diff --git a/src/jtag/jtag.c b/src/jtag/jtag.c
index 73acb6a09ecbb47a7658e77fedb5e0d7c3788ab2..fe9d4e1de63b9f60e1848728eeca324964ed85bc 100644
--- a/src/jtag/jtag.c
+++ b/src/jtag/jtag.c
@@ -625,13 +625,14 @@ int MINIDRIVER(interface_jtag_add_dr_scan)(int num_fields, scan_field_t *fields,
 		}
 		if (!found)
 		{
+#ifdef _DEBUG_JTAG_IO_
 			/* if a device isn't listed, the BYPASS register should be selected */
 			if (!jtag_get_device(i)->bypass)
 			{
 				ERROR("BUG: no scan data for a device not in BYPASS");
 				exit(-1);
 			}
-	
+#endif	
 			/* program the scan field to 1 bit length, and ignore it's value */
 			(*last_cmd)->cmd.scan->fields[field_count].num_bits = 1;
 			(*last_cmd)->cmd.scan->fields[field_count].out_value = NULL;
@@ -644,11 +645,13 @@ int MINIDRIVER(interface_jtag_add_dr_scan)(int num_fields, scan_field_t *fields,
 		}
 		else
 		{
+#ifdef _DEBUG_JTAG_IO_
 			/* if a device is listed, the BYPASS register must not be selected */
 			if (jtag_get_device(i)->bypass)
 			{
 				WARNING("scan data for a device in BYPASS");
 			}
+#endif
 		}
 	}
 	return ERROR_OK;
@@ -860,6 +863,20 @@ int jtag_add_pathmove(int num_states, enum tap_state *path)
 	if (cmd_queue_end_state == TAP_TLR)
 		jtag_call_event_callbacks(JTAG_TRST_ASSERTED);
 	
+
+	enum tap_state cur_state=cmd_queue_cur_state;
+	int i;
+	for (i=0; i<num_states; i++)
+	{
+		if ((tap_transitions[cur_state].low != path[i])&&
+				(tap_transitions[cur_state].high != path[i]))
+		{
+			ERROR("BUG: %s -> %s isn't a valid TAP transition", tap_state_strings[cur_state], tap_state_strings[path[i]]);
+			exit(-1);
+		}
+		cur_state = path[i];
+	}
+	
 	cmd_queue_cur_state = path[num_states - 1];
 
 	return interface_jtag_add_pathmove(num_states, path);
diff --git a/src/jtag/jtag.h b/src/jtag/jtag.h
index ada3b49dc874b7f1e30ac4f1a3bbd62715191f6c..fe240eb66383462227400df855590cde12efca4d 100644
--- a/src/jtag/jtag.h
+++ b/src/jtag/jtag.h
@@ -270,6 +270,9 @@ extern int interface_jtag_add_plain_dr_scan(int num_fields, scan_field_t *fields
  *
  *   - Run-Test/Idle must not be entered unless requested, because R-T/I may have 
  *   side effects.
+ * 
+ * NB! a jtag_add_statemove() to the current state is not
+ * a no-operation.
  */
 extern int jtag_add_statemove(enum tap_state endstate);
 extern int interface_jtag_add_statemove(enum tap_state endstate);
@@ -278,6 +281,9 @@ extern int interface_jtag_add_statemove(enum tap_state endstate);
  * XScale and Xilinx support
  * 
  * Note! TAP_TLR must not be used in the path!
+ * 
+ * Note that the first on the list must be reachable 
+ * via a single transition from the current state. 
  */
 extern int jtag_add_pathmove(int num_states, enum tap_state *path);
 extern int interface_jtag_add_pathmove(int num_states, enum tap_state *path);
diff --git a/src/target/arm7_9_common.c b/src/target/arm7_9_common.c
index dd713b9b9f4b0aaa012f2c294b1f9077e967344a..c3dcc2947d54a4cb1a2e931c9318ebba3c3e68c1 100644
--- a/src/target/arm7_9_common.c
+++ b/src/target/arm7_9_common.c
@@ -2165,10 +2165,44 @@ int arm7_9_bulk_write_memory(target_t *target, u32 address, u32 count, u8 *buffe
 
 	arm7_9_resume(target, 0, arm7_9->dcc_working_area->address, 1, 1);
 	
