diff --git a/src/flash/nor/str9x.c b/src/flash/nor/str9x.c
index 528e52e26..cfe6a7770 100644
--- a/src/flash/nor/str9x.c
+++ b/src/flash/nor/str9x.c
@@ -223,6 +223,7 @@ static int str9x_erase(struct flash_bank *bank, int first, int last)
 	uint32_t adr;
 	uint8_t status;
 	uint8_t erase_cmd;
+	int total_timeout;
 
 	if (bank->target->state != TARGET_HALTED)
 	{
@@ -230,16 +231,27 @@ static int str9x_erase(struct flash_bank *bank, int first, int last)
 		return ERROR_TARGET_NOT_HALTED;
 	}
 
-	/*A slower but stable way of erasing*/
-	/* Erase sector command */
-	erase_cmd = 0x20;
+	/* Check if we can erase whole bank */
+	if ((first == 0) && (last == (bank->num_sectors - 1)))
+	{
+		/* Optimize to run erase bank command instead of sector */
+		erase_cmd = 0x80;
+                /* Add timeout duration since erase bank takes more time */
+		total_timeout = 1000 * bank->num_sectors;
+	}
+	else
+	{
+		/* Erase sector command */
+		erase_cmd = 0x20;
+		total_timeout = 1000;
+	}
 
 	for (i = first; i <= last; i++)
 	{
 		int retval;
 		adr = bank->base + bank->sectors[i].offset;
 
-		/* erase sectors */
+		/* erase sectors or block */
 		if ((retval = target_write_u16(target, adr, erase_cmd)) != ERROR_OK)
 		{
 			return retval;
@@ -256,7 +268,8 @@ static int str9x_erase(struct flash_bank *bank, int first, int last)
 		}
 
 		int timeout;
-		for (timeout = 0; timeout < 1000; timeout++) {
+		for (timeout = 0; timeout < total_timeout; timeout++) 
+		{
 			if ((retval = target_read_u8(target, adr, &status)) != ERROR_OK)
 			{
 				return retval;
@@ -265,7 +278,7 @@ static int str9x_erase(struct flash_bank *bank, int first, int last)
 				break;
 			alive_sleep(1);
 		}
-		if (timeout == 1000)
+		if (timeout == total_timeout)
 		{
 			LOG_ERROR("erase timed out");
 			return ERROR_FAIL;
@@ -288,6 +301,10 @@ static int str9x_erase(struct flash_bank *bank, int first, int last)
 			LOG_ERROR("error erasing flash bank, status: 0x%x", status);
 			return ERROR_FLASH_OPERATION_FAILED;
 		}
+
+		/* If we ran erase bank command, we are finished */
+		if (erase_cmd == 0x80)
+			break;
 	}
 
 	for (i = first; i <= last; i++)