diff --git a/src/barebox-state/state.c b/src/barebox-state/state.c
index d6ab464..0ec5664 100644
--- a/src/barebox-state/state.c
+++ b/src/barebox-state/state.c
@@ -479,7 +479,8 @@
 	}
 
 	/* backend phandle */
-	backend_node = of_find_node_by_devpath(root, state->backend_path);
+	backend_node = of_find_node_by_reproducible_name(root,
+						state->backend_reproducible_name);
 	if (!backend_node) {
 		ret = -ENODEV;
 		goto out;
@@ -559,6 +560,7 @@
 	state_storage_free(&state->storage);
 	state_format_free(state->format);
 	free(state->backend_path);
+	free(state->backend_reproducible_name);
 	free(state->of_path);
 	free(state);
 }
@@ -610,6 +612,8 @@
 		goto out_release_state;
 	}
 
+	state->backend_reproducible_name = of_get_reproducible_name(partition_node);
+
 	ret = of_property_read_string(node, "backend-type", &backend_type);
 	if (ret) {
 		dev_dbg(&state->dev, "Missing 'backend-type' property\n");
diff --git a/src/barebox-state/state.h b/src/barebox-state/state.h
index da1c6ac..6670523 100644
--- a/src/barebox-state/state.h
+++ b/src/barebox-state/state.h
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@
 	struct state_backend_format *format;
 	struct state_backend_storage storage;
 	char *backend_path;
+	char *backend_reproducible_name;
 };
 
 enum state_convert {
diff --git a/src/dt/dt.h b/src/dt/dt.h
index 10fe162..4ae24ba 100644
--- a/src/dt/dt.h
+++ b/src/dt/dt.h
@@ -370,8 +370,13 @@
 
 struct device_node *of_read_proc_devicetree(void);
 
-static inline struct device_node *of_find_node_by_devpath(struct device_node *root,
-							  const char *path)
+static inline struct device_node *of_find_node_by_reproducible_name(struct device_node *from,
+								    const char *name)
+{
+	return NULL;
+}
+
+static inline char *of_get_reproducible_name(struct device_node *node)
 {
 	return NULL;
 }