diff --git a/drivers/ide/arm/rapide.c b/drivers/ide/arm/rapide.c
index c0581bd98d0d..3d30d4b5f9e3 100644
--- a/drivers/ide/arm/rapide.c
+++ b/drivers/ide/arm/rapide.c
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ static void __devexit rapide_remove(struct expansion_card *ec)
 
 	ecard_set_drvdata(ec, NULL);
 
-	ide_unregister(hwif->index);
+	ide_unregister(hwif);
 
 	ecard_release_resources(ec);
 }
diff --git a/drivers/ide/ide-pnp.c b/drivers/ide/ide-pnp.c
index 10c20e9a5785..6a8953f68e9f 100644
--- a/drivers/ide/ide-pnp.c
+++ b/drivers/ide/ide-pnp.c
@@ -82,10 +82,7 @@ static void idepnp_remove(struct pnp_dev *dev)
 {
 	ide_hwif_t *hwif = pnp_get_drvdata(dev);
 
-	if (hwif)
-		ide_unregister(hwif->index);
-	else
-		printk(KERN_ERR "idepnp: Unable to remove device, please report.\n");
+	ide_unregister(hwif);
 
 	release_region(pnp_port_start(dev, 1), 1);
 	release_region(pnp_port_start(dev, 0), 8);
diff --git a/drivers/ide/ide.c b/drivers/ide/ide.c
index 53c6a038e179..7bcc4c452255 100644
--- a/drivers/ide/ide.c
+++ b/drivers/ide/ide.c
@@ -287,7 +287,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(ide_port_unregister_devices);
 
 /**
  *	ide_unregister		-	free an IDE interface
- *	@index: index of interface (will change soon to a pointer)
+ *	@hwif: IDE interface
  *
  *	Perform the final unregister of an IDE interface. At the moment
  *	we don't refcount interfaces so this will also get split up.
@@ -307,19 +307,16 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(ide_port_unregister_devices);
  *	This is raving bonkers.
  */
 
-void ide_unregister(unsigned int index)
+void ide_unregister(ide_hwif_t *hwif)
 {
-	ide_hwif_t *hwif, *g;
+	ide_hwif_t *g;
 	ide_hwgroup_t *hwgroup;
 	int irq_count = 0;
 
-	BUG_ON(index >= MAX_HWIFS);
-
 	BUG_ON(in_interrupt());
 	BUG_ON(irqs_disabled());
 	mutex_lock(&ide_cfg_mtx);
 	spin_lock_irq(&ide_lock);
-	hwif = &ide_hwifs[index];
 	if (!hwif->present)
 		goto abort;
 	__ide_port_unregister_devices(hwif);
@@ -360,7 +357,7 @@ void ide_unregister(unsigned int index)
 		ide_release_dma_engine(hwif);
 
 	/* restore hwif data to pristine status */
-	ide_init_port_data(hwif, index);
+	ide_init_port_data(hwif, hwif->index);
 
 abort:
 	spin_unlock_irq(&ide_lock);
diff --git a/drivers/ide/legacy/ide-cs.c b/drivers/ide/legacy/ide-cs.c
index 867fe14e5de3..8753e2d7e34e 100644
--- a/drivers/ide/legacy/ide-cs.c
+++ b/drivers/ide/legacy/ide-cs.c
@@ -386,7 +386,7 @@ void ide_release(struct pcmcia_device *link)
     if (info->ndev) {
 	/* FIXME: if this fails we need to queue the cleanup somehow
 	   -- need to investigate the required PCMCIA magic */
-	ide_unregister(hwif->index);
+	ide_unregister(hwif);
     }
     info->ndev = 0;
 
diff --git a/drivers/ide/legacy/ide_platform.c b/drivers/ide/legacy/ide_platform.c
index 822f48b05c70..ff5a1c03c92c 100644
--- a/drivers/ide/legacy/ide_platform.c
+++ b/drivers/ide/legacy/ide_platform.c
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ static int __devexit plat_ide_remove(struct platform_device *pdev)
 {
 	ide_hwif_t *hwif = pdev->dev.driver_data;
 
-	ide_unregister(hwif->index);
+	ide_unregister(hwif);
 
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/drivers/ide/mips/au1xxx-ide.c b/drivers/ide/mips/au1xxx-ide.c
index 3485a310c95b..0f6399408c76 100644
--- a/drivers/ide/mips/au1xxx-ide.c
+++ b/drivers/ide/mips/au1xxx-ide.c
@@ -627,7 +627,7 @@ static int au_ide_remove(struct device *dev)
 	ide_hwif_t *hwif = dev_get_drvdata(dev);
 	_auide_hwif *ahwif = &auide_hwif;
 
-	ide_unregister(hwif->index);
+	ide_unregister(hwif);
 
 	iounmap((void *)ahwif->regbase);
 
diff --git a/drivers/ide/pci/delkin_cb.c b/drivers/ide/pci/delkin_cb.c
index 7b0ab178459c..b9e457996d0e 100644
--- a/drivers/ide/pci/delkin_cb.c
+++ b/drivers/ide/pci/delkin_cb.c
@@ -119,8 +119,7 @@ delkin_cb_remove (struct pci_dev *dev)
 {
 	ide_hwif_t *hwif = pci_get_drvdata(dev);
 
-	if (hwif)
-		ide_unregister(hwif->index);
+	ide_unregister(hwif);
 
 	pci_release_regions(dev);
 	pci_disable_device(dev);
diff --git a/drivers/ide/pci/scc_pata.c b/drivers/ide/pci/scc_pata.c
index 17cf86490d59..f80306b39299 100644
--- a/drivers/ide/pci/scc_pata.c
+++ b/drivers/ide/pci/scc_pata.c
@@ -763,9 +763,8 @@ static void __devexit scc_remove(struct pci_dev *dev)
 		hwif->dmatable_cpu = NULL;
 	}
 
-	ide_unregister(hwif->index);
+	ide_unregister(hwif);
 
-	hwif->chipset = ide_unknown;
 	iounmap((void*)ports->dma);
 	iounmap((void*)ports->ctl);
 	pci_release_selected_regions(dev, (1 << 2) - 1);
diff --git a/include/linux/ide.h b/include/linux/ide.h
index a1f290d59fb4..f4c7ec25f614 100644
--- a/include/linux/ide.h
+++ b/include/linux/ide.h
@@ -1210,7 +1210,7 @@ static inline void ide_acpi_set_state(ide_hwif_t *hwif, int on) {}
 #endif
 
 void ide_remove_port_from_hwgroup(ide_hwif_t *);
-void ide_unregister(unsigned int);
+void ide_unregister(ide_hwif_t *);
 
 void ide_register_region(struct gendisk *);
 void ide_unregister_region(struct gendisk *);