diff --git a/drivers/i2c/busses/i2c-npcm7xx.c b/drivers/i2c/busses/i2c-npcm7xx.c
index cdea7f440a9e..20a2f903b7f6 100644
--- a/drivers/i2c/busses/i2c-npcm7xx.c
+++ b/drivers/i2c/busses/i2c-npcm7xx.c
@@ -563,6 +563,15 @@ static inline void npcm_i2c_nack(struct npcm_i2c *bus)
 	iowrite8(val, bus->reg + NPCM_I2CCTL1);
 }
 
+static inline void npcm_i2c_clear_master_status(struct npcm_i2c *bus)
+{
+	u8 val;
+
+	/* Clear NEGACK, STASTR and BER bits */
+	val = NPCM_I2CST_BER | NPCM_I2CST_NEGACK | NPCM_I2CST_STASTR;
+	iowrite8(val, bus->reg + NPCM_I2CST);
+}
+
 #if IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_I2C_SLAVE)
 static void npcm_i2c_slave_int_enable(struct npcm_i2c *bus, bool enable)
 {
@@ -642,8 +651,8 @@ static void npcm_i2c_reset(struct npcm_i2c *bus)
 	iowrite8(NPCM_I2CCST_BB, bus->reg + NPCM_I2CCST);
 	iowrite8(0xFF, bus->reg + NPCM_I2CST);
 
-	/* Clear EOB bit */
-	iowrite8(NPCM_I2CCST3_EO_BUSY, bus->reg + NPCM_I2CCST3);
+	/* Clear and disable EOB */
+	npcm_i2c_eob_int(bus, false);
 
 	/* Clear all fifo bits: */
 	iowrite8(NPCM_I2CFIF_CTS_CLR_FIFO, bus->reg + NPCM_I2CFIF_CTS);
@@ -655,6 +664,9 @@ static void npcm_i2c_reset(struct npcm_i2c *bus)
 	}
 #endif
 
+	/* clear status bits for spurious interrupts */
+	npcm_i2c_clear_master_status(bus);
+
 	bus->state = I2C_IDLE;
 }
 
@@ -815,15 +827,6 @@ static void npcm_i2c_read_fifo(struct npcm_i2c *bus, u8 bytes_in_fifo)
 	}
 }
 
-static inline void npcm_i2c_clear_master_status(struct npcm_i2c *bus)
-{
-	u8 val;
-
-	/* Clear NEGACK, STASTR and BER bits */
-	val = NPCM_I2CST_BER | NPCM_I2CST_NEGACK | NPCM_I2CST_STASTR;
-	iowrite8(val, bus->reg + NPCM_I2CST);
-}
-
 static void npcm_i2c_master_abort(struct npcm_i2c *bus)
 {
 	/* Only current master is allowed to issue a stop condition */
@@ -1231,7 +1234,16 @@ static irqreturn_t npcm_i2c_int_slave_handler(struct npcm_i2c *bus)
 		ret = IRQ_HANDLED;
 	} /* SDAST */
 
-	return ret;
+	/*
+	 * if irq is not one of the above, make sure EOB is disabled and all
+	 * status bits are cleared.
+	 */
+	if (ret == IRQ_NONE) {
+		npcm_i2c_eob_int(bus, false);
+		npcm_i2c_clear_master_status(bus);
+	}
+
+	return IRQ_HANDLED;
 }
 
 static int npcm_i2c_reg_slave(struct i2c_client *client)
@@ -1467,6 +1479,9 @@ static void npcm_i2c_irq_handle_nack(struct npcm_i2c *bus)
 		npcm_i2c_eob_int(bus, false);
 		npcm_i2c_master_stop(bus);
 
+		/* Clear SDA Status bit (by reading dummy byte) */
+		npcm_i2c_rd_byte(bus);
+
 		/*
 		 * The bus is released from stall only after the SW clears
 		 * NEGACK bit. Then a Stop condition is sent.
@@ -1474,6 +1489,8 @@ static void npcm_i2c_irq_handle_nack(struct npcm_i2c *bus)
 		npcm_i2c_clear_master_status(bus);
 		readx_poll_timeout_atomic(ioread8, bus->reg + NPCM_I2CCST, val,
 					  !(val & NPCM_I2CCST_BUSY), 10, 200);
+		/* verify no status bits are still set after bus is released */
+		npcm_i2c_clear_master_status(bus);
 	}
 	bus->state = I2C_IDLE;
 
@@ -1672,10 +1689,10 @@ static int npcm_i2c_recovery_tgclk(struct i2c_adapter *_adap)
 	int              iter = 27;
 
 	if ((npcm_i2c_get_SDA(_adap) == 1) && (npcm_i2c_get_SCL(_adap) == 1)) {
-		dev_dbg(bus->dev, "bus%d recovery skipped, bus not stuck",
-			bus->num);
+		dev_dbg(bus->dev, "bus%d-0x%x recovery skipped, bus not stuck",
+			bus->num, bus->dest_addr);
 		npcm_i2c_reset(bus);
-		return status;
+		return 0;
 	}
 
 	npcm_i2c_int_enable(bus, false);
@@ -1909,6 +1926,7 @@ static int npcm_i2c_init_module(struct npcm_i2c *bus, enum i2c_mode mode,
 	    bus_freq_hz < I2C_FREQ_MIN_HZ || bus_freq_hz > I2C_FREQ_MAX_HZ)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
+	npcm_i2c_int_enable(bus, false);
 	npcm_i2c_disable(bus);
 
