diff --git a/common/cmd_zfs.c b/common/cmd_zfs.c
index a6ea2c07cd..27f88563d7 100644
--- a/common/cmd_zfs.c
+++ b/common/cmd_zfs.c
@@ -49,12 +49,11 @@
 static int do_zfs_load(cmd_tbl_t *cmdtp, int flag, int argc, char *argv[])
 {
 	char *filename = NULL;
-	char *ep;
 	int dev;
-	unsigned long part = 1;
+	int part;
 	ulong addr = 0;
-	ulong part_length;
 	disk_partition_t info;
+	block_dev_desc_t *dev_desc;
 	char buf[12];
 	unsigned long count;
 	const char *addr_str;
@@ -95,48 +94,17 @@ static int do_zfs_load(cmd_tbl_t *cmdtp, int flag, int argc, char *argv[])
 		return 1;
 	}
 
-	dev = (int)simple_strtoul(argv[2], &ep, 16);
-	zfs_dev_desc = get_dev(argv[1], dev);
-	if (zfs_dev_desc == NULL) {
-		printf("** Block device %s %d not supported\n", argv[1], dev);
+	part = get_device_and_partition(argv[1], argv[2], &dev_desc, &info);
+	if (part < 0)
 		return 1;
-	}
 
-	if (*ep) {
-		if (*ep != ':') {
-			puts("** Invalid boot device, use `dev[:part]' **\n");
-			return 1;
-		}
-		part = simple_strtoul(++ep, NULL, 16);
-	}
+	dev = dev_desc->dev;
+	printf("Loading file \"%s\" from %s device %d%c%c\n",
+		filename, argv[1], dev,
+		part ? ':' : ' ', part ? part + '0' : ' ');
 
-	if (part != 0) {
-		if (get_partition_info(zfs_dev_desc, part, &info)) {
-			printf("** Bad partition %lu **\n", part);
-			return 1;
-		}
-
-		if (strncmp((char *)info.type, BOOT_PART_TYPE,
-					strlen(BOOT_PART_TYPE)) != 0) {
-			printf("** Invalid partition type \"%s\" (expect \"" BOOT_PART_TYPE "\")\n",
-				   info.type);
-			return 1;
-		}
-		printf("Loading file \"%s\" "
-			   "from %s device %d:%lu %s\n",
-			   filename, argv[1], dev, part, info.name);
-	} else {
-		printf("Loading file \"%s\" from %s device %d\n",
-			   filename, argv[1], dev);
-	}
-
-	part_length = zfs_set_blk_dev(zfs_dev_desc, part);
-	if (part_length == 0) {
-		printf("**Bad partition - %s %d:%lu **\n", argv[1], dev, part);
-		return 1;
-	}
-
-	vdev.part_length = part_length;
+	zfs_set_blk_dev(dev_desc, &info);
+	vdev.part_length = info.size;
 
 	memset(&zfile, 0, sizeof(zfile));
 	zfile.device = &vdev;
@@ -149,7 +117,7 @@ static int do_zfs_load(cmd_tbl_t *cmdtp, int flag, int argc, char *argv[])
 		zfile.size = (uint64_t)count;
 
 	if (zfs_read(&zfile, (char *)addr, zfile.size) != zfile.size) {
-		printf("** Unable to read \"%s\" from %s %d:%lu **\n",
+		printf("** Unable to read \"%s\" from %s %d:%d **\n",
 			   filename, argv[1], dev, part);
 		zfs_close(&zfile);
 		return 1;
@@ -181,41 +149,23 @@ int zfs_print(const char *entry, const struct zfs_dirhook_info *data)
 static int do_zfs_ls(cmd_tbl_t *cmdtp, int flag, int argc, char *argv[])
 {
 	const char *filename = "/";
-	int dev;
-	unsigned long part = 1;
-	char *ep;
-	int part_length;
+	int part;
+	block_dev_desc_t *dev_desc;
+	disk_partition_t info;
 	struct device_s vdev;
 
-	if (argc < 3)
+	if (argc < 2)
 		return cmd_usage(cmdtp);
 
-	dev = (int)simple_strtoul(argv[2], &ep, 16);
-	zfs_dev_desc = get_dev(argv[1], dev);
-
-	if (zfs_dev_desc == NULL) {
-		printf("\n** Block device %s %d not supported\n", argv[1], dev);
-		return 1;
-	}
-
-	if (*ep) {
-		if (*ep != ':') {
-			puts("\n** Invalid boot device, use `dev[:part]' **\n");
-			return 1;
-		}
-		part = simple_strtoul(++ep, NULL, 16);
-	}
-
 	if (argc == 4)
 		filename = argv[3];
 
-	part_length = zfs_set_blk_dev(zfs_dev_desc, part);
-	if (part_length == 0) {
-		printf("** Bad partition - %s %d:%lu **\n", argv[1], dev, part);
+	part = get_device_and_partition(argv[1], argv[2], &dev_desc, &info);
+	if (part < 0)
 		return 1;
-	}
 
