diff --git a/src/jtag/jtag.c b/src/jtag/jtag.c
index 47031b7eb8aaf0f5390b9efa45d3e7c28a4cc5c6..974328c52833d7b651dd542897287a053a6bf333 100644
--- a/src/jtag/jtag.c
+++ b/src/jtag/jtag.c
@@ -1120,15 +1120,6 @@ int jtag_execute_queue(void)
 	return retval;
 }
 
-int jtag_cancel_queue(void)
-{
-	cmd_queue_free();
-	jtag_command_queue = NULL;
-	last_comand_pointer = &jtag_command_queue;
-
-	return ERROR_OK;
-}
-
 int jtag_reset_callback(enum jtag_event event, void *priv)
 {
 	jtag_device_t *device = priv;
diff --git a/src/jtag/jtag.h b/src/jtag/jtag.h
index 7435617e0af245a9af78654c195de4be61c24122..f70c1ead8d31243d535810c145d1d321ae0f0eec 100644
--- a/src/jtag/jtag.h
+++ b/src/jtag/jtag.h
@@ -243,19 +243,48 @@ extern enum reset_types jtag_reset_config;
 extern int jtag_init(struct command_context_s *cmd_ctx);
 extern int jtag_register_commands(struct command_context_s *cmd_ctx);
 
-/* JTAG interface */
+/* JTAG interface, can be implemented with a software or hardware fifo */
 extern int jtag_add_ir_scan(int num_fields, scan_field_t *fields, enum tap_state endstate, void *dummy_anachronism);
 extern int jtag_add_dr_scan(int num_fields, scan_field_t *fields, enum tap_state endstate, void *dummy_anachronism);
 extern int jtag_add_plain_ir_scan(int num_fields, scan_field_t *fields, enum tap_state endstate, void *dummy_anachronism);
 extern int jtag_add_plain_dr_scan(int num_fields, scan_field_t *fields, enum tap_state endstate, void *dummy_anachronism);
+/* execute a state transition within the JTAG standard, but nothing is defined
+ * w.r.t. the path that is taken. Many implementations use precisely
+ * 7 clocks to perform a transition, but it could be more or less
+ * than that.
+ */
 extern int jtag_add_statemove(enum tap_state endstate);
+/* A list of unambigious single clock state transitions, not
+ * all drivers can support this, but it is required for e.g.
+ * XScale and Xilinx support
+ */
 extern int jtag_add_pathmove(int num_states, enum tap_state *path);
+/* cycle precisely num_cycles in the TAP_RTI state */
 extern int jtag_add_runtest(int num_cycles, enum tap_state endstate);
 extern int jtag_add_reset(int trst, int srst);
 extern int jtag_add_end_state(enum tap_state endstate);
 extern int jtag_add_sleep(u32 us);
+/*
+ * For software FIFO implementations, the queued commands can be executed 
+ * during this call or earlier. A sw queue might decide to push out
+ * some of the jtag_add_xxx() operations once the queue is "big enough".
+ * 
+ * This fn will return an error code if any of the prior jtag_add_xxx() 
+ * calls caused a failure, e.g. check failure. Note that it does not
+ * matter if the operation was executed *before* jtag_execute_queue(),
+ * jtag_execute_queue() will still return an error code. 
+ * 
+ * All jtag_add_xxx() calls that have in_handler!=NULL will have been
+ * executed when this fn returns, but if what has been queued only 
+ * clocks data out, without reading anything back, then JTAG could 
+ * be running *after* jtag_execute_queue() returns. The API does 
+ * not define a way to flush a hw FIFO that runs *after* 
+ * jtag_execute_queue() returns. 
+ * 
+ * jtag_add_xxx() commands can either be executed immediately or 
+ * at some time between the jtag_add_xxx() fn call and jtag_execute_queue().  
+ */
 extern int jtag_execute_queue(void);
-extern int jtag_cancel_queue(void);
 
 /* JTAG support functions */
 extern void jtag_set_check_value(scan_field_t *field, u8 *value,  u8 *mask, error_handler_t *in_error_handler);
diff --git a/src/xsvf/xsvf.c b/src/xsvf/xsvf.c
index f4c4dc4a60aa5157bface3caca6f2755de9b6354..48ca0645484ae6937595ecc3be677403458886eb 100644
--- a/src/xsvf/xsvf.c
+++ b/src/xsvf/xsvf.c
@@ -469,21 +469,18 @@ int handle_xsvf_command(struct command_context_s *cmd_ctx, char *cmd, char **arg
 	if (tdo_mismatch)
 	{
 		command_print(cmd_ctx, "TDO mismatch, aborting");
-		jtag_cancel_queue();
 		return ERROR_OK;
 	}
 
 	if (unsupported)
 	{
 		command_print(cmd_ctx, "unsupported xsvf command encountered, aborting");
-		jtag_cancel_queue();
 		return ERROR_OK;
 	}
 
 	if (do_abort)
 	{
 		command_print(cmd_ctx, "premature end detected, aborting");
-		jtag_cancel_queue();
 		return ERROR_OK;
 	}