diff --git a/drivers/mtd/chips/map_ram.c b/drivers/mtd/chips/map_ram.c
index 763925747db6..9b7c49930a76 100644
--- a/drivers/mtd/chips/map_ram.c
+++ b/drivers/mtd/chips/map_ram.c
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ static struct mtd_info *map_ram_probe(struct map_info *map)
 	map->fldrv = &mapram_chipdrv;
 	mtd->priv = map;
 	mtd->name = map->name;
-	mtd->type = MTD_RAM;
+	mtd->type = MTD_GENERIC_TYPE;
 	mtd->size = map->size;
 	mtd->erase = mapram_erase;
 	mtd->read = mapram_read;
diff --git a/drivers/mtd/devices/block2mtd.c b/drivers/mtd/devices/block2mtd.c
index 0d98c223c5fc..1157182c2c8c 100644
--- a/drivers/mtd/devices/block2mtd.c
+++ b/drivers/mtd/devices/block2mtd.c
@@ -324,7 +324,7 @@ static struct block2mtd_dev *add_device(char *devname, int erase_size)
 
 	dev->mtd.size = dev->blkdev->bd_inode->i_size & PAGE_MASK;
 	dev->mtd.erasesize = erase_size;
-	dev->mtd.type = MTD_RAM;
+	dev->mtd.type = MTD_GENERIC_TYPE;
 	dev->mtd.flags = MTD_CAP_RAM;
 	dev->mtd.erase = block2mtd_erase;
 	dev->mtd.write = block2mtd_write;
diff --git a/drivers/mtd/devices/ms02-nv.c b/drivers/mtd/devices/ms02-nv.c
index 4ab7670770e4..a6466f923e7e 100644
--- a/drivers/mtd/devices/ms02-nv.c
+++ b/drivers/mtd/devices/ms02-nv.c
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ static int __init ms02nv_init_one(ulong addr)
 	fixsize = (size - (fixaddr - addr)) & ~(PAGE_SIZE - 1);
 	mp->uaddr = phys_to_virt(fixaddr);
 
-	mtd->type = MTD_RAM;
+	mtd->type = MTD_GENERIC_TYPE;
 	mtd->flags = MTD_CAP_RAM;
 	mtd->size = fixsize;
 	mtd->name = (char *)ms02nv_name;
diff --git a/drivers/mtd/devices/mtdram.c b/drivers/mtd/devices/mtdram.c
index 1443117fd8f4..f284c9670be8 100644
--- a/drivers/mtd/devices/mtdram.c
+++ b/drivers/mtd/devices/mtdram.c
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ int mtdram_init_device(struct mtd_info *mtd, void *mapped_address,
 
 	/* Setup the MTD structure */
 	mtd->name = name;
-	mtd->type = MTD_RAM;
+	mtd->type = MTD_GENERIC_TYPE;
 	mtd->flags = MTD_CAP_RAM;
 	mtd->size = size;
 	mtd->erasesize = MTDRAM_ERASE_SIZE;
diff --git a/drivers/mtd/devices/phram.c b/drivers/mtd/devices/phram.c
index e09e416667d3..e6daa74d5fc6 100644
--- a/drivers/mtd/devices/phram.c
+++ b/drivers/mtd/devices/phram.c
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ static int register_device(char *name, unsigned long start, unsigned long len)
 	new->mtd.read = phram_read;
 	new->mtd.write = phram_write;
 	new->mtd.owner = THIS_MODULE;
-	new->mtd.type = MTD_RAM;
+	new->mtd.type = MTD_GENERIC_TYPE;
 	new->mtd.erasesize = PAGE_SIZE;
 
 	ret = -EAGAIN;
diff --git a/drivers/mtd/devices/pmc551.c b/drivers/mtd/devices/pmc551.c
index 666cce1bf60c..aa9f6c993125 100644
--- a/drivers/mtd/devices/pmc551.c
+++ b/drivers/mtd/devices/pmc551.c
@@ -775,7 +775,7 @@ static int __init init_pmc551(void)
                 mtd->write 	= pmc551_write;
                 mtd->point 	= pmc551_point;
                 mtd->unpoint 	= pmc551_unpoint;
-                mtd->type 	= MTD_RAM;
+                mtd->type	= MTD_GENERIC_TYPE;
                 mtd->name 	= "PMC551 RAM board";
                 mtd->erasesize 	= 0x10000;
 		mtd->owner = THIS_MODULE;
diff --git a/drivers/mtd/devices/slram.c b/drivers/mtd/devices/slram.c
index b3f665e3c38b..fdb7a78b5304 100644
--- a/drivers/mtd/devices/slram.c
+++ b/drivers/mtd/devices/slram.c
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ static int register_device(char *name, unsigned long start, unsigned long length
 	(*curmtd)->mtdinfo->read = slram_read;
 	(*curmtd)->mtdinfo->write = slram_write;
 	(*curmtd)->mtdinfo->owner = THIS_MODULE;
-	(*curmtd)->mtdinfo->type = MTD_RAM;
+	(*curmtd)->mtdinfo->type = MTD_GENERIC_TYPE;
 	(*curmtd)->mtdinfo->erasesize = SLRAM_BLK_SZ;
 
 	if (add_mtd_device((*curmtd)->mtdinfo))	{
diff --git a/drivers/mtd/mtdblock.c b/drivers/mtd/mtdblock.c
index 9b0bc20e4d8d..e5c78463ebfd 100644
--- a/drivers/mtd/mtdblock.c
+++ b/drivers/mtd/mtdblock.c
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ static int mtdblock_open(struct mtd_blktrans_dev *mbd)
 
 	mutex_init(&mtdblk->cache_mutex);
 	mtdblk->cache_state = STATE_EMPTY;
-	if (mtdblk->mtd->type != MTD_RAM && mtdblk->mtd->erasesize) {
+	if ( !(mtdblk->mtd->flags & MTD_NO_ERASE) && mtdblk->mtd->erasesize) {
 		mtdblk->cache_size = mtdblk->mtd->erasesize;
 		mtdblk->cache_data = NULL;
 	}
diff --git a/include/mtd/mtd-abi.h b/include/mtd/mtd-abi.h
index 1ce365bd31d2..7ccadb1eaf7d 100644
--- a/include/mtd/mtd-abi.h
+++ b/include/mtd/mtd-abi.h
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ struct mtd_oob_buf {
 };
 
 #define MTD_ABSENT		0
-#define MTD_RAM			1
 #define MTD_NORFLASH		3
 #define MTD_NANDFLASH		4
 #define MTD_DATAFLASH		6
@@ -32,10 +31,11 @@ struct mtd_oob_buf {
 
 #define MTD_WRITEABLE		0x400	/* Device is writeable */
 #define MTD_BIT_WRITEABLE	0x800	/* Single bits can be flipped */
+#define MTD_NO_ERASE		0x1000	/* No erase necessary */
 
 // Some common devices / combinations of capabilities
 #define MTD_CAP_ROM		0
-#define MTD_CAP_RAM		(MTD_WRITEABLE | MTD_BIT_WRITEABLE)
+#define MTD_CAP_RAM		(MTD_WRITEABLE | MTD_BIT_WRITEABLE | MTD_NO_ERASE)
 #define MTD_CAP_NORFLASH	(MTD_WRITEABLE | MTD_BIT_WRITEABLE)
 #define MTD_CAP_NANDFLASH	(MTD_WRITEABLE)