diff --git a/drivers/i2c/i2c-core-base.c b/drivers/i2c/i2c-core-base.c
index 6a5183cffdfc3..aeb4201ef55e4 100644
--- a/drivers/i2c/i2c-core-base.c
+++ b/drivers/i2c/i2c-core-base.c
@@ -2065,7 +2065,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(i2c_transfer);
  *
  * Returns negative errno, or else the number of bytes transferred.
  */
-int i2c_transfer_buffer_flags(const struct i2c_client *client, char *buf,
+int i2c_transfer_buffer_flags(const struct i2c_client *client, void *buf,
 			      int count, u16 flags)
 {
 	int ret;
diff --git a/drivers/i2c/i2c-core-smbus.c b/drivers/i2c/i2c-core-smbus.c
index 3ac426a8ab5ab..4172f8e647f81 100644
--- a/drivers/i2c/i2c-core-smbus.c
+++ b/drivers/i2c/i2c-core-smbus.c
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 #include <linux/i2c.h>
 #include <linux/i2c-smbus.h>
 #include <linux/slab.h>
+#include <asm/unaligned.h>
 
 #include "i2c-core.h"
 
@@ -213,7 +214,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(i2c_smbus_write_word_data);
  * mechanism (I2C_M_RECV_LEN) which may not be implemented.
  */
 s32 i2c_smbus_read_block_data(const struct i2c_client *client, u8 command,
-			      u8 *values)
+			      void *values)
 {
 	union i2c_smbus_data data;
 	int status;
@@ -240,7 +241,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(i2c_smbus_read_block_data);
  * else zero on success.
  */
 s32 i2c_smbus_write_block_data(const struct i2c_client *client, u8 command,
-			       u8 length, const u8 *values)
+			       u8 length, const void *values)
 {
 	union i2c_smbus_data data;
 
@@ -256,7 +257,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(i2c_smbus_write_block_data);
 
 /* Returns the number of read bytes */
 s32 i2c_smbus_read_i2c_block_data(const struct i2c_client *client, u8 command,
-				  u8 length, u8 *values)
+				  u8 length, void *values)
 {
 	union i2c_smbus_data data;
 	int status;
@@ -276,7 +277,7 @@ s32 i2c_smbus_read_i2c_block_data(const struct i2c_client *client, u8 command,
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(i2c_smbus_read_i2c_block_data);
 
 s32 i2c_smbus_write_i2c_block_data(const struct i2c_client *client, u8 command,
-				   u8 length, const u8 *values)
+				   u8 length, const void *values)
 {
 	union i2c_smbus_data data;
 
@@ -628,7 +629,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(__i2c_smbus_xfer);
  * transfer.
  */
 s32 i2c_smbus_read_i2c_block_data_or_emulated(const struct i2c_client *client,
-					      u8 command, u8 length, u8 *values)
+					      u8 command, u8 length, void *values)
 {
 	u8 i = 0;
 	int status;
@@ -647,8 +648,7 @@ s32 i2c_smbus_read_i2c_block_data_or_emulated(const struct i2c_client *client,
 			status = i2c_smbus_read_word_data(client, command + i);
 			if (status < 0)
 				return status;
-			values[i] = status & 0xff;
-			values[i + 1] = status >> 8;
+			put_unaligned_le16(status, values + i);
 			i += 2;
 		}
 	}
@@ -657,7 +657,7 @@ s32 i2c_smbus_read_i2c_block_data_or_emulated(const struct i2c_client *client,
 		status = i2c_smbus_read_byte_data(client, command + i);
 		if (status < 0)
 			return status;
-		values[i] = status;
+		*(u8 *)(values + i) = status;
 		i++;
 	}
 
diff --git a/drivers/iio/adc/max1363.c b/drivers/iio/adc/max1363.c
index 5c2cc61b666e7..48ed76a0e83d4 100644
--- a/drivers/iio/adc/max1363.c
+++ b/drivers/iio/adc/max1363.c
@@ -182,9 +182,9 @@ struct max1363_state {
 	struct regulator		*vref;
 	u32				vref_uv;
 	int				(*send)(const struct i2c_client *client,
-						const char *buf, int count);
+						const void *buf, int count);
 	int				(*recv)(const struct i2c_client *client,
-						char *buf, int count);
+						void *buf, int count);
 };
 
 #define MAX1363_MODE_SINGLE(_num, _mask) {				\
@@ -310,27 +310,29 @@ static const struct max1363_mode
 	return NULL;
 }
 
