *adapter)
 {
        return I2C_FUNC_I2C;