diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 84a61e0fc..4b170990e 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+2009-04-30  David S. Miller  <davem@davemloft.net>
+
+	* kern/sparc64/ieee1275/init.c (grub_machine_set_prefix): If
+	lettered partition specifier is found, convert to numbered.
+
 2009-04-29  David S. Miller  <davem@davemloft.net>
 
 	* include/grub/powerpc/ieee1275/memory.h: Include ieee1275.h.
diff --git a/kern/sparc64/ieee1275/init.c b/kern/sparc64/ieee1275/init.c
index 5114f7694..699f9631b 100644
--- a/kern/sparc64/ieee1275/init.c
+++ b/kern/sparc64/ieee1275/init.c
@@ -64,8 +64,8 @@ grub_machine_set_prefix (void)
   if (grub_prefix[0] != '(')
     {
       char bootpath[IEEE1275_MAX_PATH_LEN];
+      char *prefix, *path, *colon;
       grub_ssize_t actual;
-      char *prefix, *path;
 
       if (grub_ieee1275_get_property (grub_ieee1275_chosen, "bootpath",
 				      &bootpath, sizeof (bootpath), &actual))
@@ -77,6 +77,17 @@ grub_machine_set_prefix (void)
 	}
 
       /* Transform an OF device path to a GRUB path.  */
+      colon = grub_strchr (bootpath, ':');
+      if (colon)
+	{
+	  char *part = colon + 1;
+
+	  /* Consistently provide numbered partitions to GRUB.
+	     OpenBOOT traditionally uses alphabetical partition
+	     specifiers.  */
+	  if (part[0] >= 'a' && part[0] <= 'z')
+	    part[0] = '1' + (part[0] - 'a');
+	}
       prefix = grub_ieee1275_encode_devname (bootpath);
 
       path = grub_malloc (grub_strlen (grub_prefix)