diff --git a/net/tipc/link.c b/net/tipc/link.c
index 223bbc87e451..e8153f64d2d6 100644
--- a/net/tipc/link.c
+++ b/net/tipc/link.c
@@ -75,20 +75,6 @@ static const char *link_unk_evt = "Unknown link event ";
  */
 #define START_CHANGEOVER 100000u
 
-/**
- * struct tipc_link_name - deconstructed link name
- * @addr_local: network address of node at this end
- * @if_local: name of interface at this end
- * @addr_peer: network address of node at far end
- * @if_peer: name of interface at far end
- */
-struct tipc_link_name {
-	u32 addr_local;
-	char if_local[TIPC_MAX_IF_NAME];
-	u32 addr_peer;
-	char if_peer[TIPC_MAX_IF_NAME];
-};
-
 static void link_handle_out_of_seq_msg(struct tipc_link *l_ptr,
 				       struct sk_buff *buf);
 static void link_recv_proto_msg(struct tipc_link *l_ptr, struct sk_buff *buf);
@@ -159,72 +145,6 @@ int tipc_link_is_active(struct tipc_link *l_ptr)
 		(l_ptr->owner->active_links[1] == l_ptr);
 }
 
-/**
- * link_name_validate - validate & (optionally) deconstruct tipc_link name
- * @name: ptr to link name string
- * @name_parts: ptr to area for link name components (or NULL if not needed)
- *
- * Returns 1 if link name is valid, otherwise 0.
- */
-static int link_name_validate(const char *name,
-				struct tipc_link_name *name_parts)
-{
-	char name_copy[TIPC_MAX_LINK_NAME];
-	char *addr_local;
-	char *if_local;
-	char *addr_peer;
-	char *if_peer;
-	char dummy;
-	u32 z_local, c_local, n_local;
-	u32 z_peer, c_peer, n_peer;
-	u32 if_local_len;
-	u32 if_peer_len;
-
-	/* copy link name & ensure length is OK */
-	name_copy[TIPC_MAX_LINK_NAME - 1] = 0;
-	/* need above in case non-Posix strncpy() doesn't pad with nulls */
-	strncpy(name_copy, name, TIPC_MAX_LINK_NAME);
-	if (name_copy[TIPC_MAX_LINK_NAME - 1] != 0)
-		return 0;
-
-	/* ensure all component parts of link name are present */
-	addr_local = name_copy;
-	if_local = strchr(addr_local, ':');
-	if (if_local == NULL)
-		return 0;
-	*(if_local++) = 0;
-	addr_peer = strchr(if_local, '-');
-	if (addr_peer == NULL)
-		return 0;
-	*(addr_peer++) = 0;
-	if_local_len = addr_peer - if_local;
-	if_peer = strchr(addr_peer, ':');
-	if (if_peer == NULL)
-		return 0;
-	*(if_peer++) = 0;
-	if_peer_len = strlen(if_peer) + 1;
-
-	/* validate component parts of link name */
-	if ((sscanf(addr_local, "%u.%u.%u%c",
-		    &z_local, &c_local, &n_local, &dummy) != 3) ||
-	    (sscanf(addr_peer, "%u.%u.%u%c",
-		    &z_peer, &c_peer, &n_peer, &dummy) != 3) ||
-	    (z_local > 255) || (c_local > 4095) || (n_local > 4095) ||
-	    (z_peer  > 255) || (c_peer  > 4095) || (n_peer  > 4095) ||
-	    (if_local_len <= 1) || (if_local_len > TIPC_MAX_IF_NAME) ||
-	    (if_peer_len  <= 1) || (if_peer_len  > TIPC_MAX_IF_NAME))
-		return 0;
-
-	/* return link name components, if necessary */
-	if (name_parts) {
-		name_parts->addr_local = tipc_addr(z_local, c_local, n_local);
-		strcpy(name_parts->if_local, if_local);
-		name_parts->addr_peer = tipc_addr(z_peer, c_peer, n_peer);
-		strcpy(name_parts->if_peer, if_peer);
-	}
-	return 1;
-}
-
 /**
  * link_timeout - handle expiration of link timer
  * @l_ptr: pointer to link
@@ -2580,25 +2500,21 @@ void tipc_link_set_queue_limits(struct tipc_link *l_ptr, u32 window)
 static struct tipc_link *link_find_link(const char *name,
 					struct tipc_node **node)
 {
-	struct tipc_link_name link_name_parts;
-	struct tipc_bearer *b_ptr;
 	struct tipc_link *l_ptr;
+	struct tipc_node *n_ptr;
+	int i;
 
-	if (!link_name_validate(name, &link_name_parts))
-		return NULL;
-
-	b_ptr = tipc_bearer_find_interface(link_name_parts.if_local);
-	if (!b_ptr)
-		return NULL;
-
-	*node = tipc_node_find(link_name_parts.addr_peer);
-	if (!*node)
-		return NULL;
-
-	l_ptr = (*node)->links[b_ptr->identity];
-	if (!l_ptr || strcmp(l_ptr->name, name))
-		return NULL;
-
+	list_for_each_entry(n_ptr, &tipc_node_list, list) {
+		for (i = 0; i < MAX_BEARERS; i++) {
+			l_ptr = n_ptr->links[i];
+			if (l_ptr && !strcmp(l_ptr->name, name))
+				goto found;
+		}
+	}
+	l_ptr = NULL;
+	n_ptr = NULL;
+found:
+	*node = n_ptr;
 	return l_ptr;
 }