diff --git a/target/linux/ar71xx/files/arch/mips/ar71xx/devices.c b/target/linux/ar71xx/files/arch/mips/ar71xx/devices.c
index bed23938ea..43212ed3bf 100644
--- a/target/linux/ar71xx/files/arch/mips/ar71xx/devices.c
+++ b/target/linux/ar71xx/files/arch/mips/ar71xx/devices.c
@@ -628,6 +628,9 @@ void __init ar71xx_add_device_eth(unsigned int id)
 			ar71xx_eth_instance);
 	}
 
+	if (pdata->mii_bus_dev == NULL)
+		pdata->mii_bus_dev = &ar71xx_mdio_device.dev;
+
 	/* Reset the device */
 	ar71xx_device_stop(pdata->reset_bit);
 	mdelay(100);
diff --git a/target/linux/ar71xx/files/arch/mips/include/asm/mach-ar71xx/platform.h b/target/linux/ar71xx/files/arch/mips/include/asm/mach-ar71xx/platform.h
index baded8b8b9..145e79fcea 100644
--- a/target/linux/ar71xx/files/arch/mips/include/asm/mach-ar71xx/platform.h
+++ b/target/linux/ar71xx/files/arch/mips/include/asm/mach-ar71xx/platform.h
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ struct ag71xx_platform_data {
 	u32		reset_bit;
 	u32		mii_if;
 	u8		mac_addr[ETH_ALEN];
+	struct device	*mii_bus_dev;
 
 	u8		has_gbit:1;
 	u8		is_ar91xx:1;
diff --git a/target/linux/ar71xx/files/drivers/net/ag71xx/ag71xx.h b/target/linux/ar71xx/files/drivers/net/ag71xx/ag71xx.h
index 77962fec80..ac52896ab2 100644
--- a/target/linux/ar71xx/files/drivers/net/ag71xx/ag71xx.h
+++ b/target/linux/ar71xx/files/drivers/net/ag71xx/ag71xx.h
@@ -135,7 +135,6 @@ struct ag71xx {
 
 extern struct ethtool_ops ag71xx_ethtool_ops;
 
-extern struct ag71xx_mdio *ag71xx_mdio_bus;
 int ag71xx_mdio_driver_init(void) __init;
 void ag71xx_mdio_driver_exit(void);
 
diff --git a/target/linux/ar71xx/files/drivers/net/ag71xx/ag71xx_main.c b/target/linux/ar71xx/files/drivers/net/ag71xx/ag71xx_main.c
index 28708f4216..88edb2fd4c 100644
--- a/target/linux/ar71xx/files/drivers/net/ag71xx/ag71xx_main.c
+++ b/target/linux/ar71xx/files/drivers/net/ag71xx/ag71xx_main.c
@@ -824,6 +824,12 @@ static int __init ag71xx_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 		goto err_out;
 	}
 
+	if (pdata->mii_bus_dev == NULL) {
+		dev_err(&pdev->dev, "no MII bus device specified\n");
+		err = -EINVAL;
+		goto err_out;
+	}
+
 	dev = alloc_etherdev(sizeof(*ag));
 	if (!dev) {
 		dev_err(&pdev->dev, "alloc_etherdev failed\n");
@@ -836,7 +842,6 @@ static int __init ag71xx_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 	ag = netdev_priv(dev);
 	ag->pdev = pdev;
 	ag->dev = dev;
-	ag->mii_bus = ag71xx_mdio_bus->mii_bus;
 	ag->msg_enable = netif_msg_init(ag71xx_msg_level,
 					AG71XX_DEFAULT_MSG_ENABLE);
 	spin_lock_init(&ag->lock);
diff --git a/target/linux/ar71xx/files/drivers/net/ag71xx/ag71xx_mdio.c b/target/linux/ar71xx/files/drivers/net/ag71xx/ag71xx_mdio.c
index d3ff13ec4f..6bc858cf8d 100644
--- a/target/linux/ar71xx/files/drivers/net/ag71xx/ag71xx_mdio.c
+++ b/target/linux/ar71xx/files/drivers/net/ag71xx/ag71xx_mdio.c
@@ -16,8 +16,6 @@
 #define AG71XX_MDIO_RETRY	1000
 #define AG71XX_MDIO_DELAY	5
 
-struct ag71xx_mdio *ag71xx_mdio_bus;
-
 static inline void ag71xx_mdio_wr(struct ag71xx_mdio *am, unsigned reg,
 				  u32 value)
 {
@@ -143,9 +141,6 @@ static int __init ag71xx_mdio_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 	int i;
 	int err;
 
-	if (ag71xx_mdio_bus)
-		return -EBUSY;
-
 	pdata = pdev->dev.platform_data;
 	if (!pdata) {
 		dev_err(&pdev->dev, "no platform data specified\n");
@@ -202,7 +197,6 @@ static int __init ag71xx_mdio_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 	ag71xx_mdio_dump_regs(am);
 
 	platform_set_drvdata(pdev, am);
-	ag71xx_mdio_bus = am;
 	return 0;
 
  err_free_bus:
@@ -220,7 +214,6 @@ static int __exit ag71xx_mdio_remove(struct platform_device *pdev)
 	struct ag71xx_mdio *am = platform_get_drvdata(pdev);
 
 	if (am) {
-		ag71xx_mdio_bus = NULL;
 		mdiobus_unregister(am->mii_bus);
 		mdiobus_free(am->mii_bus);
 		iounmap(am->mdio_base);
diff --git a/target/linux/ar71xx/files/drivers/net/ag71xx/ag71xx_phy.c b/target/linux/ar71xx/files/drivers/net/ag71xx/ag71xx_phy.c
index 176eddaaff..0db0a4bf78 100644
--- a/target/linux/ar71xx/files/drivers/net/ag71xx/ag71xx_phy.c
+++ b/target/linux/ar71xx/files/drivers/net/ag71xx/ag71xx_phy.c
@@ -262,10 +262,52 @@ static int ag71xx_phy_connect_multi(struct ag71xx *ag)
 	return ret;
 }
 
+static int dev_is_class(struct device *dev, void *class)
+{
+	if (dev->class != NULL && !strcmp(dev->class->name, class))
+		return 1;
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static struct device *dev_find_class(struct device *parent, char *class)
+{
+	if (dev_is_class(parent, class)) {
+		get_device(parent);
+		return parent;
+	}
+
+	return device_find_child(parent, class, dev_is_class);
+}
+
+static struct mii_bus *dev_to_mii_bus(struct device *dev)
+{
+	struct device *d;
+
+	d = dev_find_class(dev, "mdio_bus");
+	if (d != NULL) {
+		struct mii_bus *bus;
+
+		bus = to_mii_bus(d);
+		put_device(d);
+
+		return bus;
+	}
+
+	return NULL;
+}
+
 int ag71xx_phy_connect(struct ag71xx *ag)
 {
 	struct ag71xx_platform_data *pdata = ag71xx_get_pdata(ag);
 
+	ag->mii_bus = dev_to_mii_bus(pdata->mii_bus_dev);
+	if (ag->mii_bus == NULL) {
+		printk(KERN_ERR "%s: unable to find MII bus on device '%s'\n",
+			ag->dev->name, dev_name(pdata->mii_bus_dev));
+		return -ENODEV;
+	}
+
 	if (pdata->phy_mask)
 		return ag71xx_phy_connect_multi(ag);