diff --git a/dediprog.c b/dediprog.c
index ab5388b53..fb95d1095 100644
--- a/dediprog.c
+++ b/dediprog.c
@@ -184,12 +184,15 @@ static const struct dediprog_spispeeds spispeeds[] = {
  */
 static int dediprog_set_spi_speed(unsigned int spispeed_idx)
 {
-	int ret;
+	if (dediprog_firmwareversion < FIRMWARE_VERSION(5, 0, 0)) {
+		msg_pwarn("Skipping to set SPI speed because firmware is too old.\n");
+		return 0;
+	}
 
-	msg_pdbg("SPI speed is %sHz\n", spispeeds[spispeed_idx].name);
+	msg_pdbg("SPI speed is %s Hz\n", spispeeds[spispeed_idx].name);
 
-	ret = usb_control_msg(dediprog_handle, 0x42, 0x61, spispeeds[spispeed_idx].speed, 0xff,
-			      NULL, 0x0, DEFAULT_TIMEOUT);
+	int ret = usb_control_msg(dediprog_handle, 0x42, 0x61, spispeeds[spispeed_idx].speed, 0xff,
+				  NULL, 0x0, DEFAULT_TIMEOUT);
 	if (ret != 0x0) {
 		msg_perr("Command Set SPI Speed 0x%x failed!\n", spispeeds[spispeed_idx].speed);
 		return 1;
@@ -789,7 +792,7 @@ int dediprog_init(void)
 {
 	struct usb_device *dev;
 	char *voltage, *device, *spispeed, *target_str;
-	int spispeed_idx = 2;
+	int spispeed_idx = 1;
 	int millivolt = 3500;
 	long usedevice = 0;
 	long target = 1;
@@ -806,7 +809,7 @@ int dediprog_init(void)
 			}
 		}
 		if (!spispeeds[i].name) {
-			msg_perr("Error: Invalid 'spispeed' value.\n");
+			msg_perr("Error: Invalid spispeed value: '%s'.\n", spispeed);
 			free(spispeed);
 			return 1;
 		}
diff --git a/flashrom.8 b/flashrom.8
index c7a6c69eb..4e6ab554a 100644
--- a/flashrom.8
+++ b/flashrom.8
@@ -683,7 +683,8 @@ Usage example to select the second device:
 .sp
 An optional
 .B spispeed
-parameter specifies the frequency of the SPI bus. Syntax is
+parameter specifies the frequency of the SPI bus. The firmware on the device needs to be 5.0.0 or newer.
+Syntax is
 .sp
 .B "  flashrom \-p dediprog:spispeed=frequency"
 .sp