diff --git a/src/jtag/amt_jtagaccel.c b/src/jtag/amt_jtagaccel.c
index b19fae17ebd6a7980634cfc57c5788c69565482c..4071c25c984f285ba67e6dce74f0000327267c85 100644
--- a/src/jtag/amt_jtagaccel.c
+++ b/src/jtag/amt_jtagaccel.c
@@ -187,6 +187,7 @@ static void amt_jtagaccel_state_move(void)
 
 	aw_scan_tms_5 = 0x40 | (tms_scan[0] & 0x1f);
 	AMT_AW(aw_scan_tms_5);
+	int jtag_speed = jtag_get_speed();
 	if (jtag_speed > 3 || rtck_enabled)
 		amt_wait_scan_busy();
 
@@ -244,6 +245,7 @@ static void amt_jtagaccel_scan(bool ir_scan, enum scan_type type, u8 *buffer, in
 	u8 dr_tdo;
 	u8 aw_tms_scan;
 	u8 tms_scan[2];
+	int jtag_speed = jtag_get_speed();
 
 	if (ir_scan)
 		amt_jtagaccel_end_state(TAP_IRSHIFT);
@@ -496,7 +498,7 @@ static int amt_jtagaccel_init(void)
 	aw_control_fsm |= 0x04;
 	AMT_AW(aw_control_fsm);
 
-	amt_jtagaccel_speed(jtag_speed);
+	amt_jtagaccel_speed(jtag_get_speed());
 
 	if (jtag_reset_config & RESET_TRST_OPEN_DRAIN)
 		aw_control_rst &= ~0x8;
diff --git a/src/jtag/core.c b/src/jtag/core.c
index 5edcce22c12b09909cd7a43f50b7b92470e54a70..f6db00a5c326d987337c022c623740d697e8cb70 100644
--- a/src/jtag/core.c
+++ b/src/jtag/core.c
@@ -1153,6 +1153,18 @@ unsigned jtag_get_speed_khz(void)
 {
 	return speed_khz;
 }
+int jtag_get_speed(void)
+{
+	return jtag_speed;
+}
+
+int jtag_set_speed(int speed)
+{
+	jtag_speed = speed;
+	/* this command can be called during CONFIG,
+	 * in which case jtag isn't initialized */
+	return jtag ? jtag->speed(speed) : ERROR_OK;
+}
 
 void jtag_set_verify(bool enable)
 {
diff --git a/src/jtag/ft2232.c b/src/jtag/ft2232.c
index ae3bd863c30ee83593e820a73d279997c213123e..734833b125594408e3d36a49a5c376aea29d3203 100644
--- a/src/jtag/ft2232.c
+++ b/src/jtag/ft2232.c
@@ -2099,7 +2099,7 @@ static int ft2232_init(void)
 	if (layout->init() != ERROR_OK)
 		return ERROR_JTAG_INIT_FAILED;
 
-	ft2232_speed(jtag_speed);
+	ft2232_speed(jtag_get_speed());
 
 	buf[0] = 0x85; /* Disconnect TDI/DO to TDO/DI for Loopback */
 	if (((retval = ft2232_write(buf, 1, &bytes_written)) != ERROR_OK) || (bytes_written != 1))
diff --git a/src/jtag/gw16012.c b/src/jtag/gw16012.c
index a89a5f7e3212143ba6251936e0948ca61ee01e6b..0ea66340c465941d0cd802216a1f5725c0960c34 100644
--- a/src/jtag/gw16012.c
+++ b/src/jtag/gw16012.c
@@ -557,7 +557,7 @@ static int gw16012_init(void)
 	gw16012_input(&status_port);
 	gw16012_msb = (status_port & 0x80) ^ 0x80;
 
-	gw16012_speed(jtag_speed);
+	gw16012_speed(jtag_get_speed());
 	gw16012_reset(0, 0);
 
 	return ERROR_OK;
diff --git a/src/jtag/jlink.c b/src/jtag/jlink.c
index 22b058df3360eca6f2b623293c7d1e46c3ea4df7..ce0489c0cc72ebda5fdaf6abbef5ea47ab665895 100644
--- a/src/jtag/jlink.c
+++ b/src/jtag/jlink.c
@@ -340,7 +340,7 @@ static int jlink_init(void)
 	jlink_reset(0, 0);
 	jtag_sleep(3000);
 	jlink_tap_init();
-	jlink_speed(jtag_speed);
+	jlink_speed(jtag_get_speed());
 
 	/* v5/6 jlink seems to have an issue if the first tap move
 	 * is not divisible by 8, so we send a TLR on first power up */
diff --git a/src/jtag/jtag.h b/src/jtag/jtag.h
index fd4953ec04683f17683976dc4e54b3ebdc9bae37..0e21738ebc38a3b92489408246c684db9e687511 100644
--- a/src/jtag/jtag.h
+++ b/src/jtag/jtag.h
@@ -255,7 +255,17 @@ typedef struct jtag_event_callback_s
 	struct jtag_event_callback_s* next;
 } jtag_event_callback_t;
 
