diff --git a/cmd/sf.c b/cmd/sf.c
index 8bdebd9fd8..8713736b2a 100644
--- a/cmd/sf.c
+++ b/cmd/sf.c
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ static int do_spi_flash_probe(int argc, char *const argv[])
 	unsigned int speed = CONFIG_SF_DEFAULT_SPEED;
 	unsigned int mode = CONFIG_SF_DEFAULT_MODE;
 	char *endp;
+	bool use_dt = true;
 #if CONFIG_IS_ENABLED(DM_SPI_FLASH)
 	struct udevice *new, *bus_dev;
 	int ret;
@@ -117,11 +118,13 @@ static int do_spi_flash_probe(int argc, char *const argv[])
 		speed = simple_strtoul(argv[2], &endp, 0);
 		if (*argv[2] == 0 || *endp != 0)
 			return -1;
+		use_dt = false;
 	}
 	if (argc >= 4) {
 		mode = hextoul(argv[3], &endp);
 		if (*argv[3] == 0 || *endp != 0)
 			return -1;
+		use_dt = false;
 	}
 
 #if CONFIG_IS_ENABLED(DM_SPI_FLASH)
@@ -131,14 +134,18 @@ static int do_spi_flash_probe(int argc, char *const argv[])
 		device_remove(new, DM_REMOVE_NORMAL);
 	}
 	flash = NULL;
-	ret = spi_flash_probe_bus_cs(bus, cs, speed, mode, &new);
-	if (ret) {
+	if (use_dt) {
+		spi_flash_probe_bus_cs(bus, cs, &new);
+		flash = dev_get_uclass_priv(new);
+	} else {
+		flash = spi_flash_probe(bus, cs, speed, mode);
+	}
+
+	if (!flash) {
 		printf("Failed to initialize SPI flash at %u:%u (error %d)\n",
 		       bus, cs, ret);
 		return 1;
 	}
-
-	flash = dev_get_uclass_priv(new);
 #else
 	if (flash)
 		spi_flash_free(flash);
diff --git a/drivers/mtd/spi/sf-uclass.c b/drivers/mtd/spi/sf-uclass.c
index b45ba54ebf..e6e650ef8c 100644
--- a/drivers/mtd/spi/sf-uclass.c
+++ b/drivers/mtd/spi/sf-uclass.c
@@ -46,25 +46,12 @@ int spl_flash_get_sw_write_prot(struct udevice *dev)
  * TODO(sjg@chromium.org): This is an old-style function. We should remove
  * it when all SPI flash drivers use dm
  */
-struct spi_flash *spi_flash_probe(unsigned int bus, unsigned int cs,
+struct spi_flash *spi_flash_probe(unsigned int busnum, unsigned int cs,
 				  unsigned int max_hz, unsigned int spi_mode)
-{
-	struct udevice *dev;
-
-	if (spi_flash_probe_bus_cs(bus, cs, max_hz, spi_mode, &dev))
-		return NULL;
-
-	return dev_get_uclass_priv(dev);
-}
-
-int spi_flash_probe_bus_cs(unsigned int busnum, unsigned int cs,
-			   unsigned int max_hz, unsigned int spi_mode,
-			   struct udevice **devp)
 {
 	struct spi_slave *slave;
 	struct udevice *bus;
 	char *str;
-	int ret;
 
 #if defined(CONFIG_SPL_BUILD) && CONFIG_IS_ENABLED(USE_TINY_PRINTF)
 	str = "spi_flash";
@@ -74,8 +61,22 @@ int spi_flash_probe_bus_cs(unsigned int busnum, unsigned int cs,
 	snprintf(name, sizeof(name), "spi_flash@%d:%d", busnum, cs);
 	str = strdup(name);
 #endif
-	ret = _spi_get_bus_and_cs(busnum, cs, max_hz, spi_mode,
-				  "jedec_spi_nor", str, &bus, &slave);
+
+	if (_spi_get_bus_and_cs(busnum, cs, max_hz, spi_mode,
+				"jedec_spi_nor", str, &bus, &slave))
+		return NULL;
+
+	return dev_get_uclass_priv(slave->dev);
+}
+
+int spi_flash_probe_bus_cs(unsigned int busnum, unsigned int cs,
+			   struct udevice **devp)
+{
+	struct spi_slave *slave;
+	struct udevice *bus;
+	int ret;
+
+	ret = spi_get_bus_and_cs(busnum, cs, &bus, &slave);
 	if (ret)
 		return ret;
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/fm/fm.c b/drivers/net/fm/fm.c
index f825612640..d0b492b5a1 100644
--- a/drivers/net/fm/fm.c
+++ b/drivers/net/fm/fm.c
@@ -388,7 +388,7 @@ int fm_init_common(int index, struct ccsr_fman *reg)
 
