diff --git a/boards/ikea-tradfri/board.c b/boards/ikea-tradfri/board.c
index 810462715a..abd8faedd5 100644
--- a/boards/ikea-tradfri/board.c
+++ b/boards/ikea-tradfri/board.c
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ static const mtd_spi_nor_params_t _ikea_tradfri_nor_params = {
     .spi = IKEA_TRADFRI_NOR_SPI_DEV,
     .mode = IKEA_TRADFRI_NOR_SPI_MODE,
     .cs = IKEA_TRADFRI_NOR_SPI_CS,
+    .wp = GPIO_UNDEF,
+    .hold = GPIO_UNDEF,
     .addr_width = 3,
 };
 
diff --git a/boards/mulle/board.c b/boards/mulle/board.c
index d402ee0b16..875971a8d6 100644
--- a/boards/mulle/board.c
+++ b/boards/mulle/board.c
@@ -55,9 +55,11 @@ static const mtd_spi_nor_params_t mulle_nor_params = {
     .wait_32k_erase = 20LU * US_PER_MS,
     .wait_chip_wake_up = 1LU * US_PER_MS,
     .spi = MULLE_NOR_SPI_DEV,
-    .cs = MULLE_NOR_SPI_CS,
     .addr_width = 3,
     .mode = SPI_MODE_3,
+    .cs = MULLE_NOR_SPI_CS,
+    .wp = GPIO_UNDEF,
+    .hold = GPIO_UNDEF,
     .clk = SPI_CLK_10MHZ,
 };
 
diff --git a/boards/nrf52840dk/mtd.c b/boards/nrf52840dk/mtd.c
index fa84ec44a7..374fba9a43 100644
--- a/boards/nrf52840dk/mtd.c
+++ b/boards/nrf52840dk/mtd.c
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ static const mtd_spi_nor_params_t _nrf52840dk_nor_params = {
     .spi = NRF52840DK_NOR_SPI_DEV,
     .mode = NRF52840DK_NOR_SPI_MODE,
     .cs = NRF52840DK_NOR_SPI_CS,
+    .wp = GPIO_UNDEF,
+    .hold = GPIO_UNDEF,
     .addr_width = 3,
 };
 
diff --git a/boards/pinetime/board.c b/boards/pinetime/board.c
index 0b01f85818..7985064ef0 100644
--- a/boards/pinetime/board.c
+++ b/boards/pinetime/board.c
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ static const mtd_spi_nor_params_t _pinetime_nor_params = {
     .spi = PINETIME_NOR_SPI_DEV,
     .mode = PINETIME_NOR_SPI_MODE,
     .cs = PINETIME_NOR_SPI_CS,
+    .wp = GPIO_UNDEF,
+    .hold = GPIO_UNDEF,
     .addr_width = 3,
 };
 
diff --git a/boards/serpente/board.c b/boards/serpente/board.c
index 4bd0c1af3d..9f01b0f6fc 100644
--- a/boards/serpente/board.c
+++ b/boards/serpente/board.c
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@ static const mtd_spi_nor_params_t _serpente_nor_params = {
     .spi = SERPENTE_NOR_SPI_DEV,
     .mode = SERPENTE_NOR_SPI_MODE,
     .cs = SERPENTE_NOR_SPI_CS,
+    .wp = GPIO_UNDEF,
+    .hold = GPIO_UNDEF,
     .addr_width = 3,
 };
 
diff --git a/boards/weact-f411ce/board.c b/boards/weact-f411ce/board.c
index bff15f3154..99512c226b 100644
--- a/boards/weact-f411ce/board.c
+++ b/boards/weact-f411ce/board.c
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ static const mtd_spi_nor_params_t _weact_nor_params = {
     .spi = WEACT_411CE_NOR_SPI_DEV,
     .mode = WEACT_411CE_NOR_SPI_MODE,
     .cs = WEACT_411CE_NOR_SPI_CS,
+    .wp = GPIO_UNDEF,
+    .hold = GPIO_UNDEF,
     .addr_width = 3,
 };
 
