diff --git a/drivers/base/memory.c b/drivers/base/memory.c
index 0204384..20c39d1 100644
--- a/drivers/base/memory.c
+++ b/drivers/base/memory.c
@@ -588,30 +588,13 @@ int __weak arch_get_memory_phys_device(unsigned long start_pfn)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-/*
- * A reference for the returned object is held and the reference for the
- * hinted object is released.
- */
-static struct memory_block *find_memory_block_by_id(unsigned long block_id,
-						    struct memory_block *hint)
+/* A reference for the returned memory block device is acquired. */
+static struct memory_block *find_memory_block_by_id(unsigned long block_id)
 {
-	struct device *hintdev = hint ? &hint->dev : NULL;
 	struct device *dev;
 
-	dev = subsys_find_device_by_id(&memory_subsys, block_id, hintdev);
-	if (hint)
-		put_device(&hint->dev);
-	if (!dev)
-		return NULL;
-	return to_memory_block(dev);
-}
-
-struct memory_block *find_memory_block_hinted(struct mem_section *section,
-					      struct memory_block *hint)
-{
-	unsigned long block_id = base_memory_block_id(__section_nr(section));
-
-	return find_memory_block_by_id(block_id, hint);
+	dev = subsys_find_device_by_id(&memory_subsys, block_id, NULL);
+	return dev ? to_memory_block(dev) : NULL;
 }
 
 /*
@@ -624,7 +607,9 @@ struct memory_block *find_memory_block_hinted(struct mem_section *section,
  */
 struct memory_block *find_memory_block(struct mem_section *section)
 {
-	return find_memory_block_hinted(section, NULL);
+	unsigned long block_id = base_memory_block_id(__section_nr(section));
+
+	return find_memory_block_by_id(block_id);
 }
 
 static struct attribute *memory_memblk_attrs[] = {
@@ -675,7 +660,7 @@ static int init_memory_block(struct memory_block **memory,
 	unsigned long start_pfn;
 	int ret = 0;
 
-	mem = find_memory_block_by_id(block_id, NULL);
+	mem = find_memory_block_by_id(block_id);
 	if (mem) {
 		put_device(&mem->dev);
 		return -EEXIST;
@@ -755,7 +740,7 @@ int create_memory_block_devices(unsigned long start, unsigned long size)
 		end_block_id = block_id;
 		for (block_id = start_block_id; block_id != end_block_id;
 		     block_id++) {
-			mem = find_memory_block_by_id(block_id, NULL);
+			mem = find_memory_block_by_id(block_id);
 			mem->section_count = 0;
 			unregister_memory(mem);
 		}
@@ -782,7 +767,7 @@ void remove_memory_block_devices(unsigned long start, unsigned long size)
 
 	mutex_lock(&mem_sysfs_mutex);
 	for (block_id = start_block_id; block_id != end_block_id; block_id++) {
-		mem = find_memory_block_by_id(block_id, NULL);
+		mem = find_memory_block_by_id(block_id);
 		if (WARN_ON_ONCE(!mem))
 			continue;
 		mem->section_count = 0;
@@ -881,8 +866,11 @@ int walk_memory_blocks(unsigned long start, unsigned long size,
 	unsigned long block_id;
 	int ret = 0;
 
+	if (!size)
+		return 0;
+
 	for (block_id = start_block_id; block_id <= end_block_id; block_id++) {
-		mem = find_memory_block_by_id(block_id, NULL);
+		mem = find_memory_block_by_id(block_id);
 		if (!mem)
 			continue;