diff --git a/rocclr/runtime/device/device.cpp b/rocclr/runtime/device/device.cpp
index d4df1d28fc..daa8726d27 100644
--- a/rocclr/runtime/device/device.cpp
+++ b/rocclr/runtime/device/device.cpp
@@ -198,18 +198,14 @@ void Device::tearDown() {
 #endif  // WITH_PAL_DEVICE
 }
 
-Device::Device(Device* parent)
+Device::Device()
     : settings_(NULL),
       online_(true),
       blitProgram_(NULL),
       hwDebugMgr_(NULL),
-      parent_(parent),
       vaCacheAccess_(nullptr),
       vaCacheMap_(nullptr) {
   memset(&info_, '\0', sizeof(info_));
-  if (parent_ != NULL) {
-    parent_->retain();
-  }
 }
 
 Device::~Device() {
@@ -223,12 +219,8 @@ Device::~Device() {
     delete settings_;
   }
 
-  if (parent_ != NULL) {
-    parent_->release();
-  } else {
-    if (info_.extensions_ != NULL) {
-      delete[] info_.extensions_;
-    }
+  if (info_.extensions_ != NULL) {
+    delete[] info_.extensions_;
   }
 }
 
@@ -244,15 +236,6 @@ bool Device::create() {
   return true;
 }
 
-bool Device::isAncestor(const Device* sub) const {
-  for (const Device* d = sub->parent_; d != NULL; d = d->parent_) {
-    if (d == this) {
-      return true;
-    }
-  }
-  return false;
-}
-
 void Device::registerDevice() {
   assert(Runtime::singleThreaded() && "this is not thread-safe");
 
diff --git a/rocclr/runtime/device/device.hpp b/rocclr/runtime/device/device.hpp
index b3683bed81..a9fa1635a6 100644
--- a/rocclr/runtime/device/device.hpp
+++ b/rocclr/runtime/device/device.hpp
@@ -1411,24 +1411,12 @@ class Device : public RuntimeObject {
 
   virtual Compiler* compiler() const = 0;
 
-  Device(Device* parent = NULL);
+  Device();
   virtual ~Device();
 
   //! Initializes abstraction layer device object
   bool create();
 
-  //! Increment the reference count
-  uint retain() {
-    // Only increment the reference count of sub-devices
-    return !isRootDevice() ? RuntimeObject::retain() : 0u;
-  }
-
-  //! Decrement the reference count
-  uint release() {
-    // Only decrement the reference count of sub-devices
-    return !isRootDevice() ? RuntimeObject::release() : 0u;
-  }
-
   //! Register a device as available
   void registerDevice();
 
@@ -1561,30 +1549,6 @@ class Device : public RuntimeObject {
 
   //! Returns TRUE if the device is available for computations
   bool isOnline() const { return online_; }
-  //! Returns TRUE if the device is a root device (as opposed to sub-device)
-  bool isRootDevice() const { return parent_ == NULL; }
-  //! Returns TRUE if 'this' is an ancestor of the given sub-device.
-  bool isAncestor(const Device* sub) const;
-
-  //! Return the parent device.
-  Device* parent() const { return parent_; }
-
-  //! Return the root device for this instance;
-  Device& rootDevice() {
-    Device* root = this;
-    while (!root->isRootDevice()) {
-      root = root->parent_;
-    }
-    return *root;
-  }
-
-  const Device& rootDevice() const {
-    const Device* root = this;
-    while (!root->isRootDevice()) {
-      root = root->parent_;
-    }
-    return *root;
-  }
 
   //! Returns device settings
   const device::Settings& settings() const { return *settings_; }
@@ -1643,7 +1607,6 @@ class Device : public RuntimeObject {
 
   static std::vector<Device*>* devices_;  //!< All known devices
 
-  Device* parent_;                                    //!< This device's parent
   Monitor* vaCacheAccess_;                            //!< Lock to serialize VA caching access
   std::map<uintptr_t, device::Memory*>* vaCacheMap_;  //!< VA cache map
 };
diff --git a/rocclr/runtime/device/gpu/gpudevice.cpp b/rocclr/runtime/device/gpu/gpudevice.cpp
index 76b9aec392..2033f7bc99 100644
--- a/rocclr/runtime/device/gpu/gpudevice.cpp
+++ b/rocclr/runtime/device/gpu/gpudevice.cpp
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ aclCompiler* NullDevice::hsaCompiler_;
 AppProfile Device::appProfile_;
 
