diff --git a/src/frontend/spiceif.c b/src/frontend/spiceif.c
index dfa6c08e6..597b9b4ff 100644
--- a/src/frontend/spiceif.c
+++ b/src/frontend/spiceif.c
@@ -614,8 +614,7 @@ finddev_special(
     int err;
     int type = -1;
 
-    // assert(third && *third == NULL); for all invocations
-    *devptr = ft_sim->findInstance (ckt, NULL, NULL, name);
+    *devptr = ft_sim->findInstance (ckt, name);
     if (*devptr) {
         *device_or_model = 0;
         return (*devptr)->GENmodPtr->GENmodType;
@@ -1216,8 +1215,7 @@ finddev(CKTcircuit *ckt, char *name, GENinstance **devptr, GENmodel **modptr)
     int err;
     int type = -1;
 
-    // assert(third && *third == NULL); for all invocations
-    *devptr = ft_sim->findInstance (ckt, NULL, NULL, name);
+    *devptr = ft_sim->findInstance (ckt, name);
     if (*devptr)
         return (*devptr)->GENmodPtr->GENmodType;
 
diff --git a/src/include/ngspice/cktdefs.h b/src/include/ngspice/cktdefs.h
index dbf70f556..4c3d85717 100644
--- a/src/include/ngspice/cktdefs.h
+++ b/src/include/ngspice/cktdefs.h
@@ -319,7 +319,7 @@ extern void NDEVacct(CKTcircuit *ckt, FILE *file);
 extern void CKTncDump(CKTcircuit *);
 extern int CKTfndAnal(CKTcircuit *, int *, JOB **, IFuid , TSKtask *, IFuid);
 extern int CKTfndBranch(CKTcircuit *, IFuid);
-extern GENinstance *CKTfndDev(CKTcircuit *, int *, GENinstance **, IFuid);
+extern GENinstance *CKTfndDev(CKTcircuit *, IFuid);
 extern int CKTfndMod(CKTcircuit *, int *, GENmodel **, IFuid);
 extern int CKTfndNode(CKTcircuit *, CKTnode **, IFuid);
 extern int CKTfndTask(CKTcircuit *, TSKtask **, IFuid );
diff --git a/src/include/ngspice/ifsim.h b/src/include/ngspice/ifsim.h
index 2f58a7ca4..b2cc74703 100644
--- a/src/include/ngspice/ifsim.h
+++ b/src/include/ngspice/ifsim.h
@@ -370,7 +370,7 @@ struct IFsimulator {
                                     /* set a parameter on an instance */
     int (*askInstanceQuest) (CKTcircuit *, GENinstance *, int, IFvalue *, IFvalue *);
                                     /* ask a question about an instance */
-    GENinstance *(*findInstance) (CKTcircuit *, int *, GENinstance **, IFuid);
+    GENinstance *(*findInstance) (CKTcircuit *, IFuid);
                                     /* find a specific instance */
     int (*deleteInstance) (CKTcircuit *, void *);
                                     /* delete an instance from the circuit */
diff --git a/src/spicelib/analysis/noisean.c b/src/spicelib/analysis/noisean.c
index 098bce2ed..e387184ca 100644
--- a/src/spicelib/analysis/noisean.c
+++ b/src/spicelib/analysis/noisean.c
@@ -48,8 +48,7 @@ NOISEan (CKTcircuit *ckt, int restart)
     inst = NULL;
     code = CKTtypelook("Vsource");
     if (code != -1) {
-        // assert(third && *third == NULL);
-        inst = CKTfndDev(ckt, NULL, NULL, job->input);
+        inst = CKTfndDev(ckt, job->input);
 	if (inst && !((VSRCinstance *)inst)->VSRCacGiven) {
 	    errMsg = TMALLOC(char, strlen(noacinput) + 1);
 	    strcpy(errMsg,noacinput);
@@ -59,8 +58,7 @@ NOISEan (CKTcircuit *ckt, int restart)
 
     code = CKTtypelook("Isource");
     if (code != -1 && inst==NULL) {
-        // assert(third && *third == NULL);
-        inst = CKTfndDev(ckt, NULL, NULL, job->input);
+        inst = CKTfndDev(ckt, job->input);
         if (!inst) {
 	    /* XXX ??? */
             SPfrontEnd->IFerror (ERR_WARNING,
diff --git a/src/spicelib/analysis/tfanal.c b/src/spicelib/analysis/tfanal.c
index 05336f5be..c22d47f77 100644
--- a/src/spicelib/analysis/tfanal.c
+++ b/src/spicelib/analysis/tfanal.c
@@ -51,8 +51,7 @@ TFanal(CKTcircuit *ckt, int restart)
     Itype = CKTtypelook("Isource");
     Vtype = CKTtypelook("Vsource");
     if(Itype != -1) {
-        // assert(third && *third == NULL);
-        ptr = CKTfndDev(ckt, NULL, NULL, job->TFinSrc);
+        ptr = CKTfndDev(ckt, job->TFinSrc);
         if (ptr) {
             job->TFinIsI = 1;
             job->TFinIsV = 0;
@@ -62,8 +61,7 @@ TFanal(CKTcircuit *ckt, int restart)
     }
 
     if( (Vtype != -1) && (ptr==NULL) ) {
-        // assert(third && *third == NULL);
-        ptr = CKTfndDev(ckt, NULL, NULL, job->TFinSrc);
+        ptr = CKTfndDev(ckt, job->TFinSrc);
         job->TFinIsV = 1;
         job->TFinIsI = 0;
         if (!ptr) {
diff --git a/src/spicelib/devices/cktcrte.c b/src/spicelib/devices/cktcrte.c
index 73cf24fb7..ef733ab8c 100644
--- a/src/spicelib/devices/cktcrte.c
+++ b/src/spicelib/devices/cktcrte.c
@@ -28,8 +28,7 @@ CKTcrtElt(CKTcircuit *ckt, GENmodel *modPtr, GENinstance **inInstPtr, IFuid name
     if(!modPtr)
 	return E_NOMOD;
 
