diff --git a/drivers/bus/pci/pci_common.c b/drivers/bus/pci/pci_common.c
index bbe862b..5fbcf11 100644
--- a/drivers/bus/pci/pci_common.c
+++ b/drivers/bus/pci/pci_common.c
@@ -172,15 +172,6 @@ rte_pci_probe_one_driver(struct rte_pci_driver *dr,
 			loc->domain, loc->bus, loc->devid, loc->function,
 			dev->device.numa_node);
 
-	/* no initialization when blacklisted, return without error */
-	if (dev->device.devargs != NULL &&
-		dev->device.devargs->policy ==
-			RTE_DEV_BLACKLISTED) {
-		RTE_LOG(INFO, EAL, "  Device is blacklisted, not"
-			" initializing\n");
-		return 1;
-	}
-
 	if (dev->device.numa_node < 0) {
 		RTE_LOG(WARNING, EAL, "  Invalid NUMA socket, default to 0\n");
 		dev->device.numa_node = 0;
@@ -380,11 +371,8 @@ rte_pci_probe(void)
 		probed++;
 
 		devargs = dev->device.devargs;
-		/* probe all or only whitelisted devices */
-		if (probe_all)
-			ret = pci_probe_all_drivers(dev);
-		else if (devargs != NULL &&
-			devargs->policy == RTE_DEV_WHITELISTED)
+		/* probe all or only declared devices */
+		if (probe_all ^ (devargs != NULL))
 			ret = pci_probe_all_drivers(dev);
 		if (ret < 0) {
 			RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "Requested device " PCI_PRI_FMT
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/rte_eal_version.map b/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/rte_eal_version.map
index 573869a..47416a5 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/rte_eal_version.map
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/eal/rte_eal_version.map
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ DPDK_2.0 {
 	rte_eal_alarm_set;
 	rte_eal_devargs_add;
 	rte_eal_devargs_dump;
-	rte_eal_devargs_type_count;
 	rte_eal_get_configuration;
 	rte_eal_get_lcore_state;
 	rte_eal_get_physmem_layout;
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_devargs.c b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_devargs.c
index e371456..2fddbfa 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_devargs.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_devargs.c
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ rte_eal_devargs_insert(struct rte_devargs *da)
 
 /* store a whitelist parameter for later parsing */
 int
-rte_eal_devargs_add(enum rte_devtype devtype, const char *devargs_str)
+rte_eal_devargs_add(const char *devargs_str)
 {
 	struct rte_devargs *devargs = NULL;
 	const char *dev = devargs_str;
@@ -165,9 +165,6 @@ rte_eal_devargs_add(enum rte_devtype devtype, const char *devargs_str)
 
 	if (rte_eal_devargs_parse(dev, devargs))
 		goto fail;
-	devargs->type = devtype;
-	if (devargs->type == RTE_DEVTYPE_BLACKLISTED_PCI)
-		devargs->policy = RTE_DEV_BLACKLISTED;
 	TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&devargs_list, devargs, next);
 	return 0;
 
@@ -198,21 +195,6 @@ rte_eal_devargs_remove(const char *busname, const char *devname)
 	return 1;
 }
 
-/* count the number of devices of a specified type */
-unsigned int
-rte_eal_devargs_type_count(enum rte_devtype devtype)
-{
-	struct rte_devargs *devargs;
-	unsigned int count = 0;
-
-	TAILQ_FOREACH(devargs, &devargs_list, next) {
-		if (devargs->type != devtype)
-			continue;
-		count++;
-	}
-	return count;
-}
-
 /* dump the user devices on the console */
 void
 rte_eal_devargs_dump(FILE *f)
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_options.c b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_options.c
index d57cb5d..603df27 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_options.c
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/eal_common_options.c
@@ -131,7 +131,6 @@ TAILQ_HEAD(device_option_list, device_option);
 struct device_option {
 	TAILQ_ENTRY(device_option) next;
 
-	enum rte_devtype type;
 	char arg[];
 };
 
@@ -143,8 +142,7 @@ static int mem_parsed;
 static int core_parsed;
 
 static int
-eal_option_device_add(enum rte_devtype type,
-		      const char *busname, const char *optarg)
+eal_option_device_add(const char *busname, const char *optarg)
 {
 	struct device_option *devopt;
 	size_t optlen;
@@ -159,7 +157,6 @@ eal_option_device_add(enum rte_devtype type,
 		return -ENOMEM;
 	}
 
-	devopt->type = type;
 	if (busname != NULL)
 		ret = snprintf(devopt->arg, optlen, "%s:%s",
 			       busname, optarg);
@@ -183,7 +180,7 @@ eal_option_device_parse(void)
 
