extern struct kobj_ns_type_operations net_ns_type_operations;
 
-extern char *netdev_drivername(const struct net_device *dev, char *buffer, int len);
+extern const char *netdev_drivername(const struct net_device *dev);
 
 extern void linkwatch_run_queue(void);
 
 
 /**
  *     netdev_drivername - network driver for the device
  *     @dev: network device
- *     @buffer: buffer for resulting name
- *     @len: size of buffer
  *
  *     Determine network driver for device.
  */
-char *netdev_drivername(const struct net_device *dev, char *buffer, int len)
+const char *netdev_drivername(const struct net_device *dev)
 {
        const struct device_driver *driver;
        const struct device *parent;
-
-       if (len <= 0 || !buffer)
-               return buffer;
-       buffer[0] = 0;
+       const char *empty = "";
 
        parent = dev->dev.parent;
-
        if (!parent)
-               return buffer;
+               return empty;
 
        driver = parent->driver;
        if (driver && driver->name)
-               strlcpy(buffer, driver->name, len);
-       return buffer;
+               return driver->name;
+       return empty;
 }
 
 static int __netdev_printk(const char *level, const struct net_device *dev,
 
                        }
 
                        if (some_queue_timedout) {
-                               char drivername[64];
                                WARN_ONCE(1, KERN_INFO "NETDEV WATCHDOG: %s (%s): transmit queue %u timed out\n",
-                                      dev->name, netdev_drivername(dev, drivername, 64), i);
+                                      dev->name, netdev_drivername(dev), i);
                                dev->netdev_ops->ndo_tx_timeout(dev);
                        }
                        if (!mod_timer(&dev->watchdog_timer,