diff --git a/stand/efi/libefi/devicename.c b/stand/efi/libefi/devicename.c
--- a/stand/efi/libefi/devicename.c
+++ b/stand/efi/libefi/devicename.c
@@ -39,8 +39,6 @@
 #include <efilib.h>
 #include <efizfs.h>
 
-static int efi_parsedev(struct devdesc **, const char *, const char **);
-
 /*
  * Point (dev) at an allocated device specifier for the device matching the
  * path in (devspec). If it contains an explicit device specification,
@@ -57,118 +55,14 @@
 	 * use the current device instead.
 	 */
 	if (devspec == NULL || *devspec == '/' || !strchr(devspec, ':')) {
-		rv = efi_parsedev(dev, getenv("currdev"), NULL);
+		rv = devparse(dev, getenv("currdev"), NULL);
 		if (rv == 0 && path != NULL)
 			*path = devspec;
 		return (rv);
 	}
 
 	/* Parse the device name off the beginning of the devspec. */
-	return (efi_parsedev(dev, devspec, path));
-}
-
-/*
- * Point (dev) at an allocated device specifier matching the string version
- * at the beginning of (devspec).  Return a pointer to the remaining
- * text in (path).
- *
- * In all cases, the beginning of (devspec) is compared to the names
- * of known devices in the device switch, and then any following text
- * is parsed according to the rules applied to the device type.
- *
- * For disk-type devices, the syntax is:
- *
- * fs<unit>:
- */
-static int
-efi_parsedev(struct devdesc **dev, const char *devspec, const char **path)
-{
-	struct devdesc *idev;
-	struct devsw *dv;
-	int i, unit, err;
-	char *cp;
-	const char *np;
-
-	/* minimum length check */
-	if (strlen(devspec) < 2)
-		return (EINVAL);
-
-	/* look for a device that matches */
-	for (i = 0; devsw[i] != NULL; i++) {
-		dv = devsw[i];
-		if (!strncmp(devspec, dv->dv_name, strlen(dv->dv_name)))
-			break;
-	}
-	if (devsw[i] == NULL)
-		return (ENOENT);
-
-	np = devspec + strlen(dv->dv_name);
-	idev = NULL;
-	err = 0;
-
-	switch (dv->dv_type) {
-	case DEVT_NONE:
-		break;
-
-	case DEVT_DISK:
-		idev = malloc(sizeof(struct disk_devdesc));
-		if (idev == NULL)
-			return (ENOMEM);
-
-		err = disk_parsedev((struct disk_devdesc *)idev, np, path);
-		if (err != 0)
-			goto fail;
-		break;
-
-#ifdef EFI_ZFS_BOOT
-	case DEVT_ZFS:
-		idev = malloc(sizeof(struct zfs_devdesc));
-		if (idev == NULL)
-			return (ENOMEM);
-
-		err = zfs_parsedev((struct zfs_devdesc*)idev, np, path);
-		if (err != 0)
-			goto fail;
-		break;
-#endif
-	default:
-		idev = malloc(sizeof(struct devdesc));
-		if (idev == NULL)
-			return (ENOMEM);
-
-		unit = 0;
-		cp = (char *)np;
-
-		if (*np != '\0' && *np != ':') {
-			errno = 0;
-			unit = strtol(np, &cp, 0);
-			if (errno != 0 || cp == np) {
-				err = EUNIT;
-				goto fail;
-			}
-		}
-		if (*cp != '\0' && *cp != ':') {
-			err = EINVAL;
-			goto fail;
-		}
-
-		idev->d_unit = unit;
-		if (path != NULL)
-			*path = (*cp == 0) ? cp : cp + 1;
-		break;
-	}
-
-	idev->d_dev = dv;
-
-	if (dev != NULL)
-		*dev = idev;
-	else
-		free(idev);
-	return (0);
-
-fail:
-	free(idev);
-	return (err);
+	return (devparse(dev, devspec, path));
 }
 
 /*
@@ -180,7 +74,7 @@
 	struct devdesc *ncurr;
 	int rv;
 
-	rv = efi_parsedev(&ncurr, value, NULL);
+	rv = devparse(&ncurr, value, NULL);
 	if (rv != 0)
 		return (rv);
 	free(ncurr);
diff --git a/stand/libsa/dev.c b/stand/libsa/dev.c
--- a/stand/libsa/dev.c
+++ b/stand/libsa/dev.c
@@ -67,3 +67,85 @@
 	snprintf(name, sizeof(name), "%s%d:", d->d_dev->dv_name, d->d_unit);
 	return (name);
 }
+
+/* NB: devspec points to the remainder of the device name after dv_name */
+static int
+default_parsedev(struct devdesc **dev, const char *devspec,
+    const char **path)
+{
+	struct devdesc *idev;
+	int unit, err;
+	char *cp;
+
+	idev = malloc(sizeof(struct devdesc));
+	if (idev == NULL)
+		return (ENOMEM);
+
+	unit = 0;
+	cp = (char *)devspec;	/* strtol interface, alas */
+
+	if (*devspec != '\0' && *devspec != ':') {
+		errno = 0;
+		unit = strtol(devspec, &cp, 0);
+		if (errno != 0 || cp == devspec) {
+			err = EUNIT;
+			goto fail;
+		}
+	}
+	if (*cp != '\0' && *cp != ':') {
+		err = EINVAL;
+		goto fail;
+	}
+
+	idev->d_unit = unit;
+	if (path != NULL)
+		*path = (*cp == 0) ? cp : cp + 1;
+	if (dev != NULL)	/* maybe this can be required? */
+		*dev = idev;
+	else
+		free(idev);
+	return (0);
+fail:
+	free(idev);
+	return (err);
+}
+
+/* NB: devspec points to the whole device spec, and possible trailing path */
+int
+devparse(struct devdesc **dev, const char *devspec, const char **path)
+{
+	struct devdesc *idev;
+	struct devsw *dv;
+	int i, err;
+	const char *np;
+
+	/* minimum length check */
+	if (strlen(devspec) < 2)
+		return (EINVAL);
+
+	/* look for a device that matches */
+	for (i = 0; devsw[i] != NULL; i++) {
+		dv = devsw[i];
+		if (!strncmp(devspec, dv->dv_name, strlen(dv->dv_name)))
+			break;
+	}
+	if (devsw[i] == NULL)
+		return (ENOENT);
+	np = devspec + strlen(dv->dv_name);
+	idev = NULL;
+	err = 0;
+	if (dv->dv_parsedev) {
+		err = dv->dv_parsedev(&idev, np, path);
+	} else {
+		err = default_parsedev(&idev, np, path);
+	}
+	if (err != 0)
+		return (err);
+
+	idev->d_dev = dv;
+	if (dev != NULL)
+		*dev = idev;
+	else
+		free(idev);
+	return (0);
+}
diff --git a/stand/libsa/stand.h b/stand/libsa/stand.h
--- a/stand/libsa/stand.h
+++ b/stand/libsa/stand.h
@@ -160,6 +160,7 @@
     int		(*dv_print)(int verbose);	/* print device information */
     void	(*dv_cleanup)(void);
     char *	(*dv_fmtdev)(struct devdesc *);
+    int		(*dv_parsedev)(struct devdesc **, const char *, const char **);
 };
 
 /*
@@ -186,6 +187,7 @@
 };
 
 char *devformat(struct devdesc *d);
+int devparse(struct devdesc **, const char *, const char **);
 
 struct open_file {
     int			f_flags;	/* see F_* below */