-	vdev.part_length = part_length;
+	zfs_set_blk_dev(dev_desc, &info);
+	vdev.part_length = info.size;
 
 	zfs_ls(&vdev, filename,
 		   zfs_print);
diff --git a/fs/zfs/dev.c b/fs/zfs/dev.c
index d68372c808..36be8f5c80 100644
--- a/fs/zfs/dev.c
+++ b/fs/zfs/dev.c
@@ -26,23 +26,12 @@
 #include <zfs_common.h>
 
 static block_dev_desc_t *zfs_block_dev_desc;
-static disk_partition_t part_info;
+static disk_partition_t *part_info;
 
-int zfs_set_blk_dev(block_dev_desc_t *rbdd, int part)
+void zfs_set_blk_dev(block_dev_desc_t *rbdd, disk_partition_t *info)
 {
 	zfs_block_dev_desc = rbdd;
-
-	if (part == 0) {
-		/* disk doesn't use partition table */
-		part_info.start = 0;
-		part_info.size = rbdd->lba;
-		part_info.blksz = rbdd->blksz;
-	} else {
-		if (get_partition_info(zfs_block_dev_desc, part, &part_info))
-			return 0;
-	}
-
-	return part_info.size;
+	part_info = info;
 }
 
 /* err */
@@ -57,7 +46,7 @@ int zfs_devread(int sector, int byte_offset, int byte_len, char *buf)
 	 */
 	if ((sector < 0) ||
 		((sector + ((byte_offset + byte_len - 1) >> SECTOR_BITS)) >=
-		 part_info.size)) {
+		 part_info->size)) {
 		/*		errnum = ERR_OUTSIDE_PART; */
 		printf(" ** zfs_devread() read outside partition sector %d\n", sector);
 		return 1;
@@ -79,8 +68,8 @@ int zfs_devread(int sector, int byte_offset, int byte_len, char *buf)
 	if (byte_offset != 0) {
 		/* read first part which isn't aligned with start of sector */
 		if (zfs_block_dev_desc->block_read(zfs_block_dev_desc->dev,
-										   part_info.start + sector, 1,
-										   (unsigned long *) sec_buf) != 1) {
+			part_info->start + sector, 1,
+			(unsigned long *)sec_buf) != 1) {
 			printf(" ** zfs_devread() read error **\n");
 			return 1;
 		}
@@ -102,17 +91,15 @@ int zfs_devread(int sector, int byte_offset, int byte_len, char *buf)
 
 		block_len = SECTOR_SIZE;
 		zfs_block_dev_desc->block_read(zfs_block_dev_desc->dev,
-									   part_info.start + sector,
-									   1, (unsigned long *)p);
+			part_info->start + sector,
+			1, (unsigned long *)p);
 		memcpy(buf, p, byte_len);
 		return 0;
 	}
 
 	if (zfs_block_dev_desc->block_read(zfs_block_dev_desc->dev,
-									   part_info.start + sector,
-									   block_len / SECTOR_SIZE,
-									   (unsigned long *) buf) !=
-		block_len / SECTOR_SIZE) {
+		part_info->start + sector, block_len / SECTOR_SIZE,
+		(unsigned long *) buf) != block_len / SECTOR_SIZE) {
 		printf(" ** zfs_devread() read error - block\n");
 		return 1;
 	}
@@ -126,7 +113,7 @@ int zfs_devread(int sector, int byte_offset, int byte_len, char *buf)
 		/* read rest of data which are not in whole sector */
 		if (zfs_block_dev_desc->
 			block_read(zfs_block_dev_desc->dev,
-					   part_info.start + sector, 1,
+					   part_info->start + sector, 1,
 					   (unsigned long *) sec_buf) != 1) {
 			printf(" ** zfs_devread() read error - last part\n");
 			return 1;
diff --git a/include/zfs_common.h b/include/zfs_common.h
index 628231efd3..3bd575ef5f 100644
--- a/include/zfs_common.h
+++ b/include/zfs_common.h
@@ -66,9 +66,6 @@ struct zfs_filesystem {
 	block_dev_desc_t *dev_desc;
 };
 
-
-extern block_dev_desc_t *zfs_dev_desc;
-
 struct device_s {
 	uint64_t part_length;
 };
@@ -101,7 +98,7 @@ int zfs_close(zfs_file_t);
 int zfs_ls(device_t dev, const char *path,
 		   int (*hook) (const char *, const struct zfs_dirhook_info *));
 int zfs_devread(int sector, int byte_offset, int byte_len, char *buf);
-int zfs_set_blk_dev(block_dev_desc_t *rbdd, int part);
+void zfs_set_blk_dev(block_dev_desc_t *rbdd, disk_partition_t *info);
 void zfs_unmount(struct zfs_data *data);
 int lzjb_decompress(void *, void *, uint32_t, uint32_t);
 #endif