diff --git a/hw/i2c/smbus_eeprom.c b/hw/i2c/smbus_eeprom.c
index 3f9ed266f8..c2b9e3383e 100644
--- a/hw/i2c/smbus_eeprom.c
+++ b/hw/i2c/smbus_eeprom.c
@@ -77,13 +77,6 @@ static int eeprom_write_data(SMBusDevice *dev, uint8_t *buf, uint8_t len)
     return 0;
 }
 
-static uint8_t eeprom_read_data(SMBusDevice *dev, int n)
-{
-    /* As with writes, we implement block reads without the
-       SMBus length byte.  */
-    return eeprom_receive_byte(dev);
-}
-
 static void smbus_eeprom_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
 {
     SMBusEEPROMDevice *eeprom = (SMBusEEPROMDevice *)dev;
@@ -105,7 +98,6 @@ static void smbus_eeprom_class_initfn(ObjectClass *klass, void *data)
     sc->quick_cmd = eeprom_quick_cmd;
     sc->receive_byte = eeprom_receive_byte;
     sc->write_data = eeprom_write_data;
-    sc->read_data = eeprom_read_data;
     dc->props = smbus_eeprom_properties;
     /* Reason: pointer property "data" */
     dc->user_creatable = false;
diff --git a/hw/i2c/smbus_slave.c b/hw/i2c/smbus_slave.c
index 92c7a5086c..52a57423ee 100644
--- a/hw/i2c/smbus_slave.c
+++ b/hw/i2c/smbus_slave.c
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ do { fprintf(stderr, "smbus: error: " fmt , ## __VA_ARGS__);} while (0)
 enum {
     SMBUS_IDLE,
     SMBUS_WRITE_DATA,
-    SMBUS_RECV_BYTE,
     SMBUS_READ_DATA,
     SMBUS_DONE,
     SMBUS_CONFUSED = -1
@@ -82,7 +81,7 @@ static int smbus_i2c_event(I2CSlave *s, enum i2c_event event)
         switch (dev->mode) {
         case SMBUS_IDLE:
             DPRINTF("Read mode\n");
-            dev->mode = SMBUS_RECV_BYTE;
+            dev->mode = SMBUS_READ_DATA;
             break;
         case SMBUS_WRITE_DATA:
             if (dev->data_len == 0) {
@@ -91,7 +90,6 @@ static int smbus_i2c_event(I2CSlave *s, enum i2c_event event)
             } else {
                 smbus_do_write(dev);
                 DPRINTF("Read mode\n");
-                dev->data_len = 0;
                 dev->mode = SMBUS_READ_DATA;
             }
             break;
@@ -148,31 +146,18 @@ static uint8_t smbus_i2c_recv(I2CSlave *s)
 {
     SMBusDevice *dev = SMBUS_DEVICE(s);
     SMBusDeviceClass *sc = SMBUS_DEVICE_GET_CLASS(dev);
-    uint8_t ret;
+    uint8_t ret = 0xff;
 
     switch (dev->mode) {
-    case SMBUS_RECV_BYTE:
+    case SMBUS_READ_DATA:
         if (sc->receive_byte) {
             ret = sc->receive_byte(dev);
-        } else {
-            ret = 0;
-        }
-        DPRINTF("Receive Byte %02x\n", ret);
-        dev->mode = SMBUS_DONE;
-        break;
-    case SMBUS_READ_DATA:
-        if (sc->read_data) {
-            ret = sc->read_data(dev, dev->data_len);
-            dev->data_len++;
-        } else {
-            ret = 0;
         }
         DPRINTF("Read data %02x\n", ret);
         break;
     default:
         BADF("Unexpected read in state %d\n", dev->mode);
         dev->mode = SMBUS_CONFUSED;
-        ret = 0;
         break;
     }
     return ret;
diff --git a/include/hw/i2c/smbus_slave.h b/include/hw/i2c/smbus_slave.h
index fa92201ec6..79050fb92d 100644
--- a/include/hw/i2c/smbus_slave.h
+++ b/include/hw/i2c/smbus_slave.h
@@ -47,8 +47,6 @@ typedef struct SMBusDeviceClass
      */
     void (*quick_cmd)(SMBusDevice *dev, uint8_t read);
 
-    uint8_t (*receive_byte)(SMBusDevice *dev);
-
     /*
      * We can't distinguish between a word write and a block write with
      * length 1, so pass the whole data block including the length byte
@@ -59,11 +57,16 @@ typedef struct SMBusDeviceClass
      */
     int (*write_data)(SMBusDevice *dev, uint8_t *buf, uint8_t len);
 
-    /* Likewise we can't distinguish between different reads, or even know
-       the length of the read until the read is complete, so read data a
-       byte at a time.  The device is responsible for adding the length
-       byte on block reads.  */
-    uint8_t (*read_data)(SMBusDevice *dev, int n);
+    /*
+     * Likewise we can't distinguish between different reads, or even know
+     * the length of the read until the read is complete, so read data a
+     * byte at a time.  The device is responsible for adding the length
+     * byte on block reads.  This call cannot fail, it should return
+     * something, preferably 0xff if nothing is available.
+     * This may be NULL if no data is read from the device.  Reads will
+     * return 0xff in that case.
+     */
+    uint8_t (*receive_byte)(SMBusDevice *dev);
 } SMBusDeviceClass;
 
 struct SMBusDevice {
