diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/allocators/gstdmabuf.c b/gst-libs/gst/allocators/gstdmabuf.c
index 4721b67..63d17fa 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/allocators/gstdmabuf.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/allocators/gstdmabuf.c
@@ -60,7 +60,14 @@
     sync.flags |= DMA_BUF_SYNC_WRITE;
 #endif
 
-  ret = allocator->mem_map (gmem, maxsize, info->flags);
+  /* Workaround to enable sending mapped dmabuf straight to TPU.
+   * Its driver requires all memory sent to it to be writable so
+   * for dmabuf we emulate the behavior of system memory which is
+   * also always really writable even if mapped only for reading
+   * with GST_MAP_READ.
+   * b/148226798
+   */
+  ret = allocator->mem_map (gmem, maxsize, info->flags | GST_MAP_WRITE);
 
 #ifdef HAVE_LINUX_DMA_BUF_H
   if (ret) {