diff --git a/libraries/AP_HAL_Linux/SPIDriver.cpp b/libraries/AP_HAL_Linux/SPIDriver.cpp
index 31585b45f8..f621bf8122 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_HAL_Linux/SPIDriver.cpp
+++ b/libraries/AP_HAL_Linux/SPIDriver.cpp
@@ -14,8 +14,6 @@
 #include <linux/spi/spidev.h>
 #include "GPIO.h"
 
-#define SPI_DEBUGGING 0
-
 using namespace Linux;
 
 extern const AP_HAL::HAL& hal;
@@ -80,9 +78,6 @@ SPIDeviceDriver SPIDeviceManager::_device[0];
 #define LINUX_SPI_DEVICE_NUM_DEVICES ARRAY_SIZE(SPIDeviceManager::_device)
 const uint8_t SPIDeviceManager::_n_device_desc = LINUX_SPI_DEVICE_NUM_DEVICES;
 
-// have a separate semaphore per bus
-Semaphore SPIDeviceManager::_semaphore[LINUX_SPI_MAX_BUSES];
-
 SPIDeviceDriver::SPIDeviceDriver(const char *name, uint16_t bus, uint16_t subdev, enum AP_HAL::SPIDeviceType type, uint8_t mode, uint8_t bitsPerWord, int16_t cs_pin, uint32_t lowspeed, uint32_t highspeed):
     _name(name),
     _bus(bus),
@@ -113,9 +108,9 @@ void SPIDeviceDriver::init()
     }
 }
 
-AP_HAL::Semaphore* SPIDeviceDriver::get_semaphore()
+AP_HAL::Semaphore *SPIDeviceDriver::get_semaphore()
 {
-    return SPIDeviceManager::get_semaphore(_bus);
+    return _fake_dev->get_semaphore();
 }
 
 bool SPIDeviceDriver::transaction(const uint8_t *tx, uint8_t *rx, uint16_t len)
@@ -157,21 +152,11 @@ void SPIDeviceDriver::transfer(const uint8_t *data, uint16_t len)
 void SPIDeviceManager::init()
 {
     for (uint8_t i=0; i<LINUX_SPI_DEVICE_NUM_DEVICES; i++) {
-        if (_device[i]._bus >= LINUX_SPI_MAX_BUSES) {
-            AP_HAL::panic("SPIDriver: invalid bus number");
-        }
-        char path[255];
-        snprintf(path, sizeof(path), "/dev/spidev%u.%u",
-                 _device[i]._bus, _device[i]._subdev);
-        _device[i]._fd = open(path, O_RDWR);
-        if (_device[i]._fd == -1) {
-            printf("Unable to open %s - %s\n", path, strerror(errno));
-            AP_HAL::panic("SPIDriver: unable to open SPI bus");
+        _device[i]._fake_dev = SPIDeviceManager::from(hal.spi)->get_device(_device[i]);
+        if (!_device[i]._fake_dev) {
+            AP_HAL::panic("SPIDriver: couldn't use spidev%u.%u for %s",
+                          _device[i]._bus, _device[i]._subdev, _device[i]._name);
         }
-#if SPI_DEBUGGING
-        printf("Opened %s\n", path);
-        fflush(stdout);
-#endif
         _device[i].init();
     }
 }
@@ -243,7 +228,8 @@ bool SPIDeviceManager::transaction(SPIDeviceDriver &driver, const uint8_t *tx, u
     int r;
     // we set the mode before we assert the CS line so that the bus is
     // in the correct idle state before the chip is selected
-    r = ioctl(driver._fd, SPI_IOC_WR_MODE, &driver._mode);
+    int fd = driver._fake_dev->get_fd();
+    r = ioctl(fd, SPI_IOC_WR_MODE, &driver._mode);
     if (r == -1) {
         hal.console->printf("SPI: error on setting mode\n");
         return false;
@@ -265,7 +251,7 @@ bool SPIDeviceManager::transaction(SPIDeviceDriver &driver, const uint8_t *tx, u
         memset(rx, 0, len);
     }
 
-    r = ioctl(driver._fd, SPI_IOC_MESSAGE(1), &spi);
+    r = ioctl(fd, SPI_IOC_MESSAGE(1), &spi);
     cs_release(driver._type);
 
     if (r == -1) {
@@ -294,12 +280,4 @@ AP_HAL::SPIDeviceDriver *SPIDeviceManager::device(enum AP_HAL::SPIDeviceType dev
     return NULL;
 }
 
-/*
-  return the bus specific semaphore
- */
-AP_HAL::Semaphore *SPIDeviceManager::get_semaphore(uint16_t bus)
-{
-    return &_semaphore[bus];
-}
-
 #endif // CONFIG_HAL_BOARD
diff --git a/libraries/AP_HAL_Linux/SPIDriver.h b/libraries/AP_HAL_Linux/SPIDriver.h
index 8fc68403aa..2d5da64848 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_HAL_Linux/SPIDriver.h
+++ b/libraries/AP_HAL_Linux/SPIDriver.h
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ private:
     uint32_t _highspeed;
     uint32_t _speed;
     enum AP_HAL::SPIDeviceType _type;
-    int _fd;	// Per-device FD.
+    AP_HAL::OwnPtr<AP_HAL::SPIDevice> _fake_dev;
 };
 
 class SPIDeviceManager : public AP_HAL::SPIDeviceManager {
@@ -72,8 +72,6 @@ public:
     void init();
     AP_HAL::SPIDeviceDriver* device(enum AP_HAL::SPIDeviceType, uint8_t index = 0);
 
-    static AP_HAL::Semaphore *get_semaphore(uint16_t bus);
-
     static void cs_assert(enum AP_HAL::SPIDeviceType type);
     static void cs_release(enum AP_HAL::SPIDeviceType type);
     static bool transaction(SPIDeviceDriver &driver, const uint8_t *tx, uint8_t *rx, uint16_t len);
@@ -86,7 +84,6 @@ protected:
 
     static const uint8_t _n_device_desc;
     static SPIDeviceDriver _device[];
-    static Semaphore _semaphore[LINUX_SPI_MAX_BUSES];
 };
 
 }