diff --git a/libraries/AP_HAL_ChibiOS/Device.cpp b/libraries/AP_HAL_ChibiOS/Device.cpp
index 4d35af5183..e14f1efb9e 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_HAL_ChibiOS/Device.cpp
+++ b/libraries/AP_HAL_ChibiOS/Device.cpp
@@ -164,15 +164,23 @@ bool DeviceBus::adjust_timer(AP_HAL::Device::PeriodicHandle h, uint32_t period_u
 /*
   setup to use DMA-safe bouncebuffers for device transfers
  */
-void DeviceBus::bouncebuffer_setup(const uint8_t *&buf_tx, uint16_t tx_len,
+bool DeviceBus::bouncebuffer_setup(const uint8_t *&buf_tx, uint16_t tx_len,
                                    uint8_t *&buf_rx, uint16_t rx_len)
 {
     if (buf_rx) {
-        bouncebuffer_setup_read(bounce_buffer_rx, &buf_rx, rx_len);
+        if (!bouncebuffer_setup_read(bounce_buffer_rx, &buf_rx, rx_len)) {
+            return false;
+        }
     }
     if (buf_tx) {
-        bouncebuffer_setup_write(bounce_buffer_tx, &buf_tx, tx_len);
+        if (!bouncebuffer_setup_write(bounce_buffer_tx, &buf_tx, tx_len)) {
+            if (buf_rx) {
+                bouncebuffer_abort(bounce_buffer_rx);
+            }
+            return false;
+        }
     }
+    return true;
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/libraries/AP_HAL_ChibiOS/Device.h b/libraries/AP_HAL_ChibiOS/Device.h
index febd7ff663..c1b62f7a71 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_HAL_ChibiOS/Device.h
+++ b/libraries/AP_HAL_ChibiOS/Device.h
@@ -39,8 +39,8 @@ public:
     bool adjust_timer(AP_HAL::Device::PeriodicHandle h, uint32_t period_usec);
     static void bus_thread(void *arg);
 
-    void bouncebuffer_setup(const uint8_t *&buf_tx, uint16_t tx_len,
-                            uint8_t *&buf_rx, uint16_t rx_len);
+    bool bouncebuffer_setup(const uint8_t *&buf_tx, uint16_t tx_len,
+                            uint8_t *&buf_rx, uint16_t rx_len) WARN_IF_UNUSED;
     void bouncebuffer_finish(const uint8_t *buf_tx, uint8_t *buf_rx, uint16_t rx_len);
 
 private:
diff --git a/libraries/AP_HAL_ChibiOS/I2CDevice.cpp b/libraries/AP_HAL_ChibiOS/I2CDevice.cpp
index a838cc4125..5b3c447dc0 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_HAL_ChibiOS/I2CDevice.cpp
+++ b/libraries/AP_HAL_ChibiOS/I2CDevice.cpp
@@ -258,7 +258,10 @@ bool I2CDevice::_transfer(const uint8_t *send, uint32_t send_len,
 {
     i2cAcquireBus(I2CD[bus.busnum].i2c);
 
-    bus.bouncebuffer_setup(send, send_len, recv, recv_len);
+    if (!bus.bouncebuffer_setup(send, send_len, recv, recv_len)) {
+        i2cReleaseBus(I2CD[bus.busnum].i2c);
+        return false;
+    }
 
     for(uint8_t i=0 ; i <= _retries; i++) {
         int ret;
diff --git a/libraries/AP_HAL_ChibiOS/SPIDevice.cpp b/libraries/AP_HAL_ChibiOS/SPIDevice.cpp
index b71f63b9fe..338d0ccdfb 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_HAL_ChibiOS/SPIDevice.cpp
+++ b/libraries/AP_HAL_ChibiOS/SPIDevice.cpp
@@ -185,7 +185,10 @@ bool SPIDevice::do_transfer(const uint8_t *send, uint8_t *recv, uint32_t len)
         }
     }
 #else
-    bus.bouncebuffer_setup(send, len, recv, len);
+    if (!bus.bouncebuffer_setup(send, len, recv, len)) {
+        set_chip_select(old_cs_forced);
+        return false;
+    }
     osalSysLock();
     hal.util->persistent_data.spi_count++;
     if (send == nullptr) {
diff --git a/libraries/AP_HAL_ChibiOS/hwdef/common/bouncebuffer.c b/libraries/AP_HAL_ChibiOS/hwdef/common/bouncebuffer.c
index c7fc0b4855..7b6fce4086 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_HAL_ChibiOS/hwdef/common/bouncebuffer.c
+++ b/libraries/AP_HAL_ChibiOS/hwdef/common/bouncebuffer.c
@@ -45,8 +45,9 @@ void bouncebuffer_init(struct bouncebuffer_t **bouncebuffer, uint32_t prealloc_b
     (*bouncebuffer)->is_sdcard = sdcard;
     if (prealloc_bytes) {
         (*bouncebuffer)->dma_buf = sdcard?malloc_sdcard_dma(prealloc_bytes):malloc_dma(prealloc_bytes);
-        osalDbgAssert(((*bouncebuffer)->dma_buf != NULL), "bouncebuffer preallocate");
-        (*bouncebuffer)->size = prealloc_bytes;
+        if ((*bouncebuffer)->dma_buf) {
+            (*bouncebuffer)->size = prealloc_bytes;
+        }
     }
 }
 