 NullDevice::NullDevice()
-    : amd::Device(NULL), calTarget_(static_cast<CALtarget>(0)), hwInfo_(NULL) {}
+    : amd::Device(), calTarget_(static_cast<CALtarget>(0)), hwInfo_(NULL) {}
 
 bool NullDevice::init() {
   std::vector<Device*> devices;
diff --git a/rocclr/runtime/device/pal/paldevice.cpp b/rocclr/runtime/device/pal/paldevice.cpp
index e0663d7cdc..1a37e2c2d7 100644
--- a/rocclr/runtime/device/pal/paldevice.cpp
+++ b/rocclr/runtime/device/pal/paldevice.cpp
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ NullDevice::Compiler* NullDevice::compiler_;
 AppProfile Device::appProfile_;
 
 NullDevice::NullDevice()
-    : amd::Device(nullptr), ipLevel_(Pal::GfxIpLevel::None), hwInfo_(nullptr) {}
+    : amd::Device(), ipLevel_(Pal::GfxIpLevel::None), hwInfo_(nullptr) {}
 
 bool NullDevice::init() {
   std::vector<Device*> devices;
diff --git a/rocclr/runtime/platform/context.cpp b/rocclr/runtime/platform/context.cpp
index 661558db61..71dfc28fac 100644
--- a/rocclr/runtime/platform/context.cpp
+++ b/rocclr/runtime/platform/context.cpp
@@ -315,9 +315,8 @@ void Context::svmFree(void* ptr) const {
 }
 
 bool Context::containsDevice(const Device* device) const {
-
   for (const auto& it : devices_) {
-    if (device == it || it->isAncestor(device)) {
+    if (device == it) {
       return true;
     }
   }
diff --git a/rocclr/runtime/platform/program.cpp b/rocclr/runtime/platform/program.cpp
index 8515cf3ada..055c351b07 100644
--- a/rocclr/runtime/platform/program.cpp
+++ b/rocclr/runtime/platform/program.cpp
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ cl_int Program::addDeviceProgram(Device& device, const void* image, size_t lengt
     return CL_INVALID_VALUE;
   }
 
-  Device& rootDev = device.rootDevice();
+  Device& rootDev = device;
 
   // if the rootDev is already associated with a program
   if (devicePrograms_[&rootDev] != NULL) {
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ cl_int Program::addDeviceProgram(Device& device, const void* image, size_t lengt
 }
 
 device::Program* Program::getDeviceProgram(const Device& device) const {
-  const auto it = devicePrograms_.find(&device.rootDevice());
+  const auto it = devicePrograms_.find(&device);
   if (it == devicePrograms_.cend()) {
     return NULL;
   }
@@ -613,20 +613,11 @@ bool Symbol::setDeviceKernel(const Device& device, const device::Kernel* func) {
 }
 
 const device::Kernel* Symbol::getDeviceKernel(const Device& device) const {
-  const devicekernels_t* devKernels = &deviceKernels_;
-  const auto itEnd = devKernels->cend();
-  auto it = devKernels->find(&device);
-  if (it != itEnd) {
+  auto it = deviceKernels_.find(&device);
+  if (it != deviceKernels_.cend()) {
     return it->second;
   }
-
-  for (it = devKernels->cbegin(); it != itEnd; ++it) {
-    if (it->first->isAncestor(&device)) {
-      return it->second;
-    }
-  }
-
-  return NULL;
+  return nullptr;
 }
 
 }  // namespace amd
diff --git a/rocclr/runtime/platform/program.hpp b/rocclr/runtime/platform/program.hpp
index b5b99aa181..dda488c90c 100644
--- a/rocclr/runtime/platform/program.hpp
+++ b/rocclr/runtime/platform/program.hpp
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ class Program : public RuntimeObject {
   const Symbol* findSymbol(const char* name) const;
 
   //! Return the binary image.
-  const binary_t& binary(const Device& device) { return binary_[&device.rootDevice()]; }
+  const binary_t& binary(const Device& device) { return binary_[&device]; }
 
   //! Return the program kernel names
   const std::string& kernelNames() const { return kernelNames_; }