diff --git a/include/param.h b/include/param.h
index 5283a6ef3..0d891a2ef 100644
--- a/include/param.h
+++ b/include/param.h
@@ -1,39 +1,22 @@
 #ifndef PARAM_H
 #define PARAM_H
 
-#include <net.h>
-
-#define PARAM_TYPE_STRING	1
-#define PARAM_TYPE_ULONG	2
-#define PARAM_TYPE_IPADDR	3
-
 #define PARAM_FLAG_RO	(1 << 0)
 
 struct device_d;
 
-typedef union {
-	char *val_str;
-	ulong val_ulong;
-	IPaddr_t val_ip;
-} value_t;
-
 struct param_d {
-        struct param_d* (*get)(struct device_d *, struct param_d *param);
-        int (*set)(struct device_d *, struct param_d *param, value_t val);
-	ulong type;
+	char* (*get)(struct device_d *, struct param_d *param);
+	int (*set)(struct device_d *, struct param_d *param, const char *val);
 	ulong flags;
-        char *name;
-        ulong cookie;
-        struct param_d *next;
-	value_t value;
+	char *name;
+	struct param_d *next;
+	char *value;
 };
 
-struct param_d* dev_get_param(struct device_d *dev, char *name);
-int dev_set_param(struct device_d *dev, char *name, value_t val);
-struct param_d *get_param_by_name(struct device_d *dev, char *name);
-void print_param(struct param_d *param);
-IPaddr_t dev_get_param_ip(struct device_d *dev, char *name);
-int dev_set_param_ip(struct device_d *dev, char *name, IPaddr_t ip);
+char *dev_get_param(struct device_d *dev, const char *name);
+int dev_set_param(struct device_d *dev, const char *name, const char *val);
+struct param_d *get_param_by_name(struct device_d *dev, const char *name);
 
 int dev_add_parameter(struct device_d *dev, struct param_d *par);
 
diff --git a/lib_generic/global.c b/lib_generic/global.c
index d4cdcc933..79eb6f90d 100644
--- a/lib_generic/global.c
+++ b/lib_generic/global.c
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ static int do_get( cmd_tbl_t *cmdtp, int flag, int argc, char *argv[])
         }
 
         param = dev_get_param(dev, argv[2]);
-	print_param(param);
+	printf("%s\n", param->value);
 	printf("\n");
 
         return 0;
@@ -68,7 +68,6 @@ static int do_set( cmd_tbl_t *cmdtp, int flag, int argc, char *argv[])
         char *endp;
         int ret;
 	struct param_d *param;
-	value_t val;
 
 	if (argc < 4) {
 		printf ("Usage:\n%s\n", cmdtp->usage);
@@ -87,19 +86,7 @@ static int do_set( cmd_tbl_t *cmdtp, int flag, int argc, char *argv[])
 		return 1;
 	}
 
-	switch (param->type) {
-	case PARAM_TYPE_STRING:
-		val.val_str = argv[3];
-		break;
-	case PARAM_TYPE_ULONG:
-		val.val_ulong = simple_strtoul(argv[3], NULL, 0);
-		break;
-	case PARAM_TYPE_IPADDR:
-		val.val_ip = string_to_ip(argv[3]);
-		break;
-	}
-
-	ret = dev_set_param(dev, argv[2], val);
+	ret = dev_set_param(dev, argv[2], argv[3]);
 
         if (ret)
                 perror("set parameter");