diff --git a/drivers/staging/comedi/comedi_fops.c b/drivers/staging/comedi/comedi_fops.c
index 093032ba521a..a4ceb29c358e 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/comedi/comedi_fops.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/comedi/comedi_fops.c
@@ -910,9 +910,28 @@ static int parse_insn(struct comedi_device *dev, struct comedi_insn *insn,
 		case INSN_BITS:
 			if (insn->n != 2) {
 				ret = -EINVAL;
-				break;
+			} else {
+				/* Most drivers ignore the base channel in
+				 * insn->chanspec.  Fix this here if
+				 * the subdevice has <= 32 channels.  */
+				unsigned int shift;
+				unsigned int orig_mask;
+
+				orig_mask = data[0];
+				if (s->n_chan <= 32) {
+					shift = CR_CHAN(insn->chanspec);
+					if (shift > 0) {
+						insn->chanspec = 0;
+						data[0] <<= shift;
+						data[1] <<= shift;
+					}
+				} else
+					shift = 0;
+				ret = s->insn_bits(dev, s, insn, data);
+				data[0] = orig_mask;
+				if (shift > 0)
+					data[1] >>= shift;
 			}
-			ret = s->insn_bits(dev, s, insn, data);
 			break;
 		case INSN_CONFIG:
 			ret = check_insn_config_length(insn, data);