diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/ibm/emac/core.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/ibm/emac/core.c
index e2abda947a51..cda368701ae4 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/ibm/emac/core.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/ibm/emac/core.c
@@ -2459,7 +2459,7 @@ static int emac_read_uint_prop(struct device_node *np, const char *name,
 static void emac_adjust_link(struct net_device *ndev)
 {
 	struct emac_instance *dev = netdev_priv(ndev);
-	struct phy_device *phy = dev->phy_dev;
+	struct phy_device *phy = ndev->phydev;
 
 	dev->phy.autoneg = phy->autoneg;
 	dev->phy.speed = phy->speed;
@@ -2510,22 +2510,20 @@ static int emac_mdio_phy_start_aneg(struct mii_phy *phy,
 static int emac_mdio_setup_aneg(struct mii_phy *phy, u32 advertise)
 {
 	struct net_device *ndev = phy->dev;
-	struct emac_instance *dev = netdev_priv(ndev);
 
 	phy->autoneg = AUTONEG_ENABLE;
 	phy->advertising = advertise;
-	return emac_mdio_phy_start_aneg(phy, dev->phy_dev);
+	return emac_mdio_phy_start_aneg(phy, ndev->phydev);
 }
 
 static int emac_mdio_setup_forced(struct mii_phy *phy, int speed, int fd)
 {
 	struct net_device *ndev = phy->dev;
-	struct emac_instance *dev = netdev_priv(ndev);
 
 	phy->autoneg = AUTONEG_DISABLE;
 	phy->speed = speed;
 	phy->duplex = fd;
-	return emac_mdio_phy_start_aneg(phy, dev->phy_dev);
+	return emac_mdio_phy_start_aneg(phy, ndev->phydev);
 }
 
 static int emac_mdio_poll_link(struct mii_phy *phy)
@@ -2534,20 +2532,19 @@ static int emac_mdio_poll_link(struct mii_phy *phy)
 	struct emac_instance *dev = netdev_priv(ndev);
 	int res;
 
-	res = phy_read_status(dev->phy_dev);
+	res = phy_read_status(ndev->phydev);
 	if (res) {
 		dev_err(&dev->ofdev->dev, "link update failed (%d).", res);
 		return ethtool_op_get_link(ndev);
 	}
 
-	return dev->phy_dev->link;
+	return ndev->phydev->link;
 }
 
 static int emac_mdio_read_link(struct mii_phy *phy)
 {
 	struct net_device *ndev = phy->dev;
-	struct emac_instance *dev = netdev_priv(ndev);
-	struct phy_device *phy_dev = dev->phy_dev;
+	struct phy_device *phy_dev = ndev->phydev;
 	int res;
 
 	res = phy_read_status(phy_dev);
@@ -2564,10 +2561,9 @@ static int emac_mdio_read_link(struct mii_phy *phy)
 static int emac_mdio_init_phy(struct mii_phy *phy)
 {
 	struct net_device *ndev = phy->dev;
-	struct emac_instance *dev = netdev_priv(ndev);
 
-	phy_start(dev->phy_dev);
-	return phy_init_hw(dev->phy_dev);
+	phy_start(ndev->phydev);
+	return phy_init_hw(ndev->phydev);
 }
 
 static const struct mii_phy_ops emac_dt_mdio_phy_ops = {
@@ -2622,26 +2618,28 @@ static int emac_dt_mdio_probe(struct emac_instance *dev)
 static int emac_dt_phy_connect(struct emac_instance *dev,
 			       struct device_node *phy_handle)
 {
+	struct phy_device *phy_dev;
+
 	dev->phy.def = devm_kzalloc(&dev->ofdev->dev, sizeof(*dev->phy.def),
 				    GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!dev->phy.def)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
-	dev->phy_dev = of_phy_connect(dev->ndev, phy_handle, &emac_adjust_link,
+	phy_dev = of_phy_connect(dev->ndev, phy_handle, &emac_adjust_link,
 				      0, dev->phy_mode);
-	if (!dev->phy_dev) {
+	if (!phy_dev) {
 		dev_err(&dev->ofdev->dev, "failed to connect to PHY.\n");
 		return -ENODEV;
 	}
 
-	dev->phy.def->phy_id = dev->phy_dev->drv->phy_id;
-	dev->phy.def->phy_id_mask = dev->phy_dev->drv->phy_id_mask;
-	dev->phy.def->name = dev->phy_dev->drv->name;
+	dev->phy.def->phy_id = phy_dev->drv->phy_id;
+	dev->phy.def->phy_id_mask = phy_dev->drv->phy_id_mask;
+	dev->phy.def->name = phy_dev->drv->name;
 	dev->phy.def->ops = &emac_dt_mdio_phy_ops;
 	ethtool_convert_link_mode_to_legacy_u32(&dev->phy.features,
-						dev->phy_dev->supported);
-	dev->phy.address = dev->phy_dev->mdio.addr;
-	dev->phy.mode = dev->phy_dev->interface;
+						phy_dev->supported);
+	dev->phy.address = phy_dev->mdio.addr;
+	dev->phy.mode = phy_dev->interface;
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -2695,11 +2693,11 @@ static int emac_init_phy(struct emac_instance *dev)
 				return res;
 
 			res = of_phy_register_fixed_link(np);
-			dev->phy_dev = of_phy_find_device(np);
-			if (res || !dev->phy_dev)
+			ndev->phydev = of_phy_find_device(np);
+			if (res || !ndev->phydev)
 				return res ? res : -EINVAL;
 			emac_adjust_link(dev->ndev);
-			put_device(&dev->phy_dev->mdio.dev);
+			put_device(&ndev->phydev->mdio.dev);
 		}
 		return 0;
 	}
@@ -3254,9 +3252,6 @@ static void emac_remove(struct platform_device *ofdev)
 	if (emac_has_feature(dev, EMAC_FTR_HAS_ZMII))
 		zmii_detach(dev->zmii_dev, dev->zmii_port);
 
-	if (dev->phy_dev)
-		phy_disconnect(dev->phy_dev);
-
 	busy_phy_map &= ~(1 << dev->phy.address);
 	DBG(dev, "busy_phy_map now %#x" NL, busy_phy_map);
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/ibm/emac/core.h b/drivers/net/ethernet/ibm/emac/core.h
index f4bd4cd8ac4a..b820a4f6e8c7 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/ibm/emac/core.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/ibm/emac/core.h
@@ -188,9 +188,6 @@ struct emac_instance {
 	struct emac_instance		*mdio_instance;
 	struct mutex			mdio_lock;
 
-	/* Device-tree based phy configuration */
-	struct phy_device		*phy_dev;
-
 	/* ZMII infos if any */
 	u32				zmii_ph;
 	u32				zmii_port;