diff --git a/drivers/include/mtd_spi_nor.h b/drivers/include/mtd_spi_nor.h
index ad9103610e..ad61670255 100644
--- a/drivers/include/mtd_spi_nor.h
+++ b/drivers/include/mtd_spi_nor.h
@@ -111,6 +111,8 @@ typedef struct {
     spi_t spi;               /**< SPI bus the device is connected to */
     spi_mode_t mode;         /**< SPI mode */
     gpio_t cs;               /**< CS pin GPIO handle */
+    gpio_t wp;               /**< Write Protect pin GPIO handle */
+    gpio_t hold;             /**< HOLD pin GPIO handle */
     uint8_t addr_width;      /**< Number of bytes in addresses, usually 3 for small devices */
 } mtd_spi_nor_params_t;
 
diff --git a/drivers/mtd_spi_nor/mtd_spi_nor.c b/drivers/mtd_spi_nor/mtd_spi_nor.c
index f7ff1b72ef..85c5a49f5e 100644
--- a/drivers/mtd_spi_nor/mtd_spi_nor.c
+++ b/drivers/mtd_spi_nor/mtd_spi_nor.c
@@ -46,6 +46,9 @@
 #define MTD_POWER_UP_WAIT_FOR_ID    (0x0F)
 #endif
 
+#define SFLASH_CMD_4_BYTE_ADDR (0xB7)   /**< enable 32 bit addressing */
+#define SFLASH_CMD_3_BYTE_ADDR (0xE9)   /**< enable 24 bit addressing */
+
 #define MTD_64K             (65536ul)
 #define MTD_64K_ADDR_MASK   (0xFFFF)
 #define MTD_32K             (32768ul)
@@ -356,6 +359,26 @@ static inline void wait_for_write_complete(const mtd_spi_nor_t *dev, uint32_t us
     DEBUG("\n");
 }
 
+static void _init_pins(mtd_spi_nor_t *dev)
+{
+    DEBUG("mtd_spi_nor_init: init pins\n");
+
+    /* CS */
+    spi_init_cs(_get_spi(dev), dev->params->cs);
+
+    /* Write Protect - not used by the driver */
+    if (gpio_is_valid(dev->params->wp)) {
+        gpio_init(dev->params->wp, GPIO_OUT);
+        gpio_set(dev->params->wp);
+    }
+
+    /* Hold - not used by the driver */
+    if (gpio_is_valid(dev->params->hold)) {
+        gpio_init(dev->params->hold, GPIO_OUT);
+        gpio_set(dev->params->hold);
+    }
+}
+
 static int mtd_spi_nor_power(mtd_dev_t *mtd, enum mtd_power_state power)
 {
     mtd_spi_nor_t *dev = (mtd_spi_nor_t *)mtd;
@@ -378,6 +401,11 @@ static int mtd_spi_nor_power(mtd_dev_t *mtd, enum mtd_power_state power)
                 return -EIO;
             }
 #endif
+            /* enable 32 bit address mode */
+            if (dev->params->addr_width == 4) {
+                mtd_spi_cmd(dev, SFLASH_CMD_4_BYTE_ADDR);
+            }
+
             break;
         case MTD_POWER_DOWN:
             mtd_spi_cmd(dev, dev->params->opcode->sleep);
@@ -396,13 +424,12 @@ static int mtd_spi_nor_init(mtd_dev_t *mtd)
     DEBUG("mtd_spi_nor_init: -> spi: %lx, cs: %lx, opcodes: %p\n",
           (unsigned long)_get_spi(dev), (unsigned long)dev->params->cs, (void *)dev->params->opcode);
 
-    if (dev->params->addr_width == 0) {
-        return -EINVAL;
-    }
+    /* verify configuration */
+    assert(dev->params->addr_width > 0);
+    assert(dev->params->addr_width <= 4);
 
-    /* CS */
-    DEBUG("mtd_spi_nor_init: CS init\n");
-    spi_init_cs(_get_spi(dev), dev->params->cs);
+    /* CS, WP, Hold */
+    _init_pins(dev);
 
     /* power up the MTD device*/
     DEBUG("mtd_spi_nor_init: power up MTD device");