diff --git a/drivers/staging/vc04_services/interface/vchi/vchi.h b/drivers/staging/vc04_services/interface/vchi/vchi.h
index 74fd169e079a..72771fdee9d6 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/vc04_services/interface/vchi/vchi.h
+++ b/drivers/staging/vc04_services/interface/vchi/vchi.h
@@ -11,16 +11,6 @@
 // Macros to manipulate 'FOURCC' values
 #define MAKE_FOURCC(x) ((int32_t)((x[0] << 24) | (x[1] << 16) | (x[2] << 8) | x[3]))
 
-// Opaque service information
-struct opaque_vchi_service_t;
-
-// Descriptor for a held message. Allocated by client, initialised by vchi_msg_hold,
-// vchi_msg_iter_hold or vchi_msg_iter_hold_next. Fields are for internal VCHI use only.
-struct vchi_held_msg {
-	struct opaque_vchi_service_t *service;
-	void *message;
-};
-
 // Opaque handle for a VCHIQ instance
 struct vchiq_instance;
 
@@ -67,7 +57,7 @@ extern int vchi_queue_kernel_message(unsigned handle, void *data,
 extern int32_t vchi_msg_hold(unsigned handle,
 			     void **data,        // } may be NULL, as info can be
 			     uint32_t *msg_size, // } obtained from HELD_MSG_T
-			     struct vchi_held_msg *message_descriptor);
+			     struct vchiq_header **message);
 
 /*******************************************************************************
  * Global service support API - operations on held messages
@@ -75,7 +65,7 @@ extern int32_t vchi_msg_hold(unsigned handle,
  ******************************************************************************/
 
 // Routine to release a held message after it has been processed
-extern int32_t vchi_held_msg_release(struct vchi_held_msg *message);
+extern int32_t vchi_held_msg_release(unsigned handle, struct vchiq_header *message);
 
 /******************************************************************************
  * Global bulk API
diff --git a/drivers/staging/vc04_services/interface/vchiq_arm/vchiq_shim.c b/drivers/staging/vc04_services/interface/vchiq_arm/vchiq_shim.c
index 578346965da6..6eb9a9878641 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/vc04_services/interface/vchiq_arm/vchiq_shim.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/vc04_services/interface/vchiq_arm/vchiq_shim.c
@@ -113,7 +113,8 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(vchi_bulk_queue_transmit);
 /***********************************************************
  * Name: vchi_held_msg_release
  *
- * Arguments:  struct vchi_held_msg *message
+ * Arguments:  unsgined handle
+ *	       struct vchiq_header *message
  *
  * Description: Routine to release a held message (after it has been read with
  *              vchi_msg_hold)
@@ -121,7 +122,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(vchi_bulk_queue_transmit);
  * Returns: int32_t - success == 0
  *
  ***********************************************************/
-int32_t vchi_held_msg_release(struct vchi_held_msg *message)
+int32_t vchi_held_msg_release(unsigned handle, struct vchiq_header *message)
 {
 	/*
 	 * Convert the service field pointer back to an
@@ -131,8 +132,7 @@ int32_t vchi_held_msg_release(struct vchi_held_msg *message)
 	 * to a pointer.
 	 */
 
-	vchiq_release_message((unsigned int)(long)message->service,
-			      (struct vchiq_header *)message->message);
+	vchiq_release_message(handle, message);
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(vchi_held_msg_release);
  * Arguments:  struct vchi_service *service,
  *             void **data,
  *             uint32_t *msg_size,
- *             struct vchi_held_msg *message_handle
+ *             struct vchiq_header **message
  *
  * Description: Routine to return a pointer to the current message (to allow
  *              in place processing). The message is dequeued - don't forget
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(vchi_held_msg_release);
  *
  ***********************************************************/
 int32_t vchi_msg_hold(unsigned handle, void **data, uint32_t *msg_size,
-		      struct vchi_held_msg *message_handle)
+		      struct vchiq_header **message)
 {
 	struct vchiq_header *header;
 
@@ -165,18 +165,7 @@ int32_t vchi_msg_hold(unsigned handle, void **data, uint32_t *msg_size,
 
 	*data = header->data;
 	*msg_size = header->size;
-
-	/*
-	 * upcast the unsigned int which is an int
-	 * to a pointer and stuff it in the held message.
-	 * This pointer is opaque to everything except
-	 * vchi_held_msg_release which simply downcasts it back
-	 * to an int.
-	 */
-
-	message_handle->service =
-		(struct opaque_vchi_service_t *)(long)handle;
-	message_handle->message = header;
+	*message = header;
 
 	return 0;
 }