diff --git a/drivers/iio/buffer_cb.c b/drivers/iio/buffer_cb.c
index eb46e728aa2e..1648e6e5a848 100644
--- a/drivers/iio/buffer_cb.c
+++ b/drivers/iio/buffer_cb.c
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ static void iio_buffer_cb_release(struct iio_buffer *buffer)
 static const struct iio_buffer_access_funcs iio_cb_access = {
 	.store_to = &iio_buffer_cb_store_to,
 	.release = &iio_buffer_cb_release,
+
+	.modes = INDIO_BUFFER_SOFTWARE | INDIO_BUFFER_TRIGGERED,
 };
 
 struct iio_cb_buffer *iio_channel_get_all_cb(struct device *dev,
diff --git a/drivers/iio/industrialio-buffer.c b/drivers/iio/industrialio-buffer.c
index 209c7ad793c5..0a14bd825fe0 100644
--- a/drivers/iio/industrialio-buffer.c
+++ b/drivers/iio/industrialio-buffer.c
@@ -604,6 +604,7 @@ static int iio_verify_update(struct iio_dev *indio_dev,
 	const unsigned long *scan_mask;
 	struct iio_buffer *buffer;
 	bool scan_timestamp;
+	unsigned int modes;
 
 	memset(config, 0, sizeof(*config));
 
@@ -615,12 +616,23 @@ static int iio_verify_update(struct iio_dev *indio_dev,
 		list_is_singular(&indio_dev->buffer_list))
 			return 0;
 
+	modes = indio_dev->modes;
+
+	list_for_each_entry(buffer, &indio_dev->buffer_list, buffer_list) {
+		if (buffer == remove_buffer)
+			continue;
+		modes &= buffer->access->modes;
+	}
+
+	if (insert_buffer)
+		modes &= insert_buffer->access->modes;
+
 	/* Definitely possible for devices to support both of these. */
-	if ((indio_dev->modes & INDIO_BUFFER_TRIGGERED) && indio_dev->trig) {
+	if ((modes & INDIO_BUFFER_TRIGGERED) && indio_dev->trig) {
 		config->mode = INDIO_BUFFER_TRIGGERED;
-	} else if (indio_dev->modes & INDIO_BUFFER_HARDWARE) {
+	} else if (modes & INDIO_BUFFER_HARDWARE) {
 		config->mode = INDIO_BUFFER_HARDWARE;
-	} else if (indio_dev->modes & INDIO_BUFFER_SOFTWARE) {
+	} else if (modes & INDIO_BUFFER_SOFTWARE) {
 		config->mode = INDIO_BUFFER_SOFTWARE;
 	} else {
 		/* Can only occur on first buffer */
diff --git a/drivers/iio/kfifo_buf.c b/drivers/iio/kfifo_buf.c
index 847ca561afe0..db15684a4731 100644
--- a/drivers/iio/kfifo_buf.c
+++ b/drivers/iio/kfifo_buf.c
@@ -135,6 +135,8 @@ static const struct iio_buffer_access_funcs kfifo_access_funcs = {
 	.set_bytes_per_datum = &iio_set_bytes_per_datum_kfifo,
 	.set_length = &iio_set_length_kfifo,
 	.release = &iio_kfifo_buffer_release,
+
+	.modes = INDIO_BUFFER_SOFTWARE | INDIO_BUFFER_TRIGGERED,
 };
 
 struct iio_buffer *iio_kfifo_allocate(void)
diff --git a/drivers/staging/iio/accel/sca3000_ring.c b/drivers/staging/iio/accel/sca3000_ring.c
index 8589eade1057..23685e74917e 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/iio/accel/sca3000_ring.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/iio/accel/sca3000_ring.c
@@ -258,6 +258,8 @@ static const struct iio_buffer_access_funcs sca3000_ring_access_funcs = {
 	.read_first_n = &sca3000_read_first_n_hw_rb,
 	.data_available = sca3000_ring_buf_data_available,
 	.release = sca3000_ring_release,
+
+	.modes = INDIO_BUFFER_HARDWARE,
 };
 
 int sca3000_configure_ring(struct iio_dev *indio_dev)
diff --git a/include/linux/iio/buffer.h b/include/linux/iio/buffer.h
index eb8622b78ec9..1600c55828e0 100644
--- a/include/linux/iio/buffer.h
+++ b/include/linux/iio/buffer.h
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ struct iio_buffer;
  * @set_length:		set number of datums in buffer
  * @release:		called when the last reference to the buffer is dropped,
  *			should free all resources allocated by the buffer.
+ * @modes:		Supported operating modes by this buffer type
  *
  * The purpose of this structure is to make the buffer element
  * modular as event for a given driver, different usecases may require
@@ -51,6 +52,8 @@ struct iio_buffer_access_funcs {
 	int (*set_length)(struct iio_buffer *buffer, int length);
 
 	void (*release)(struct iio_buffer *buffer);
+
+	unsigned int modes;
 };
 
 /**