diff --git a/headers/os/drivers/bus/ATA.h b/headers/os/drivers/bus/ATA.h
index e6cd8aaf81..bb30d11b5c 100644
--- a/headers/os/drivers/bus/ATA.h
+++ b/headers/os/drivers/bus/ATA.h
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 // maximum number of devices connected to controller (uint8, optional, default:2)
 #define ATA_CONTROLLER_MAX_DEVICES_ITEM "ide/max_devices"
 // set to not-0 if DMA is supported (uint8, optional, default:0)
-#define ATA_CONTROLLER_CAN_DMA_ITEM "ide/can_dma"
+#define ATA_CONTROLLER_CAN_DMA_ITEM "ide/can_DMA"
 // name of controller (string, required)
 #define ATA_CONTROLLER_CONTROLLER_NAME_ITEM "ide/controller_name"
 
diff --git a/src/add-ons/kernel/bus_managers/ata/ATAChannel.cpp b/src/add-ons/kernel/bus_managers/ata/ATAChannel.cpp
index d5ad4c2fc0..72edd74def 100644
--- a/src/add-ons/kernel/bus_managers/ata/ATAChannel.cpp
+++ b/src/add-ons/kernel/bus_managers/ata/ATAChannel.cpp
@@ -18,17 +18,21 @@ ATAChannel::ATAChannel(device_node *node)
 		fSCSIBus(NULL),
 		fDeviceCount(0),
 		fDevices(NULL),
-		fUseDMA(false),
+		fUseDMA(true),
 		fRequest(NULL)
 {
 	mutex_init(&fLock, "ata channel");
 
+	gDeviceManager->get_attr_uint32(node, ATA_CHANNEL_ID_ITEM, &fChannelID,
+		true);
+	snprintf(fDebugContext, sizeof(fDebugContext), " %lu", fChannelID);
+
 	if (fUseDMA) {
 		void *settings = load_driver_settings(B_SAFEMODE_DRIVER_SETTINGS);
 		if (settings != NULL) {
 			if (get_driver_boolean_parameter(settings,
 				B_SAFEMODE_DISABLE_IDE_DMA, false, false)) {
-				TRACE("disabling dma because of safemode setting\n");
+				TRACE_ALWAYS("disabling DMA because of safemode setting\n");
 				fUseDMA = false;
 			}
 
@@ -39,7 +43,13 @@ ATAChannel::ATAChannel(device_node *node)
 	if (fUseDMA) {
 		uint8 canDMA;
 		if (gDeviceManager->get_attr_uint8(node, ATA_CONTROLLER_CAN_DMA_ITEM,
-			&canDMA, true) != B_OK || canDMA == 0) {
+			&canDMA, true) != B_OK) {
+			TRACE_ERROR("unknown if controller supports DMA, not using it\n");
+			fUseDMA = false;
+		}
+
+		if (canDMA == 0) {
+			TRACE_ALWAYS("controller doesn't support DMA, disabling\n");
 			fUseDMA = false;
 		}
 	}
@@ -66,11 +76,6 @@ ATAChannel::ATAChannel(device_node *node)
 	for (uint8 i = 0; i < fDeviceCount; i++)
 		fDevices[i] = NULL;
 
-
-	gDeviceManager->get_attr_uint32(node, ATA_CHANNEL_ID_ITEM, &fChannelID,
-		true);
-	snprintf(fDebugContext, sizeof(fDebugContext), " %lu", fChannelID);
-
 	device_node *parent = gDeviceManager->get_parent_node(node);
 	fStatus = gDeviceManager->get_driver(parent,
 		(driver_module_info **)&fController, &fCookie);
@@ -149,15 +154,15 @@ ATAChannel::ScanBus()
 			continue;
 		}
 
-		TRACE_ALWAYS("identified ATA%s device %u\n", device->IsATAPI()
-			? "PI" : "", i);
-
 		if (device->Configure() != B_OK) {
 			TRACE_ERROR("failed to configure device\n");
 			delete device;
 			continue;
 		}
 
+		TRACE_ALWAYS("identified ATA%s device %u\n", device->IsATAPI()
+			? "PI" : "", i);
+
 		fDevices[i] = device;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/add-ons/kernel/bus_managers/ata/ATADevice.cpp b/src/add-ons/kernel/bus_managers/ata/ATADevice.cpp
index fdc9eb0ff2..3c802c4c68 100644
--- a/src/add-ons/kernel/bus_managers/ata/ATADevice.cpp
+++ b/src/add-ons/kernel/bus_managers/ata/ATADevice.cpp
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ ATADevice::ATADevice(ATAChannel *channel, uint8 index)
 		fUseLBA(false),
 		fUse48Bits(false),
 		fUseDMA(channel->UseDMA()),
+		fDMAMode(0),
 		fTotalSectors(0),
 		fRegisterMask(0)
 {
@@ -361,7 +362,43 @@ ATADevice::ConfigureDMA()
 	if (!fUseDMA)
 		return B_OK;
 
-	fUseDMA = false;
+	if (!fInfoBlock.DMA_supported) {
+		TRACE_ALWAYS("DMA not supported by device\n");
+		fUseDMA = false;
+		return B_OK;
+	}
+
+	#define CHECK_DMA_MODE(element, mode) \
+		if (fInfoBlock.element) { \
+			fDMAMode = mode; \
+			modeCount++; \
+		}
+
+	uint32 modeCount = 0;
+
+	CHECK_DMA_MODE(MDMA0_selected, 0x00);
+	CHECK_DMA_MODE(MDMA1_selected, 0x01);
+	CHECK_DMA_MODE(MDMA2_selected, 0x02);
+
+	if (fInfoBlock._88_valid) {
+		CHECK_DMA_MODE(UDMA0_selected, 0x10);
+		CHECK_DMA_MODE(UDMA1_selected, 0x11);
+		CHECK_DMA_MODE(UDMA2_selected, 0x12);
+		CHECK_DMA_MODE(UDMA3_selected, 0x13);
+		CHECK_DMA_MODE(UDMA4_selected, 0x14);
+		CHECK_DMA_MODE(UDMA5_selected, 0x15);
+		CHECK_DMA_MODE(UDMA6_selected, 0x16);
+	}
+
+	#undef CHECK_DMA_MODE
+
+	if (modeCount != 1) {
+		TRACE_ERROR("more than on DMA mode selected, not using DMA\n");
+		fUseDMA = false;
+		return B_OK;
+	}
+
+	TRACE_ALWAYS("using DMA mode 0x%02x\n", fDMAMode);
 	return B_OK;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/add-ons/kernel/bus_managers/ata/ATAPrivate.h b/src/add-ons/kernel/bus_managers/ata/ATAPrivate.h
index ac3f1adecd..4a99efe629 100644
--- a/src/add-ons/kernel/bus_managers/ata/ATAPrivate.h
+++ b/src/add-ons/kernel/bus_managers/ata/ATAPrivate.h
@@ -188,6 +188,7 @@ private:
 		bool						fUseLBA;
 		bool						fUse48Bits;
 		bool						fUseDMA;
+		uint8						fDMAMode;
 		uint64						fTotalSectors;
 		ata_device_infoblock		fInfoBlock;
 		ata_task_file				fTaskFile;