 	/* Configure FIFO mode : */
@@ -1937,10 +1955,17 @@ static int npcm_i2c_init_module(struct npcm_i2c *bus, enum i2c_mode mode,
 	val = (val | NPCM_I2CCTL1_NMINTE) & ~NPCM_I2CCTL1_RWS;
 	iowrite8(val, bus->reg + NPCM_I2CCTL1);
 
-	npcm_i2c_int_enable(bus, true);
-
 	npcm_i2c_reset(bus);
 
+	/* check HW is OK: SDA and SCL should be high at this point. */
+	if ((npcm_i2c_get_SDA(&bus->adap) == 0) || (npcm_i2c_get_SCL(&bus->adap) == 0)) {
+		dev_err(bus->dev, "I2C%d init fail: lines are low\n", bus->num);
+		dev_err(bus->dev, "SDA=%d SCL=%d\n", npcm_i2c_get_SDA(&bus->adap),
+			npcm_i2c_get_SCL(&bus->adap));
+		return -ENXIO;
+	}
+
+	npcm_i2c_int_enable(bus, true);
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -1988,10 +2013,14 @@ static irqreturn_t npcm_i2c_bus_irq(int irq, void *dev_id)
 #if IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_I2C_SLAVE)
 	if (bus->slave) {
 		bus->master_or_slave = I2C_SLAVE;
-		return npcm_i2c_int_slave_handler(bus);
+		if (npcm_i2c_int_slave_handler(bus))
+			return IRQ_HANDLED;
 	}
 #endif
-	return IRQ_NONE;
+	/* clear status bits for spurious interrupts */
+	npcm_i2c_clear_master_status(bus);
+
+	return IRQ_HANDLED;
 }
 
 static bool npcm_i2c_master_start_xmit(struct npcm_i2c *bus,
@@ -2048,7 +2077,6 @@ static int npcm_i2c_master_xfer(struct i2c_adapter *adap, struct i2c_msg *msgs,
 	u8 *write_data, *read_data;
 	u8 slave_addr;
 	unsigned long timeout;
-	int ret = 0;
 	bool read_block = false;
 	bool read_PEC = false;
 	u8 bus_busy;
@@ -2138,12 +2166,12 @@ static int npcm_i2c_master_xfer(struct i2c_adapter *adap, struct i2c_msg *msgs,
 	bus->read_block_use = read_block;
 
 	reinit_completion(&bus->cmd_complete);
-	if (!npcm_i2c_master_start_xmit(bus, slave_addr, nwrite, nread,
-					write_data, read_data, read_PEC,
-					read_block))
-		ret = -EBUSY;
 
-	if (ret != -EBUSY) {
+	npcm_i2c_int_enable(bus, true);
+
+	if (npcm_i2c_master_start_xmit(bus, slave_addr, nwrite, nread,
+				       write_data, read_data, read_PEC,
+				       read_block)) {
 		time_left = wait_for_completion_timeout(&bus->cmd_complete,
 							timeout);
 
@@ -2157,26 +2185,31 @@ static int npcm_i2c_master_xfer(struct i2c_adapter *adap, struct i2c_msg *msgs,
 			}
 		}
 	}
-	ret = bus->cmd_err;
 
 	/* if there was BER, check if need to recover the bus: */
 	if (bus->cmd_err == -EAGAIN)
-		ret = i2c_recover_bus(adap);
+		bus->cmd_err = i2c_recover_bus(adap);
 
 	/*
 	 * After any type of error, check if LAST bit is still set,
 	 * due to a HW issue.
 	 * It cannot be cleared without resetting the module.
 	 */
-	if (bus->cmd_err &&
-	    (NPCM_I2CRXF_CTL_LAST_PEC & ioread8(bus->reg + NPCM_I2CRXF_CTL)))
+	else if (bus->cmd_err &&
+		 (NPCM_I2CRXF_CTL_LAST_PEC & ioread8(bus->reg + NPCM_I2CRXF_CTL)))
 		npcm_i2c_reset(bus);
 
+	/* after any xfer, successful or not, stall and EOB must be disabled */
+	npcm_i2c_stall_after_start(bus, false);
+	npcm_i2c_eob_int(bus, false);
+
 #if IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_I2C_SLAVE)
 	/* reenable slave if it was enabled */
 	if (bus->slave)
 		iowrite8((bus->slave->addr & 0x7F) | NPCM_I2CADDR_SAEN,
 			 bus->reg + NPCM_I2CADDR1);
+#else
+	npcm_i2c_int_enable(bus, false);
 #endif
 	return bus->cmd_err;
 }