-extern int jtag_speed;
+/// @returns The current JTAG speed setting.
+int jtag_get_speed(void);
+/**
+ * Set the JTAG speed. This routine will call the underlying
+ * interface @c speed callback, if the interface has been initialized.
+ * @param speed The new speed setting.
+ * @returns ERROR_OK during configuration or on success, or an error
+ *   code returned from the interface @c speed callback.
+ */
+int jtag_set_speed(int speed);
+
 extern int jtag_speed_post_reset;
 
 enum reset_types {
diff --git a/src/jtag/parport.c b/src/jtag/parport.c
index 3f026b043df5a9fe966423bfd9100b03bdd5abf2..4ee2202d06e4919e06723fddf05774e7d55dd6dd 100644
--- a/src/jtag/parport.c
+++ b/src/jtag/parport.c
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ static __inline__ void parport_write_data(void)
 
 static void parport_write(int tck, int tms, int tdi)
 {
-	int i = jtag_speed + 1;
+	int i = jtag_get_speed() + 1;
 
 	if (tck)
 		dataport_value |= cable->TCK_MASK;
diff --git a/src/jtag/presto.c b/src/jtag/presto.c
index 6123259c64bf71878d86c037f4fab2acd8527857..125658be5b8a6977656399c8b521215c91b961a9 100644
--- a/src/jtag/presto.c
+++ b/src/jtag/presto.c
@@ -787,7 +787,7 @@ static int presto_jtag_init(void)
 	LOG_INFO("PRESTO open, serial number '%s'", presto->serial);
 
 	/* use JTAG speed setting from configuration file */
-	presto_jtag_speed(jtag_speed);
+	presto_jtag_speed(jtag_get_speed());
 
 	bitq_interface = &presto_bitq;
 	return ERROR_OK;
diff --git a/src/jtag/rlink/rlink.c b/src/jtag/rlink/rlink.c
index f47e189c3bfe97bbdc983e6e8bef1059ae104224..121de01ff182e637cedc5e36a5ec528b257affec 100644
--- a/src/jtag/rlink/rlink.c
+++ b/src/jtag/rlink/rlink.c
@@ -1849,7 +1849,7 @@ int rlink_init(void)
 
 	tap_state_queue_init();
 	dtc_queue_init();
-	rlink_speed(jtag_speed);
+	rlink_speed(jtag_get_speed());
 	rlink_reset(0, 0);
 
 	return ERROR_OK;
diff --git a/src/jtag/tcl.c b/src/jtag/tcl.c
index 8836b484673f581fa40df73a34a3dc626661c938..ed24498b87e10e2847aa224bdbc7dac730afb384 100644
--- a/src/jtag/tcl.c
+++ b/src/jtag/tcl.c
@@ -960,14 +960,11 @@ static int handle_jtag_speed_command(struct command_context_s *cmd_ctx, char *cm
 		LOG_DEBUG("handle jtag speed");
 
 		int cur_speed = 0;
-		cur_speed = jtag_speed = strtoul(args[0], NULL, 0);
+		cur_speed = strtoul(args[0], NULL, 0);
+		retval = jtag_set_speed(cur_speed);
 
-		/* this command can be called during CONFIG,
-		 * in which case jtag isn't initialized */
-		if (jtag)
-			retval = jtag->speed(cur_speed);
 	}
-	command_print(cmd_ctx, "jtag_speed: %d", jtag_speed);
+	command_print(cmd_ctx, "jtag_speed: %d", jtag_get_speed());
 
 	return retval;
 }
@@ -994,9 +991,9 @@ static int handle_jtag_khz_command(struct command_context_s *cmd_ctx, char *cmd,
 				jtag_set_speed_khz(0);
 				return retval;
 			}
-			cur_speed = jtag_speed = speed_div1;
+			cur_speed = speed_div1;
 
-			retval = jtag->speed(cur_speed);
+			retval = jtag_set_speed(cur_speed);
 		}
 		else
 			hasKHz = true;
@@ -1005,7 +1002,7 @@ static int handle_jtag_khz_command(struct command_context_s *cmd_ctx, char *cmd,
 	cur_speed = jtag_get_speed_khz();
 	if (jtag != NULL)
 	{
-		retval = jtag->speed_div(jtag_speed, &cur_speed);
+		retval = jtag->speed_div(jtag_get_speed(), &cur_speed);
 		if (ERROR_OK != retval)
 			return retval;
 	}
diff --git a/src/jtag/zy1000/zy1000.c b/src/jtag/zy1000/zy1000.c
index ad148f1d6d7c6c6ff41bf713d7e0f7b3c8504aef..05bbd4c5cd0d24a2437bb90f7bb4ae796de82c5d 100644
--- a/src/jtag/zy1000/zy1000.c
+++ b/src/jtag/zy1000/zy1000.c
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ int zy1000_init(void)
 
 	 /* deassert resets. Important to avoid infinite loop waiting for SRST to deassert */
 	zy1000_reset(0, 0);
-	zy1000_speed(jtag_speed);
+	zy1000_speed(jtag_get_speed());
 
 	return ERROR_OK;
 }