diff --git a/Documentation/driver-api/vfio.rst b/Documentation/driver-api/vfio.rst
index 3337f337293a32..decc68cb8114ac 100644
--- a/Documentation/driver-api/vfio.rst
+++ b/Documentation/driver-api/vfio.rst
@@ -254,8 +254,7 @@ vfio_unregister_group_dev() respectively::
 
 	void vfio_init_group_dev(struct vfio_device *device,
 				struct device *dev,
-				const struct vfio_device_ops *ops,
-				void *device_data);
+				const struct vfio_device_ops *ops);
 	int vfio_register_group_dev(struct vfio_device *device);
 	void vfio_unregister_group_dev(struct vfio_device *device);
 
diff --git a/drivers/vfio/fsl-mc/vfio_fsl_mc.c b/drivers/vfio/fsl-mc/vfio_fsl_mc.c
index 45f397c04a8959..980e5955130197 100644
--- a/drivers/vfio/fsl-mc/vfio_fsl_mc.c
+++ b/drivers/vfio/fsl-mc/vfio_fsl_mc.c
@@ -75,7 +75,8 @@ static int vfio_fsl_mc_reflck_attach(struct vfio_fsl_mc_device *vdev)
 			goto unlock;
 		}
 
-		cont_vdev = vfio_device_data(device);
+		cont_vdev =
+			container_of(device, struct vfio_fsl_mc_device, vdev);
 		if (!cont_vdev || !cont_vdev->reflck) {
 			vfio_device_put(device);
 			ret = -ENODEV;
@@ -630,7 +631,7 @@ static int vfio_fsl_mc_probe(struct fsl_mc_device *mc_dev)
 		goto out_group_put;
 	}
 
-	vfio_init_group_dev(&vdev->vdev, dev, &vfio_fsl_mc_ops, vdev);
+	vfio_init_group_dev(&vdev->vdev, dev, &vfio_fsl_mc_ops);
 	vdev->mc_dev = mc_dev;
 	mutex_init(&vdev->igate);
 
diff --git a/drivers/vfio/mdev/vfio_mdev.c b/drivers/vfio/mdev/vfio_mdev.c
index 11b3e15403ba4f..ae7e322fbe3c26 100644
--- a/drivers/vfio/mdev/vfio_mdev.c
+++ b/drivers/vfio/mdev/vfio_mdev.c
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ static int vfio_mdev_probe(struct device *dev)
 	if (!vdev)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
-	vfio_init_group_dev(vdev, &mdev->dev, &vfio_mdev_dev_ops, mdev);
+	vfio_init_group_dev(vdev, &mdev->dev, &vfio_mdev_dev_ops);
 	ret = vfio_register_group_dev(vdev);
 	if (ret) {
 		kfree(vdev);
diff --git a/drivers/vfio/pci/vfio_pci.c b/drivers/vfio/pci/vfio_pci.c
index 1f70387c8afe37..55ef27a15d4d3f 100644
--- a/drivers/vfio/pci/vfio_pci.c
+++ b/drivers/vfio/pci/vfio_pci.c
@@ -2022,7 +2022,7 @@ static int vfio_pci_probe(struct pci_dev *pdev, const struct pci_device_id *id)
 		goto out_group_put;
 	}
 
-	vfio_init_group_dev(&vdev->vdev, &pdev->dev, &vfio_pci_ops, vdev);
+	vfio_init_group_dev(&vdev->vdev, &pdev->dev, &vfio_pci_ops);
 	vdev->pdev = pdev;
 	vdev->irq_type = VFIO_PCI_NUM_IRQS;
 	mutex_init(&vdev->igate);
diff --git a/drivers/vfio/platform/vfio_platform_common.c b/drivers/vfio/platform/vfio_platform_common.c
index f5f6b537084a67..361e5b57e36932 100644
--- a/drivers/vfio/platform/vfio_platform_common.c
+++ b/drivers/vfio/platform/vfio_platform_common.c
@@ -666,7 +666,7 @@ int vfio_platform_probe_common(struct vfio_platform_device *vdev,
 	struct iommu_group *group;
 	int ret;
 
-	vfio_init_group_dev(&vdev->vdev, dev, &vfio_platform_ops, vdev);
+	vfio_init_group_dev(&vdev->vdev, dev, &vfio_platform_ops);
 
 	ret = vfio_platform_acpi_probe(vdev, dev);
 	if (ret)
diff --git a/drivers/vfio/vfio.c b/drivers/vfio/vfio.c
index e6f5109fba4858..5e631c359ef23c 100644
--- a/drivers/vfio/vfio.c
+++ b/drivers/vfio/vfio.c
@@ -741,12 +741,11 @@ static int vfio_iommu_group_notifier(struct notifier_block *nb,
  * VFIO driver API
  */
 void vfio_init_group_dev(struct vfio_device *device, struct device *dev,
-			 const struct vfio_device_ops *ops, void *device_data)
+			 const struct vfio_device_ops *ops)
 {
 	init_completion(&device->comp);
 	device->dev = dev;
 	device->ops = ops;
-	device->device_data = device_data;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(vfio_init_group_dev);
 
@@ -851,15 +850,6 @@ static struct vfio_device *vfio_device_get_from_name(struct vfio_group *group,
 	return device;
 }
 
-/*
- * Caller must hold a reference to the vfio_device
- */
-void *vfio_device_data(struct vfio_device *device)
-{
-	return device->device_data;
-}
-EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(vfio_device_data);
-
 /*
  * Decrement the device reference count and wait for the device to be
  * removed.  Open file descriptors for the device... */
diff --git a/include/linux/vfio.h b/include/linux/vfio.h
index 784c34c0a28763..a2c5b30e1763ba 100644
--- a/include/linux/vfio.h
+++ b/include/linux/vfio.h
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ struct vfio_device {
 	refcount_t refcount;
 	struct completion comp;
 	struct list_head group_next;
-	void *device_data;
 };
 
 /**
@@ -61,12 +60,11 @@ extern struct iommu_group *vfio_iommu_group_get(struct device *dev);
 extern void vfio_iommu_group_put(struct iommu_group *group, struct device *dev);
 
 void vfio_init_group_dev(struct vfio_device *device, struct device *dev,
-			 const struct vfio_device_ops *ops, void *device_data);
+			 const struct vfio_device_ops *ops);
 int vfio_register_group_dev(struct vfio_device *device);
 void vfio_unregister_group_dev(struct vfio_device *device);
 extern struct vfio_device *vfio_device_get_from_dev(struct device *dev);
 extern void vfio_device_put(struct vfio_device *device);
-extern void *vfio_device_data(struct vfio_device *device);
 
 /* events for the backend driver notify callback */
 enum vfio_iommu_notify_type {
