diff --git a/drivers/core/device.c b/drivers/core/device.c
index 9538874017ac4865acc30177b6982b1e6e0f4fd1..49faa29dc1a0eecaa84e76371b8301c2eef14d7b 100644
--- a/drivers/core/device.c
+++ b/drivers/core/device.c
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ static void device_free(struct udevice *dev)
 	}
 }
 
-int device_probe(struct udevice *dev)
+int device_probe_child(struct udevice *dev, void *parent_priv)
 {
 	struct driver *drv;
 	int size = 0;
@@ -282,6 +282,8 @@ int device_probe(struct udevice *dev)
 				ret = -ENOMEM;
 				goto fail;
 			}
+			if (parent_priv)
+				memcpy(dev->parent_priv, parent_priv, size);
 		}
 
 		ret = device_probe(dev->parent);
@@ -335,6 +337,11 @@ fail:
 	return ret;
 }
 
+int device_probe(struct udevice *dev)
+{
+	return device_probe_child(dev, NULL);
+}
+
 int device_remove(struct udevice *dev)
 {
 	struct driver *drv;
diff --git a/include/dm/device-internal.h b/include/dm/device-internal.h
index 7005d03d08f5d96adcd3f28c2a11f7f9e318ec44..44cb7ef93bfdeea682ea0602d33bf9615260ad9d 100644
--- a/include/dm/device-internal.h
+++ b/include/dm/device-internal.h
@@ -65,6 +65,19 @@ int device_bind_by_name(struct udevice *parent, bool pre_reloc_only,
  */
 int device_probe(struct udevice *dev);
 
+/**
+ * device_probe() - Probe a child device, activating it
+ *
+ * Activate a device so that it is ready for use. All its parents are probed
+ * first. The child is provided with parent data if parent_priv is not NULL.
+ *
+ * @dev: Pointer to device to probe
+ * @parent_priv: Pointer to parent data. If non-NULL then this is provided to
+ * the child.
+ * @return 0 if OK, -ve on error
+ */
+int device_probe_child(struct udevice *dev, void *parent_priv);
+
 /**
  * device_remove() - Remove a device, de-activating it
  *
diff --git a/include/dm/device.h b/include/dm/device.h
index 160cd5883a2fce305df3156a9892003fb62b4d80..56862d32efc465de11113bdd7c4768128535eeef 100644
--- a/include/dm/device.h
+++ b/include/dm/device.h
@@ -139,6 +139,10 @@ struct udevice_id {
  * @per_child_auto_alloc_size: Each device can hold private data owned by
  * its parent. If required this will be automatically allocated if this
  * value is non-zero.
+ * TODO(sjg@chromium.org): I'm considering dropping this, and just having
+ * device_probe_child() pass it in. So far the use case for allocating it
+ * is SPI, but I found that unsatisfactory. Since it is here I will leave it
+ * until things are clearer.
  * @ops: Driver-specific operations. This is typically a list of function
  * pointers defined by the driver, to implement driver functions required by
  * the uclass.