diff --git a/drivers/mtd/nand/docg4.c b/drivers/mtd/nand/docg4.c
index 799da5d1c857..54b1e5e359b8 100644
--- a/drivers/mtd/nand/docg4.c
+++ b/drivers/mtd/nand/docg4.c
@@ -45,6 +45,25 @@
 #include <linux/bch.h>
 #include <linux/bitrev.h>
 
+/*
+ * In "reliable mode" consecutive 2k pages are used in parallel (in some
+ * fashion) to store the same data.  The data can be read back from the
+ * even-numbered pages in the normal manner; odd-numbered pages will appear to
+ * contain junk.  Systems that boot from the docg4 typically write the secondary
+ * program loader (SPL) code in this mode.  The SPL is loaded by the initial
+ * program loader (IPL, stored in the docg4's 2k NOR-like region that is mapped
+ * to the reset vector address).  This module parameter enables you to use this
+ * driver to write the SPL.  When in this mode, no more than 2k of data can be
+ * written at a time, because the addresses do not increment in the normal
+ * manner, and the starting offset must be within an even-numbered 2k region;
+ * i.e., invalid starting offsets are 0x800, 0xa00, 0xc00, 0xe00, 0x1800,
+ * 0x1a00, ...  Reliable mode is a special case and should not be used unless
+ * you know what you're doing.
+ */
+static bool reliable_mode;
+module_param(reliable_mode, bool, 0);
+MODULE_PARM_DESC(reliable_mode, "pages are programmed in reliable mode");
+
 /*
  * You'll want to ignore badblocks if you're reading a partition that contains
  * data written by the TrueFFS library (i.e., by PalmOS, Windows, etc), since
@@ -113,6 +132,7 @@ struct docg4_priv {
 #define DOCG4_SEQ_PAGEWRITE		0x16
 #define DOCG4_SEQ_PAGEPROG		0x1e
 #define DOCG4_SEQ_BLOCKERASE		0x24
+#define DOCG4_SEQ_SETMODE		0x45
 
 /* DOC_FLASHCOMMAND register commands */
 #define DOCG4_CMD_PAGE_READ             0x00
@@ -122,6 +142,8 @@ struct docg4_priv {
 #define DOC_CMD_PROG_BLOCK_ADDR		0x60
 #define DOCG4_CMD_PAGEWRITE		0x80
 #define DOC_CMD_PROG_CYCLE2		0x10
+#define DOCG4_CMD_FAST_MODE		0xa3 /* functionality guessed */
+#define DOC_CMD_RELIABLE_MODE		0x22
 #define DOC_CMD_RESET			0xff
 
 /* DOC_POWERMODE register bits */
@@ -611,6 +633,14 @@ static void write_page_prologue(struct mtd_info *mtd, uint32_t docg4_addr)
 	dev_dbg(doc->dev,
 	      "docg4: %s: g4 addr: %x\n", __func__, docg4_addr);
 	sequence_reset(mtd);
+
+	if (unlikely(reliable_mode)) {
+		writew(DOCG4_SEQ_SETMODE, docptr + DOC_FLASHSEQUENCE);
+		writew(DOCG4_CMD_FAST_MODE, docptr + DOC_FLASHCOMMAND);
+		writew(DOC_CMD_RELIABLE_MODE, docptr + DOC_FLASHCOMMAND);
+		write_nop(docptr);
+	}
+
 	writew(DOCG4_SEQ_PAGEWRITE, docptr + DOC_FLASHSEQUENCE);
 	writew(DOCG4_CMD_PAGEWRITE, docptr + DOC_FLASHCOMMAND);
 	write_nop(docptr);
@@ -691,6 +721,15 @@ static void docg4_command(struct mtd_info *mtd, unsigned command, int column,
 		break;
 
 	case NAND_CMD_SEQIN:
+		if (unlikely(reliable_mode)) {
+			uint16_t g4_page = g4_addr >> 16;
+
+			/* writes to odd-numbered 2k pages are invalid */
+			if (g4_page & 0x01)
+				dev_warn(doc->dev,
+					 "invalid reliable mode address\n");
+		}
+
 		write_page_prologue(mtd, g4_addr);
 
 		/* hack for deferred write of oob bytes */