 	TAILQ_FOREACH_SAFE(devopt, &devopt_list, next, tmp) {
 		if (ret == 0) {
-			ret = rte_eal_devargs_add(devopt->type, devopt->arg);
+			ret = rte_eal_devargs_add(devopt->arg);
 			if (ret)
 				RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "Unable to parse device '%s'\n",
 					devopt->arg);
@@ -1009,19 +1006,15 @@ eal_parse_common_option(int opt, const char *optarg,
 	case 'b':
 		if (rte_bus_probe_mode_set("pci", RTE_BUS_PROBE_BLACKLIST) < 0)
 			return -1;
-		if (eal_option_device_add(RTE_DEVTYPE_BLACKLISTED_PCI,
-				"pci", optarg) < 0) {
+		if (eal_option_device_add("pci", optarg) < 0)
 			return -1;
-		}
 		break;
 	/* whitelist */
 	case 'w':
 		if (rte_bus_probe_mode_set("pci", RTE_BUS_PROBE_WHITELIST) < 0)
 			return -1;
-		if (eal_option_device_add(RTE_DEVTYPE_WHITELISTED_PCI,
-				"pci", optarg) < 0) {
+		if (eal_option_device_add("pci", optarg) < 0)
 			return -1;
-		}
 		break;
 	/* coremask */
 	case 'c':
@@ -1128,10 +1121,8 @@ eal_parse_common_option(int opt, const char *optarg,
 		break;
 
 	case OPT_VDEV_NUM:
-		if (eal_option_device_add(RTE_DEVTYPE_VIRTUAL,
-				"vdev", optarg) < 0) {
+		if (eal_option_device_add("vdev", optarg) < 0)
 			return -1;
-		}
 		break;
 
 	case OPT_SYSLOG_NUM:
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_dev.h b/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_dev.h
index 4c4ac7e..5f090ed 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_dev.h
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_dev.h
@@ -127,14 +127,6 @@ enum rte_kernel_driver {
 };
 
 /**
- * Device policies.
- */
-enum rte_dev_policy {
-	RTE_DEV_WHITELISTED,
-	RTE_DEV_BLACKLISTED,
-};
-
-/**
  * A generic memory resource representation.
  */
 struct rte_mem_resource {
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_devargs.h b/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_devargs.h
index 58d585d..e50c166 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_devargs.h
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_devargs.h
@@ -53,15 +53,6 @@ extern "C" {
 #include <rte_bus.h>
 
 /**
- * Type of generic device
- */
-enum rte_devtype {
-	RTE_DEVTYPE_WHITELISTED_PCI,
-	RTE_DEVTYPE_BLACKLISTED_PCI,
-	RTE_DEVTYPE_VIRTUAL,
-};
-
-/**
  * Structure that stores a device given by the user with its arguments
  *
  * A user device is a physical or a virtual device given by the user to
@@ -74,10 +65,6 @@ enum rte_devtype {
 struct rte_devargs {
 	/** Next in list. */
 	TAILQ_ENTRY(rte_devargs) next;
-	/** Type of device. */
-	enum rte_devtype type;
-	/** Device policy. */
-	enum rte_dev_policy policy;
 	/** Bus handle for the device. */
 	struct rte_bus *bus;
 	/** Name of the device. */
@@ -166,8 +153,6 @@ rte_eal_devargs_insert(struct rte_devargs *da);
  * driver name is not checked by this function, it is done when probing
  * the drivers.
  *
- * @param devtype
- *   The type of the device.
  * @param devargs_str
  *   The arguments as given by the user.
  *
@@ -175,7 +160,7 @@ rte_eal_devargs_insert(struct rte_devargs *da);
  *   - 0 on success
  *   - A negative value on error
  */
-int rte_eal_devargs_add(enum rte_devtype devtype, const char *devargs_str);
+int rte_eal_devargs_add(const char *devargs_str);
 
 /**
  * Remove a device from the user device list.
@@ -196,18 +181,6 @@ int rte_eal_devargs_add(enum rte_devtype devtype, const char *devargs_str);
 int rte_eal_devargs_remove(const char *busname, const char *devname);
 
 /**
- * Count the number of user devices of a specified type
- *
- * @param devtype
- *   The type of the devices to counted.
- *
- * @return
- *   The number of devices.
- */
-unsigned int
-rte_eal_devargs_type_count(enum rte_devtype devtype);
-
-/**
  * This function dumps the list of user device and their arguments.
  *
  * @param f
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/rte_eal_version.map b/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/rte_eal_version.map
index a2709e3..e1e2a50 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/rte_eal_version.map
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/linuxapp/eal/rte_eal_version.map
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ DPDK_2.0 {
 	rte_eal_alarm_set;
 	rte_eal_devargs_add;
 	rte_eal_devargs_dump;
-	rte_eal_devargs_type_count;
 	rte_eal_get_configuration;
 	rte_eal_get_lcore_state;
 	rte_eal_get_physmem_layout;
