diff --git a/drivers/video/omap2/dss/display.c b/drivers/video/omap2/dss/display.c
index a9a1d5563aa0..809676473a99 100644
--- a/drivers/video/omap2/dss/display.c
+++ b/drivers/video/omap2/dss/display.c
@@ -233,26 +233,6 @@ struct omap_dss_device *omap_dss_find_device(void *data,
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(omap_dss_find_device);
 
-int omap_dss_start_device(struct omap_dss_device *dssdev)
-{
-	if (!dssdev->driver) {
-		DSSDBG("no driver\n");
-		return -ENODEV;
-	}
-
-	if (!try_module_get(dssdev->dev->driver->owner))
-		return -ENODEV;
-
-	return 0;
-}
-EXPORT_SYMBOL(omap_dss_start_device);
-
-void omap_dss_stop_device(struct omap_dss_device *dssdev)
-{
-	module_put(dssdev->dev->driver->owner);
-}
-EXPORT_SYMBOL(omap_dss_stop_device);
-
 void videomode_to_omap_video_timings(const struct videomode *vm,
 		struct omap_video_timings *ovt)
 {
diff --git a/drivers/video/omap2/dss/dpi.c b/drivers/video/omap2/dss/dpi.c
index aa653c46d9a4..e8cbf86eff9d 100644
--- a/drivers/video/omap2/dss/dpi.c
+++ b/drivers/video/omap2/dss/dpi.c
@@ -364,12 +364,6 @@ int omapdss_dpi_display_enable(struct omap_dss_device *dssdev)
 		goto err_no_out_mgr;
 	}
 
-	r = omap_dss_start_device(dssdev);
-	if (r) {
-		DSSERR("failed to start device\n");
-		goto err_start_dev;
-	}
-
 	if (dss_has_feature(FEAT_DPI_USES_VDDS_DSI)) {
 		r = regulator_enable(dpi.vdds_dsi_reg);
 		if (r)
@@ -424,8 +418,6 @@ int omapdss_dpi_display_enable(struct omap_dss_device *dssdev)
 	if (dss_has_feature(FEAT_DPI_USES_VDDS_DSI))
 		regulator_disable(dpi.vdds_dsi_reg);
 err_reg_enable:
-	omap_dss_stop_device(dssdev);
-err_start_dev:
 err_no_out_mgr:
 err_no_reg:
 	mutex_unlock(&dpi.lock);
@@ -452,8 +444,6 @@ void omapdss_dpi_display_disable(struct omap_dss_device *dssdev)
 	if (dss_has_feature(FEAT_DPI_USES_VDDS_DSI))
 		regulator_disable(dpi.vdds_dsi_reg);
 
-	omap_dss_stop_device(dssdev);
-
 	mutex_unlock(&dpi.lock);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(omapdss_dpi_display_disable);
diff --git a/drivers/video/omap2/dss/dsi.c b/drivers/video/omap2/dss/dsi.c
index 7d9e5ccb41e1..26aa4c324c18 100644
--- a/drivers/video/omap2/dss/dsi.c
+++ b/drivers/video/omap2/dss/dsi.c
@@ -4592,12 +4592,6 @@ int omapdss_dsi_display_enable(struct omap_dss_device *dssdev)
 
 	mutex_lock(&dsi->lock);
 
-	r = omap_dss_start_device(dssdev);
-	if (r) {
-		DSSERR("failed to start device\n");
-		goto err_start_dev;
-	}
-
 	r = dsi_runtime_get(dsidev);
 	if (r)
 		goto err_get_dsi;
@@ -4618,8 +4612,6 @@ int omapdss_dsi_display_enable(struct omap_dss_device *dssdev)
 	dsi_enable_pll_clock(dsidev, 0);
 	dsi_runtime_put(dsidev);
 err_get_dsi:
-	omap_dss_stop_device(dssdev);
-err_start_dev:
 	mutex_unlock(&dsi->lock);
 	DSSDBG("dsi_display_enable FAILED\n");
 	return r;
@@ -4648,8 +4640,6 @@ void omapdss_dsi_display_disable(struct omap_dss_device *dssdev,
 	dsi_runtime_put(dsidev);
 	dsi_enable_pll_clock(dsidev, 0);
 
-	omap_dss_stop_device(dssdev);
-
 	mutex_unlock(&dsi->lock);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(omapdss_dsi_display_disable);
diff --git a/drivers/video/omap2/dss/hdmi.c b/drivers/video/omap2/dss/hdmi.c
index 86b495c4b90f..1804f1e28b97 100644
--- a/drivers/video/omap2/dss/hdmi.c
+++ b/drivers/video/omap2/dss/hdmi.c
@@ -735,23 +735,15 @@ int omapdss_hdmi_display_enable(struct omap_dss_device *dssdev)
 
 	hdmi.ip_data.hpd_gpio = hdmi.hpd_gpio;
 
-	r = omap_dss_start_device(dssdev);
-	if (r) {
-		DSSERR("failed to start device\n");
-		goto err0;
-	}
-
 	r = hdmi_power_on_full(dssdev);
 	if (r) {
 		DSSERR("failed to power on device\n");
-		goto err1;
+		goto err0;
 	}
 
 	mutex_unlock(&hdmi.lock);
 	return 0;
 