@@ -55,11 +56,11 @@ void bouncebuffer_init(struct bouncebuffer_t **bouncebuffer, uint32_t prealloc_b
   Note that *buf can be NULL, in which case we allocate DMA capable memory, but don't
   copy to it in bouncebuffer_finish_read(). This avoids DMA failures in dummyrx in the SPI LLD
  */
-void bouncebuffer_setup_read(struct bouncebuffer_t *bouncebuffer, uint8_t **buf, uint32_t size)
+bool bouncebuffer_setup_read(struct bouncebuffer_t *bouncebuffer, uint8_t **buf, uint32_t size)
 {
     if (!bouncebuffer || IS_DMA_SAFE(*buf)) {
         // nothing needs to be done
-        return;
+        return true;
     }
     osalDbgAssert((bouncebuffer->busy == false), "bouncebuffer read");        
     bouncebuffer->orig_buf = *buf;
@@ -68,7 +69,10 @@ void bouncebuffer_setup_read(struct bouncebuffer_t *bouncebuffer, uint8_t **buf,
             free(bouncebuffer->dma_buf);
         }
         bouncebuffer->dma_buf = bouncebuffer->is_sdcard?malloc_sdcard_dma(size):malloc_dma(size);
-        osalDbgAssert((bouncebuffer->dma_buf != NULL), "bouncebuffer read allocate");
+        if (!bouncebuffer->dma_buf) {
+            bouncebuffer->size = 0;
+            return false;
+        }
         bouncebuffer->size = size;
     }
     *buf = bouncebuffer->dma_buf;
@@ -77,6 +81,7 @@ void bouncebuffer_setup_read(struct bouncebuffer_t *bouncebuffer, uint8_t **buf,
     stm32_cacheBufferInvalidate(*buf, (size+31)&~31);
 #endif
     bouncebuffer->busy = true;
+    return true;
 }
 
 /*
@@ -97,11 +102,11 @@ void bouncebuffer_finish_read(struct bouncebuffer_t *bouncebuffer, const uint8_t
 /*
   setup for reading from memory to a device, allocating a bouncebuffer if needed
  */
-void bouncebuffer_setup_write(struct bouncebuffer_t *bouncebuffer, const uint8_t **buf, uint32_t size)
+bool bouncebuffer_setup_write(struct bouncebuffer_t *bouncebuffer, const uint8_t **buf, uint32_t size)
 {
     if (!bouncebuffer || IS_DMA_SAFE(*buf)) {
         // nothing needs to be done
-        return;
+        return true;
     }
     osalDbgAssert((bouncebuffer->busy == false), "bouncebuffer write");        
     if (bouncebuffer->size < size) {
@@ -109,7 +114,10 @@ void bouncebuffer_setup_write(struct bouncebuffer_t *bouncebuffer, const uint8_t
             free(bouncebuffer->dma_buf);
         }
         bouncebuffer->dma_buf = bouncebuffer->is_sdcard?malloc_sdcard_dma(size):malloc_dma(size);
-        osalDbgAssert((bouncebuffer->dma_buf != NULL), "bouncebuffer write allocate");
+        if (!bouncebuffer->dma_buf) {
+            bouncebuffer->size = 0;
+            return false;
+        }
         bouncebuffer->size = size;
     }
     if (*buf) {
@@ -121,6 +129,7 @@ void bouncebuffer_setup_write(struct bouncebuffer_t *bouncebuffer, const uint8_t
     stm32_cacheBufferFlush(*buf, (size+31)&~31);
 #endif
     bouncebuffer->busy = true;
+    return true;
 }
 
 
@@ -134,3 +143,13 @@ void bouncebuffer_finish_write(struct bouncebuffer_t *bouncebuffer, const uint8_
         bouncebuffer->busy = false;
     }
 }
+
+/*
+  abort an operation
+ */
+void bouncebuffer_abort(struct bouncebuffer_t *bouncebuffer)
+{
+    if (bouncebuffer) {
+        bouncebuffer->busy = false;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/libraries/AP_HAL_ChibiOS/hwdef/common/bouncebuffer.h b/libraries/AP_HAL_ChibiOS/hwdef/common/bouncebuffer.h
index 67b29bd6c5..89732db576 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_HAL_ChibiOS/hwdef/common/bouncebuffer.h
+++ b/libraries/AP_HAL_ChibiOS/hwdef/common/bouncebuffer.h
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ void bouncebuffer_init(struct bouncebuffer_t **bouncebuffer, uint32_t prealloc_b
 /*
   setup for reading from a device into memory, allocating a bouncebuffer if needed
  */
-void bouncebuffer_setup_read(struct bouncebuffer_t *bouncebuffer, uint8_t **buf, uint32_t size);
+bool bouncebuffer_setup_read(struct bouncebuffer_t *bouncebuffer, uint8_t **buf, uint32_t size);
     
 /*
   finish a read operation
@@ -37,13 +37,18 @@ void bouncebuffer_finish_read(struct bouncebuffer_t *bouncebuffer, const uint8_t
 /*
   setup for reading from memory to a device, allocating a bouncebuffer if needed
  */
-void bouncebuffer_setup_write(struct bouncebuffer_t *bouncebuffer, const uint8_t **buf, uint32_t size);
+bool bouncebuffer_setup_write(struct bouncebuffer_t *bouncebuffer, const uint8_t **buf, uint32_t size);
     
 /*
   finish a write operation
  */
 void bouncebuffer_finish_write(struct bouncebuffer_t *bouncebuffer, const uint8_t *buf);
 
+/*
+  abort an operation
+ */
+void bouncebuffer_abort(struct bouncebuffer_t *bouncebuffer);
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif