diff --git a/board/sunxi/board.c b/board/sunxi/board.c
index 21a2407e06..4d2491b5a8 100644
--- a/board/sunxi/board.c
+++ b/board/sunxi/board.c
@@ -525,9 +525,14 @@ static void mmc_pinmux_setup(int sdc)
 
 int board_mmc_init(struct bd_info *bis)
 {
+	/*
+	 * The BROM always accesses MMC port 0 (typically an SD card), and
+	 * most boards seem to have such a slot. The others haven't reported
+	 * any problem with unconditionally enabling this in the SPL.
+	 */
 	if (!IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_UART0_PORT_F)) {
-		mmc_pinmux_setup(CONFIG_MMC_SUNXI_SLOT);
-		if (!sunxi_mmc_init(CONFIG_MMC_SUNXI_SLOT))
+		mmc_pinmux_setup(0);
+		if (!sunxi_mmc_init(0))
 			return -1;
 	}
 
diff --git a/include/configs/sunxi-common.h b/include/configs/sunxi-common.h
index 720768629d..e89ad42ce8 100644
--- a/include/configs/sunxi-common.h
+++ b/include/configs/sunxi-common.h
@@ -75,9 +75,6 @@
 #define CONFIG_SYS_NAND_MAX_ECCPOS 1664
 #endif
 
-/* mmc config */
-#define CONFIG_MMC_SUNXI_SLOT		0
-
 /*
  * Miscellaneous configurable options
  */
diff --git a/scripts/config_whitelist.txt b/scripts/config_whitelist.txt
index c0f55e41a5..ea71f9d234 100644
--- a/scripts/config_whitelist.txt
+++ b/scripts/config_whitelist.txt
@@ -153,7 +153,6 @@ CONFIG_MISC_COMMON
 CONFIG_MIU_2BIT_21_7_INTERLEAVED
 CONFIG_MIU_2BIT_INTERLEAVED
 CONFIG_MMC_DEFAULT_DEV
-CONFIG_MMC_SUNXI_SLOT
 CONFIG_MONITOR_IS_IN_RAM
 CONFIG_MPC85XX_FEC
 CONFIG_MPC85XX_FEC_NAME