-static int max1363_smbus_send(const struct i2c_client *client, const char *buf,
+static int max1363_smbus_send(const struct i2c_client *client, const void *buf,
 		int count)
 {
+	const u8 *data = buf;
 	int i, err;
 
 	for (i = err = 0; err == 0 && i < count; ++i)
-		err = i2c_smbus_write_byte(client, buf[i]);
+		err = i2c_smbus_write_byte(client, data[i]);
 
 	return err ? err : count;
 }
 
-static int max1363_smbus_recv(const struct i2c_client *client, char *buf,
+static int max1363_smbus_recv(const struct i2c_client *client, void *buf,
 		int count)
 {
+	u8 *data = buf;
 	int i, ret;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < count; ++i) {
 		ret = i2c_smbus_read_byte(client);
 		if (ret < 0)
 			return ret;
-		buf[i] = ret;
+		data[i] = ret;
 	}
 
 	return count;
diff --git a/include/linux/i2c.h b/include/linux/i2c.h
index aaf57d9b41dbb..64cf92e191aa8 100644
--- a/include/linux/i2c.h
+++ b/include/linux/i2c.h
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ struct property_entry;
  * @count must be be less than 64k since msg.len is u16.
  */
 extern int i2c_transfer_buffer_flags(const struct i2c_client *client,
-				     char *buf, int count, u16 flags);
+				     void *buf, int count, u16 flags);
 
 /**
  * i2c_master_recv - issue a single I2C message in master receive mode
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ extern int i2c_transfer_buffer_flags(const struct i2c_client *client,
  * Returns negative errno, or else the number of bytes read.
  */
 static inline int i2c_master_recv(const struct i2c_client *client,
-				  char *buf, int count)
+				  void *buf, int count)
 {
 	return i2c_transfer_buffer_flags(client, buf, count, I2C_M_RD);
 };
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ static inline int i2c_master_recv(const struct i2c_client *client,
  * Returns negative errno, or else the number of bytes read.
  */
 static inline int i2c_master_recv_dmasafe(const struct i2c_client *client,
-					  char *buf, int count)
+					  void *buf, int count)
 {
 	return i2c_transfer_buffer_flags(client, buf, count,
 					 I2C_M_RD | I2C_M_DMA_SAFE);
@@ -92,9 +92,10 @@ static inline int i2c_master_recv_dmasafe(const struct i2c_client *client,
  * Returns negative errno, or else the number of bytes written.
  */
 static inline int i2c_master_send(const struct i2c_client *client,
-				  const char *buf, int count)
+				  const void *buf, int count)
 {
-	return i2c_transfer_buffer_flags(client, (char *)buf, count, 0);
+	return i2c_transfer_buffer_flags(client, (void *)buf /* const cast */,
+					 count, 0);
 };
 
 /**
@@ -107,10 +108,10 @@ static inline int i2c_master_send(const struct i2c_client *client,
  * Returns negative errno, or else the number of bytes written.
  */
 static inline int i2c_master_send_dmasafe(const struct i2c_client *client,
-					  const char *buf, int count)
+					  const void *buf, int count)
 {
-	return i2c_transfer_buffer_flags(client, (char *)buf, count,
-					 I2C_M_DMA_SAFE);
+	return i2c_transfer_buffer_flags(client, (void *)buf /* const cast */,
+					 count, I2C_M_DMA_SAFE);
 };
 
 /* Transfer num messages.
@@ -166,18 +167,19 @@ i2c_smbus_write_word_swapped(const struct i2c_client *client,
 
 /* Returns the number of read bytes */
 extern s32 i2c_smbus_read_block_data(const struct i2c_client *client,
-				     u8 command, u8 *values);
+				     u8 command, void *values);
 extern s32 i2c_smbus_write_block_data(const struct i2c_client *client,
-				      u8 command, u8 length, const u8 *values);
+				      u8 command, u8 length,
+				      const void *values);
 /* Returns the number of read bytes */
 extern s32 i2c_smbus_read_i2c_block_data(const struct i2c_client *client,
-					 u8 command, u8 length, u8 *values);
+					 u8 command, u8 length, void *values);
 extern s32 i2c_smbus_write_i2c_block_data(const struct i2c_client *client,
 					  u8 command, u8 length,
-					  const u8 *values);
+					  const void *values);
 extern s32
 i2c_smbus_read_i2c_block_data_or_emulated(const struct i2c_client *client,
-					  u8 command, u8 length, u8 *values);
+					  u8 command, u8 length, void *values);
 int i2c_get_device_id(const struct i2c_client *client,
 		      struct i2c_device_identity *id);
 #endif /* I2C */