-	for (i = 0; i < count; i++)
+	int little=target->endianness==TARGET_LITTLE_ENDIAN;
+	if (count>2)
 	{
-		embeddedice_write_reg(&arm7_9->eice_cache->reg_list[EICE_COMMS_DATA], target_buffer_get_u32(target, buffer));
-		buffer += 4;
+		/* Handle first & last using standard embeddedice_write_reg and the middle ones w/the
+		   core function repeated. 
+		 */
+		embeddedice_write_reg(&arm7_9->eice_cache->reg_list[EICE_COMMS_DATA], fast_target_buffer_get_u32(buffer, little));
+		buffer+=4;
+		
+		embeddedice_reg_t *ice_reg = arm7_9->eice_cache->reg_list[EICE_COMMS_DATA].arch_info;
+		u8 reg_addr = ice_reg->addr & 0x1f;
+		int chain_pos = ice_reg->jtag_info->chain_pos;
+		/* we want the compiler to duplicate the code, which it does not
+		 * do automatically.
+		 */
+		if (little)
+		{
+			for (i = 1; i < count - 1; i++)
+			{
+				embeddedice_write_reg_inner(chain_pos, reg_addr, fast_target_buffer_get_u32(buffer, little));
+				buffer += 4;
+			}
+		} else
+		{
+			for (i = 1; i < count - 1; i++)
+			{
+				embeddedice_write_reg_inner(chain_pos, reg_addr, fast_target_buffer_get_u32(buffer, little));
+				buffer += 4;
+			}
+		}
+		embeddedice_write_reg(&arm7_9->eice_cache->reg_list[EICE_COMMS_DATA], fast_target_buffer_get_u32(buffer, little));
+	} else
+	{
+		for (i = 0; i < count; i++)
+		{
+			embeddedice_write_reg(&arm7_9->eice_cache->reg_list[EICE_COMMS_DATA], fast_target_buffer_get_u32(buffer, little));
+			buffer += 4;
+		}
 	}
 	
 	target->type->halt(target);
diff --git a/src/target/embeddedice.c b/src/target/embeddedice.c
index 30258270d1c983ffa4ef41391d2363ebf5751af8..3b9af755716d3f2db8bd1cc3689405a49d7f6a79 100644
--- a/src/target/embeddedice.c
+++ b/src/target/embeddedice.c
@@ -382,7 +382,8 @@ int embeddedice_write_reg(reg_t *reg, u32 value)
 	
 	arm_jtag_set_instr(ice_reg->jtag_info, ice_reg->jtag_info->intest_instr, NULL);
 
-	embeddedice_write_reg_inner(reg, value);
+	u8 reg_addr = ice_reg->addr & 0x1f;
+	embeddedice_write_reg_inner(ice_reg->jtag_info->chain_pos, reg_addr, value);
 	
 	return ERROR_OK;
 }
diff --git a/src/target/embeddedice.h b/src/target/embeddedice.h
index dde37f65f372d2bd1e293516b34e75e5a807bde4..20cf2b4e7238d0915dd693d339ca59fc26328aad 100644
--- a/src/target/embeddedice.h
+++ b/src/target/embeddedice.h
@@ -104,10 +104,8 @@ extern int embeddedice_handshake(arm_jtag_t *jtag_info, int hsbit, u32 timeout);
 /* If many embeddedice_write_reg() follow eachother, then the >1 invocations can be this faster version of 
  * embeddedice_write_reg
  */
-static __inline__ void embeddedice_write_reg_inner(reg_t *reg, u32 value)
+static __inline__ void embeddedice_write_reg_inner(int chain_pos, int reg_addr, u32 value)
 {
-	embeddedice_reg_t *ice_reg = reg->arch_info;
-	u8 reg_addr = ice_reg->addr & 0x1f;
 #if 1
 	u32 values[3];
 	int num_bits[3];
@@ -119,7 +117,7 @@ static __inline__ void embeddedice_write_reg_inner(reg_t *reg, u32 value)
 	values[2]=1;
 	num_bits[2]=1;
 	
-	jtag_add_dr_out(ice_reg->jtag_info->chain_pos, 
+	jtag_add_dr_out(chain_pos, 
 			3,
 			num_bits,
 			values,