-err1:
-	omap_dss_stop_device(dssdev);
 err0:
 	mutex_unlock(&hdmi.lock);
 	return r;
@@ -765,8 +757,6 @@ void omapdss_hdmi_display_disable(struct omap_dss_device *dssdev)
 
 	hdmi_power_off_full(dssdev);
 
-	omap_dss_stop_device(dssdev);
-
 	mutex_unlock(&hdmi.lock);
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/video/omap2/dss/rfbi.c b/drivers/video/omap2/dss/rfbi.c
index cfcb52f088a2..30ff0e0d4629 100644
--- a/drivers/video/omap2/dss/rfbi.c
+++ b/drivers/video/omap2/dss/rfbi.c
@@ -902,12 +902,6 @@ int omapdss_rfbi_display_enable(struct omap_dss_device *dssdev)
 	if (r)
 		return r;
 
-	r = omap_dss_start_device(dssdev);
-	if (r) {
-		DSSERR("failed to start device\n");
-		goto err0;
-	}
-
 	r = dss_mgr_register_framedone_handler(out->manager,
 			framedone_callback, NULL);
 	if (r) {
@@ -924,8 +918,6 @@ int omapdss_rfbi_display_enable(struct omap_dss_device *dssdev)
 
 	return 0;
 err1:
-	omap_dss_stop_device(dssdev);
-err0:
 	rfbi_runtime_put();
 	return r;
 }
@@ -937,7 +929,6 @@ void omapdss_rfbi_display_disable(struct omap_dss_device *dssdev)
 
 	dss_mgr_unregister_framedone_handler(out->manager,
 			framedone_callback, NULL);
-	omap_dss_stop_device(dssdev);
 
 	rfbi_runtime_put();
 }
diff --git a/drivers/video/omap2/dss/sdi.c b/drivers/video/omap2/dss/sdi.c
index ab67953f09b1..d4f3313bc378 100644
--- a/drivers/video/omap2/dss/sdi.c
+++ b/drivers/video/omap2/dss/sdi.c
@@ -138,12 +138,6 @@ int omapdss_sdi_display_enable(struct omap_dss_device *dssdev)
 		return -ENODEV;
 	}
 
-	r = omap_dss_start_device(dssdev);
-	if (r) {
-		DSSERR("failed to start device\n");
-		goto err_start_dev;
-	}
-
 	r = regulator_enable(sdi.vdds_sdi_reg);
 	if (r)
 		goto err_reg_enable;
@@ -215,8 +209,6 @@ int omapdss_sdi_display_enable(struct omap_dss_device *dssdev)
 err_get_dispc:
 	regulator_disable(sdi.vdds_sdi_reg);
 err_reg_enable:
-	omap_dss_stop_device(dssdev);
-err_start_dev:
 	return r;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(omapdss_sdi_display_enable);
@@ -232,8 +224,6 @@ void omapdss_sdi_display_disable(struct omap_dss_device *dssdev)
 	dispc_runtime_put();
 
 	regulator_disable(sdi.vdds_sdi_reg);
-
-	omap_dss_stop_device(dssdev);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(omapdss_sdi_display_disable);
 
diff --git a/drivers/video/omap2/dss/venc.c b/drivers/video/omap2/dss/venc.c
index f6d2b3f98885..d529a9249432 100644
--- a/drivers/video/omap2/dss/venc.c
+++ b/drivers/video/omap2/dss/venc.c
@@ -513,23 +513,15 @@ int omapdss_venc_display_enable(struct omap_dss_device *dssdev)
 		goto err0;
 	}
 
-	r = omap_dss_start_device(dssdev);
-	if (r) {
-		DSSERR("failed to start device\n");
-		goto err0;
-	}
-
 	r = venc_power_on(dssdev);
 	if (r)
-		goto err1;
+		goto err0;
 
 	venc.wss_data = 0;
 
 	mutex_unlock(&venc.venc_lock);
 
 	return 0;
-err1:
-	omap_dss_stop_device(dssdev);
 err0:
 	mutex_unlock(&venc.venc_lock);
 	return r;
@@ -543,8 +535,6 @@ void omapdss_venc_display_disable(struct omap_dss_device *dssdev)
 
 	venc_power_off(dssdev);
 
-	omap_dss_stop_device(dssdev);
-
 	mutex_unlock(&venc.venc_lock);
 }
 
diff --git a/include/video/omapdss.h b/include/video/omapdss.h
index b7d975755cff..6a699f537a68 100644
--- a/include/video/omapdss.h
+++ b/include/video/omapdss.h
@@ -779,9 +779,6 @@ struct omap_dss_device *omap_dss_find_device(void *data,
 		int (*match)(struct omap_dss_device *dssdev, void *data));
 const char *omapdss_get_default_display_name(void);
 
-int omap_dss_start_device(struct omap_dss_device *dssdev);
-void omap_dss_stop_device(struct omap_dss_device *dssdev);
-
 void videomode_to_omap_video_timings(const struct videomode *vm,
 		struct omap_video_timings *ovt);
 void omap_video_timings_to_videomode(const struct omap_video_timings *ovt,