 		/* speed and mode will be read from DT */
 		ret = spi_flash_probe_bus_cs(CONFIG_SF_DEFAULT_BUS,
-					     CONFIG_SF_DEFAULT_CS, 0, 0, &new);
+					     CONFIG_SF_DEFAULT_CS, &new);
 
 		ucode_flash = dev_get_uclass_priv(new);
 #else
@@ -475,7 +475,7 @@ int fm_init_common(int index, struct ccsr_fman *reg)
 
 	/* speed and mode will be read from DT */
 	ret = spi_flash_probe_bus_cs(CONFIG_SF_DEFAULT_BUS, CONFIG_SF_DEFAULT_CS,
-				     0, 0, &new);
+				     &new);
 
 	ucode_flash = dev_get_uclass_priv(new);
 #else
diff --git a/drivers/net/pfe_eth/pfe_firmware.c b/drivers/net/pfe_eth/pfe_firmware.c
index 6669048181..82a4aa89a4 100644
--- a/drivers/net/pfe_eth/pfe_firmware.c
+++ b/drivers/net/pfe_eth/pfe_firmware.c
@@ -172,31 +172,20 @@ static int pfe_fit_check(void)
 int pfe_spi_flash_init(void)
 {
 	struct spi_flash *pfe_flash;
-	struct udevice *new;
 	int ret = 0;
 	void *addr = malloc(CONFIG_SYS_LS_PFE_FW_LENGTH);
 
 	if (!addr)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
-	ret = spi_flash_probe_bus_cs(CONFIG_SYS_FSL_PFE_SPI_BUS,
-				     CONFIG_SYS_FSL_PFE_SPI_CS,
-				     CONFIG_SYS_FSL_PFE_SPI_MAX_HZ,
-				     CONFIG_SYS_FSL_PFE_SPI_MODE,
-				     &new);
-	if (ret) {
-		printf("SF: failed to probe spi\n");
-		free(addr);
-		device_remove(new, DM_REMOVE_NORMAL);
-		return ret;
-	}
+	pfe_flash = spi_flash_probe(CONFIG_SYS_FSL_PFE_SPI_BUS,
+				    CONFIG_SYS_FSL_PFE_SPI_CS,
+				    CONFIG_SYS_FSL_PFE_SPI_MAX_HZ,
+				    CONFIG_SYS_FSL_PFE_SPI_MODE);
 
-
-	pfe_flash = dev_get_uclass_priv(new);
 	if (!pfe_flash) {
 		printf("SF: probe for pfe failed\n");
 		free(addr);
-		device_remove(new, DM_REMOVE_NORMAL);
 		return -ENODEV;
 	}
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/sni_netsec.c b/drivers/net/sni_netsec.c
index 24caacf847..9780f2092b 100644
--- a/drivers/net/sni_netsec.c
+++ b/drivers/net/sni_netsec.c
@@ -621,12 +621,10 @@ static int netsec_stop_gmac(struct netsec_priv *priv)
 
 static void netsec_spi_read(char *buf, loff_t len, loff_t offset)
 {
-	struct udevice *new;
 	struct spi_flash *flash;
 
-	spi_flash_probe_bus_cs(CONFIG_SF_DEFAULT_BUS, CONFIG_SF_DEFAULT_CS,
-			       CONFIG_SF_DEFAULT_SPEED, CONFIG_SF_DEFAULT_MODE, &new);
-	flash = dev_get_uclass_priv(new);
+	flash = spi_flash_probe(CONFIG_SF_DEFAULT_BUS, CONFIG_SF_DEFAULT_CS,
+				CONFIG_SF_DEFAULT_SPEED, CONFIG_SF_DEFAULT_MODE);
 
 	spi_flash_read(flash, offset, len, buf);
 }
diff --git a/env/sf.c b/env/sf.c
index d2c07cd716..4b768542c1 100644
--- a/env/sf.c
+++ b/env/sf.c
@@ -48,7 +48,6 @@ static int setup_flash_device(struct spi_flash **env_flash)
 
 	/* speed and mode will be read from DT */
 	ret = spi_flash_probe_bus_cs(CONFIG_ENV_SPI_BUS, CONFIG_ENV_SPI_CS,
-				     CONFIG_ENV_SPI_MAX_HZ, CONFIG_ENV_SPI_MODE,
 				     &new);
 	if (ret) {
 		env_set_default("spi_flash_probe_bus_cs() failed", 0);
diff --git a/include/spi_flash.h b/include/spi_flash.h
index d33d0dd46a..10d19fd4b1 100644
--- a/include/spi_flash.h
+++ b/include/spi_flash.h
@@ -102,7 +102,6 @@ int spl_flash_get_sw_write_prot(struct udevice *dev);
 int spi_flash_std_probe(struct udevice *dev);
 
 int spi_flash_probe_bus_cs(unsigned int busnum, unsigned int cs,
-			   unsigned int max_hz, unsigned int spi_mode,
 			   struct udevice **devp);
 
 /* Compatibility function - this is the old U-Boot API */