diff --git a/drivers/base/base.h b/drivers/base/base.h
index 24f424249d9b..251c5d30f963 100644
--- a/drivers/base/base.h
+++ b/drivers/base/base.h
@@ -63,8 +63,6 @@ struct driver_private {
  *	binding of drivers which were unable to get all the resources needed by
  *	the device; typically because it depends on another driver getting
  *	probed first.
- * @driver_data - private pointer for driver specific info.  Will turn into a
- * list soon.
  * @device - pointer back to the struct class that this structure is
  * associated with.
  *
@@ -76,7 +74,6 @@ struct device_private {
 	struct klist_node knode_driver;
 	struct klist_node knode_bus;
 	struct list_head deferred_probe;
-	void *driver_data;
 	struct device *device;
 };
 #define to_device_private_parent(obj)	\
diff --git a/drivers/base/dd.c b/drivers/base/dd.c
index 62ec61e8f84a..d14b6e895896 100644
--- a/drivers/base/dd.c
+++ b/drivers/base/dd.c
@@ -594,22 +594,15 @@ void driver_detach(struct device_driver *drv)
  */
 void *dev_get_drvdata(const struct device *dev)
 {
-	if (dev && dev->p)
-		return dev->p->driver_data;
+	if (dev)
+		return dev->driver_data;
 	return NULL;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(dev_get_drvdata);
 
 int dev_set_drvdata(struct device *dev, void *data)
 {
-	int error;
-
-	if (!dev->p) {
-		error = device_private_init(dev);
-		if (error)
-			return error;
-	}
-	dev->p->driver_data = data;
+	dev->driver_data = data;
 	return 0;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(dev_set_drvdata);
diff --git a/include/linux/device.h b/include/linux/device.h
index d1d1c055b48e..5c94ac3e7972 100644
--- a/include/linux/device.h
+++ b/include/linux/device.h
@@ -673,6 +673,7 @@ struct acpi_dev_node {
  * 		variants, which GPIO pins act in what additional roles, and so
  * 		on.  This shrinks the "Board Support Packages" (BSPs) and
  * 		minimizes board-specific #ifdefs in drivers.
+ * @driver_data: Private pointer for driver specific info.
  * @power:	For device power management.
  * 		See Documentation/power/devices.txt for details.
  * @pm_domain:	Provide callbacks that are executed during system suspend,
@@ -734,6 +735,8 @@ struct device {
 					   device */
 	void		*platform_data;	/* Platform specific data, device
 					   core doesn't touch it */
+	void		*driver_data;	/* Driver data, set and get with
+					   dev_set/get_drvdata */
 	struct dev_pm_info	power;
 	struct dev_pm_domain	*pm_domain;