diff --git a/drivers/scsi/ch.c b/drivers/scsi/ch.c
index ef5ae0d..52060e7 100644
--- a/drivers/scsi/ch.c
+++ b/drivers/scsi/ch.c
@@ -85,8 +85,7 @@
 // module_param_string_array(vendor_labels, NULL, 0444);
 
 #define ch_printk(prefix, ch, fmt, a...) \
-	sdev_printk(prefix, (ch)->device, "[%s] " fmt, \
-		    (ch)->name, ##a)
+	sdev_prefix_printk(prefix, (ch)->device, (ch)->name, fmt, ##a)
 
 #define DPRINTK(fmt, arg...)						\
 do {									\
diff --git a/drivers/scsi/sd.h b/drivers/scsi/sd.h
index 4673778..63ba5ca 100644
--- a/drivers/scsi/sd.h
+++ b/drivers/scsi/sd.h
@@ -103,9 +103,9 @@
 
 #define sd_printk(prefix, sdsk, fmt, a...)				\
         (sdsk)->disk ?							\
-	sdev_printk(prefix, (sdsk)->device, "[%s] " fmt,		\
-		    (sdsk)->disk->disk_name, ##a) :			\
-	sdev_printk(prefix, (sdsk)->device, fmt, ##a)
+	      sdev_prefix_printk(prefix, (sdsk)->device,		\
+				 (sdsk)->disk->disk_name, fmt, ##a) :	\
+	      sdev_printk(prefix, (sdsk)->device, fmt, ##a)
 
 #define sd_first_printk(prefix, sdsk, fmt, a...)			\
 	do {								\
diff --git a/drivers/scsi/sg.c b/drivers/scsi/sg.c
index fe44c14..55cbc66 100644
--- a/drivers/scsi/sg.c
+++ b/drivers/scsi/sg.c
@@ -219,8 +219,8 @@
 #define SZ_SG_REQ_INFO sizeof(sg_req_info_t)
 
 #define sg_printk(prefix, sdp, fmt, a...) \
-	sdev_printk(prefix, (sdp)->device, "[%s] " fmt, \
-		    (sdp)->disk->disk_name, ##a)
+	sdev_prefix_printk(prefix, (sdp)->device,		\
+			   (sdp)->disk->disk_name, fmt, ##a)
 
 static int sg_allow_access(struct file *filp, unsigned char *cmd)
 {
diff --git a/drivers/scsi/sr.h b/drivers/scsi/sr.h
index 1d1f6f41..1de3371 100644
--- a/drivers/scsi/sr.h
+++ b/drivers/scsi/sr.h
@@ -57,8 +57,7 @@
 } Scsi_CD;
 
 #define sr_printk(prefix, cd, fmt, a...) \
-	sdev_printk(prefix, (cd)->device, "[%s] " fmt, \
-		    (cd)->cdi.name, ##a)
+	sdev_prefix_printk(prefix, (cd)->device, (cd)->cdi.name, fmt, ##a)
 
 int sr_do_ioctl(Scsi_CD *, struct packet_command *);
 
diff --git a/drivers/scsi/st.c b/drivers/scsi/st.c
index 8d5f8b4..36ab023 100644
--- a/drivers/scsi/st.c
+++ b/drivers/scsi/st.c
@@ -314,8 +314,7 @@
 }
 
 #define st_printk(prefix, t, fmt, a...) \
-	sdev_printk(prefix, (t)->device, "%s: " fmt, \
-		    tape_name(t), ##a)
+	sdev_prefix_printk(prefix, (t)->device, tape_name(t), fmt, ##a)
 #ifdef DEBUG
 #define DEBC_printk(t, fmt, a...) \
 	if (debugging) { st_printk(ST_DEB_MSG, t, fmt, ##a ); }
diff --git a/include/scsi/scsi_device.h b/include/scsi/scsi_device.h
index 27ecee7..0b18a09 100644
--- a/include/scsi/scsi_device.h
+++ b/include/scsi/scsi_device.h
@@ -244,6 +244,15 @@
 #define sdev_dbg(sdev, fmt, a...) \
 	dev_dbg(&(sdev)->sdev_gendev, fmt, ##a)
 
+/*
+ * like scmd_printk, but the device name is passed in
+ * as a string pointer
+ */
+#define sdev_prefix_printk(l, sdev, p, fmt, a...)			\
+	(p) ?								\
+	sdev_printk(l, sdev, "[%s] " fmt, p, ##a) :			\
+	sdev_printk(l, sdev, fmt, ##a)
+
 #define scmd_printk(prefix, scmd, fmt, a...)				\
         (scmd)->request->rq_disk ?					\
 	sdev_printk(prefix, (scmd)->device, "[%s] " fmt,		\