-    // assert(third && *third == NULL);
-    instPtr = CKTfndDev(ckt, NULL, NULL, name);
+    instPtr = CKTfndDev(ckt, name);
 
     if (instPtr) { 
         if (inInstPtr)
diff --git a/src/spicelib/devices/cktfinddev.c b/src/spicelib/devices/cktfinddev.c
index 2e44130a9..a1dcd169b 100644
--- a/src/spicelib/devices/cktfinddev.c
+++ b/src/spicelib/devices/cktfinddev.c
@@ -11,27 +11,13 @@ Author: 1985 Thomas L. Quarles
 
 
 GENinstance *
-CKTfndDev(CKTcircuit *ckt, int *type, GENinstance **fast, IFuid name)
+CKTfndDev(CKTcircuit *ckt, IFuid name)
 {
     GENinstance *here;
 
-    /* we know the device instance `fast' */
-    if (fast && *fast) {
-        if (type)
-            *type = (*fast)->GENmodPtr->GENmodType;
-        return *fast;
-    }
-
     here = nghash_find(ckt->DEVnameHash, name);
 
     if (here) {
-
-        if (fast)
-            *fast = here;
-
-        if (type)
-            *type = here->GENmodPtr->GENmodType;
-
         return here;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/spicelib/devices/ind/mutsetup.c b/src/spicelib/devices/ind/mutsetup.c
index 9960b0c7c..3ddad1ce4 100644
--- a/src/spicelib/devices/ind/mutsetup.c
+++ b/src/spicelib/devices/ind/mutsetup.c
@@ -42,9 +42,8 @@ MUTsetup(SMPmatrix *matrix, GENmodel *inModel, CKTcircuit *ckt, int *states)
                 return(E_INTERN);
             }
 
-            // assert(third);
             if (!here->MUTind1)
-                here->MUTind1 = (INDinstance *) CKTfndDev(ckt, NULL, NULL, here->MUTindName1);
+                here->MUTind1 = (INDinstance *) CKTfndDev(ckt, here->MUTindName1);
             if (!here->MUTind1) {
                 IFuid namarray[2];
                 namarray[0]=here->MUTname;
@@ -53,9 +52,8 @@ MUTsetup(SMPmatrix *matrix, GENmodel *inModel, CKTcircuit *ckt, int *states)
                     "%s: coupling to non-existant inductor %s.",
                     namarray);
             }
-            // assert(third);
             if (!here->MUTind2)
-                here->MUTind2 = (INDinstance *) CKTfndDev(ckt, NULL, NULL, here->MUTindName2);
+                here->MUTind2 = (INDinstance *) CKTfndDev(ckt, here->MUTindName2);
             if (!here->MUTind2) {
                 IFuid namarray[2];
                 namarray[0]=here->MUTname;
diff --git a/src/spicelib/parser/inpaname.c b/src/spicelib/parser/inpaname.c
index 08dfa47a9..c9d294b46 100644
--- a/src/spicelib/parser/inpaname.c
+++ b/src/spicelib/parser/inpaname.c
@@ -40,9 +40,8 @@ INPaName(char *parm, IFvalue * val, CKTcircuit *ckt, int *dev, char *devnam,
      * (name, type, direct pointer) - the type and direct pointer
      * WILL be set on return unless error is not OK
      */
-    // assert(third) for all invocations
     if (*fast == NULL)
-        *fast = sim->findInstance (ckt, NULL, NULL, devnam);
+        *fast = sim->findInstance (ckt, devnam);
     if (*fast == NULL)
 	return (E_NODEV);
 
diff --git a/src/tclspice.c b/src/tclspice.c
index 475563461..057ce299f 100644
--- a/src/tclspice.c
+++ b/src/tclspice.c
@@ -1394,8 +1394,7 @@ get_mod_param TCL_CMDPROCARGS(clientData, interp, argc, argv)
 
     /* get the unique IFuid for name (device/model) */
     INPretrieve(&name, ft_curckt->ci_symtab);
-    // assert(third && *third == NULL);
-    devptr = ft_sim->findInstance (ft_curckt->ci_ckt, NULL, NULL, name);
+    devptr = ft_sim->findInstance (ft_curckt->ci_ckt, name);
     if (!devptr) {
         typecode = -1;
         devptr   = NULL;
diff --git a/src/unsupported/snstart.c b/src/unsupported/snstart.c
index c67bdc450..43dc561ae 100644
--- a/src/unsupported/snstart.c
+++ b/src/unsupported/snstart.c
@@ -42,8 +42,7 @@ SENstartup(CKTcircuit *ckt, int restart)
         type = -1;
         fast = NULL;
 
-        // assert(third && *third == NULL);
-        fast = CKTfndDev(ckt, NULL, NULL, ckt->CKTsenInfo->SENdevices[i]);
+        fast = CKTfndDev(ckt, ckt->CKTsenInfo->SENdevices[i]);
         if (!fast)
             return E_NODEV;