diff --git a/include/linux/ata.h b/include/linux/ata.h
index 3fbe6d7..43fecf6 100644
--- a/include/linux/ata.h
+++ b/include/linux/ata.h
@@ -324,6 +324,13 @@
 	ATA_TFLAG_LBA		= (1 << 4), /* enable LBA */
 	ATA_TFLAG_FUA		= (1 << 5), /* enable FUA */
 	ATA_TFLAG_POLLING	= (1 << 6), /* set nIEN to 1 and use polling */
+
+	/* protocol flags */
+	ATA_PROT_FLAG_PIO	= (1 << 0), /* is PIO */
+	ATA_PROT_FLAG_DMA	= (1 << 1), /* is DMA */
+	ATA_PROT_FLAG_DATA	= ATA_PROT_FLAG_PIO | ATA_PROT_FLAG_DMA,
+	ATA_PROT_FLAG_NCQ	= (1 << 2), /* is NCQ */
+	ATA_PROT_FLAG_ATAPI	= (1 << 3), /* is ATAPI */
 };
 
 enum ata_tf_protocols {
@@ -373,6 +380,63 @@
 	u8			command;	/* IO operation */
 };
 
+/*
+ * protocol tests
+ */
+static inline unsigned int ata_prot_flags(u8 prot)
+{
+	switch (prot) {
+	case ATA_PROT_NODATA:
+		return 0;
+	case ATA_PROT_PIO:
+		return ATA_PROT_FLAG_PIO;
+	case ATA_PROT_DMA:
+		return ATA_PROT_FLAG_DMA;
+	case ATA_PROT_NCQ:
+		return ATA_PROT_FLAG_DMA | ATA_PROT_FLAG_NCQ;
+	case ATA_PROT_ATAPI_NODATA:
+		return ATA_PROT_FLAG_ATAPI;
+	case ATA_PROT_ATAPI:
+		return ATA_PROT_FLAG_ATAPI | ATA_PROT_FLAG_PIO;
+	case ATA_PROT_ATAPI_DMA:
+		return ATA_PROT_FLAG_ATAPI | ATA_PROT_FLAG_DMA;
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static inline int ata_is_atapi(u8 prot)
+{
+	return ata_prot_flags(prot) & ATA_PROT_FLAG_ATAPI;
+}
+
+static inline int ata_is_nodata(u8 prot)
+{
+	return !(ata_prot_flags(prot) & ATA_PROT_FLAG_DATA);
+}
+
+static inline int ata_is_pio(u8 prot)
+{
+	return ata_prot_flags(prot) & ATA_PROT_FLAG_PIO;
+}
+
+static inline int ata_is_dma(u8 prot)
+{
+	return ata_prot_flags(prot) & ATA_PROT_FLAG_DMA;
+}
+
+static inline int ata_is_ncq(u8 prot)
+{
+	return ata_prot_flags(prot) & ATA_PROT_FLAG_NCQ;
+}
+
+static inline int ata_is_data(u8 prot)
+{
+	return ata_prot_flags(prot) & ATA_PROT_FLAG_DATA;
+}
+
+/*
+ * id tests
+ */
 #define ata_id_is_ata(id)	(((id)[0] & (1 << 15)) == 0)
 #define ata_id_has_lba(id)	((id)[49] & (1 << 9))
 #define ata_id_has_dma(id)	((id)[49] & (1 << 8))
@@ -594,13 +658,6 @@
 	return (dev_id[0] >> 8) & 0x1f;
 }
 
-static inline int is_atapi_taskfile(const struct ata_taskfile *tf)
-{
-	return (tf->protocol == ATA_PROT_ATAPI) ||
-	       (tf->protocol == ATA_PROT_ATAPI_NODATA) ||
-	       (tf->protocol == ATA_PROT_ATAPI_DMA);
-}
-
 static inline int is_multi_taskfile(struct ata_taskfile *tf)
 {
 	return (tf->command == ATA_CMD_READ_MULTI) ||