diff --git a/src/rp2_common/pico_cyw43_driver/cyw43_bus_pio_spi.c b/src/rp2_common/pico_cyw43_driver/cyw43_bus_pio_spi.c
index bcc7284f1..787eeff5d 100644
--- a/src/rp2_common/pico_cyw43_driver/cyw43_bus_pio_spi.c
+++ b/src/rp2_common/pico_cyw43_driver/cyw43_bus_pio_spi.c
@@ -308,11 +308,13 @@ int cyw43_spi_transfer(cyw43_int_t *self, const uint8_t *tx, size_t tx_length, u
 
         dma_channel_configure(bus_data->dma_out, &out_config, &bus_data->pio->txf[bus_data->pio_sm], tx, tx_length / 4, true);
 
+        pio_sm_set_enabled(bus_data->pio, bus_data->pio_sm, true);
+        dma_channel_wait_for_finish_blocking(bus_data->dma_out);
+
         uint32_t fdebug_tx_stall = 1u << (PIO_FDEBUG_TXSTALL_LSB + bus_data->pio_sm);
         bus_data->pio->fdebug = fdebug_tx_stall;
-        pio_sm_set_enabled(bus_data->pio, bus_data->pio_sm, true);
         while (!(bus_data->pio->fdebug & fdebug_tx_stall)) {
-            tight_loop_contents(); // todo timeout
+            tight_loop_contents();
         }
         __compiler_memory_barrier();
         pio_sm_set_enabled(bus_data->pio, bus_data->pio_sm, false);