diff --git a/doc/openocd.texi b/doc/openocd.texi
index 329b70594..30d8aaeb4 100644
--- a/doc/openocd.texi
+++ b/doc/openocd.texi
@@ -4722,9 +4722,11 @@ is omitted, start at the beginning of the flash bank.
 The @var{num} parameter is a value shown by @command{flash banks}.
 @end deffn
 
-@deffn Command {flash read_bank} num filename offset length
+@deffn Command {flash read_bank} num filename [offset [length]]
 Read @var{length} bytes from the flash bank @var{num} starting at @var{offset}
-and write the contents to the binary @file{filename}.
+and write the contents to the binary @file{filename}. If @var{offset} is
+omitted, start at the beginning of the flash bank. If @var{length} is omitted,
+read the remaining bytes from the flash bank.
 The @var{num} parameter is a value shown by @command{flash banks}.
 @end deffn
 
diff --git a/src/flash/nor/tcl.c b/src/flash/nor/tcl.c
index ab3b1eaf5..e5e280111 100644
--- a/src/flash/nor/tcl.c
+++ b/src/flash/nor/tcl.c
@@ -674,7 +674,7 @@ COMMAND_HANDLER(handle_flash_read_bank_command)
 	uint32_t length;
 	size_t written;
 
-	if (CMD_ARGC != 4)
+	if (CMD_ARGC < 2 || CMD_ARGC > 4)
 		return ERROR_COMMAND_SYNTAX_ERROR;
 
 	struct duration bench;
@@ -682,11 +682,31 @@ COMMAND_HANDLER(handle_flash_read_bank_command)
 
 	struct flash_bank *p;
 	int retval = CALL_COMMAND_HANDLER(flash_command_get_bank, 0, &p);
+
 	if (ERROR_OK != retval)
 		return retval;
 
-	COMMAND_PARSE_NUMBER(u32, CMD_ARGV[2], offset);
-	COMMAND_PARSE_NUMBER(u32, CMD_ARGV[3], length);
+	offset = 0;
+
+	if (CMD_ARGC > 2)
+		COMMAND_PARSE_NUMBER(u32, CMD_ARGV[2], offset);
+
+	if (offset > p->size) {
+		LOG_ERROR("Offset 0x%8.8" PRIx32 " is out of range of the flash bank",
+			offset);
+		return ERROR_COMMAND_ARGUMENT_INVALID;
+	}
+
+	length = p->size - offset;
+
+	if (CMD_ARGC > 3)
+		COMMAND_PARSE_NUMBER(u32, CMD_ARGV[3], length);
+
+	if (offset + length > p->size) {
+		LOG_ERROR("Length of %" PRIu32 " bytes with offset 0x%8.8" PRIx32
+			" is out of range of the flash bank", length, offset);
+		return ERROR_COMMAND_ARGUMENT_INVALID;
+	}
 
 	buffer = malloc(length);
 	if (buffer == NULL) {
@@ -966,10 +986,9 @@ static const struct command_registration flash_exec_command_handlers[] = {
 		.name = "read_bank",
 		.handler = handle_flash_read_bank_command,
 		.mode = COMMAND_EXEC,
-		.usage = "bank_id filename offset length",
-		.help = "Read binary data from flash bank to file, "
-			"starting at specified byte offset from the "
-			"beginning of the bank.",
+		.usage = "bank_id filename [offset [length]]",
+		.help = "Read binary data from flash bank to file. Allow optional "
+			"offset from beginning of the bank (defaults to zero).",
 	},
 	{
 		.name = "verify_bank",