diff --git a/include/libwebsockets/lws-spi.h b/include/libwebsockets/lws-spi.h
index d4316341c4..58d1bbf5b1 100644
--- a/include/libwebsockets/lws-spi.h
+++ b/include/libwebsockets/lws-spi.h
@@ -86,4 +86,8 @@ typedef struct lws_spi_ops {
 LWS_VISIBLE LWS_EXTERN int
 lws_spi_table_issue(const lws_spi_ops_t *spi_ops, uint32_t flags, const uint8_t *p, size_t len);
 
+LWS_VISIBLE LWS_EXTERN int
+lws_spi_readback(const lws_spi_ops_t *spi_ops, uint32_t flags,
+                 const uint8_t *p, size_t len, uint8_t *rb, size_t rb_len);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/lib/drivers/spi/lws-spi.c b/lib/drivers/spi/lws-spi.c
index 1ee3dbbe1b..34ffe2ad2b 100644
--- a/lib/drivers/spi/lws-spi.c
+++ b/lib/drivers/spi/lws-spi.c
@@ -55,3 +55,39 @@ lws_spi_table_issue(const lws_spi_ops_t *spi_ops, uint32_t flags,
 
 	return 0;
 }
+
+int
+lws_spi_readback(const lws_spi_ops_t *spi_ops, uint32_t flags,
+                 const uint8_t *p, size_t len, uint8_t *rb, size_t rb_len)
+{
+        lws_spi_desc_t desc;
+        size_t pos = 0;
+
+        memset(&desc, 0, sizeof(desc));
+        desc.count_cmd = 1;
+        desc.flags = flags;
+
+        while (pos < len) {
+
+                desc.count_write = p[pos++];
+
+                desc.src = (uint8_t *)&p[pos++];
+                if (desc.count_write)
+                        desc.data = (uint8_t *)&p[pos];
+                else
+                        desc.data = NULL;
+
+		desc.dest = rb;
+		desc.count_read = rb_len;
+
+                if (spi_ops->queue(spi_ops, &desc) != ESP_OK) {
+                        lwsl_err("%s: unable to queue\n", __func__);
+                        return 1;
+                }
+
+                pos += desc.count_write;
+        }
+
+	return 0;
+}
+