diff --git a/drivers/p4runtime/src/main/java/org/onosproject/drivers/p4runtime/AbstractP4RuntimePipelineProgrammable.java b/drivers/p4runtime/src/main/java/org/onosproject/drivers/p4runtime/AbstractP4RuntimePipelineProgrammable.java
index 9b700ca..bc162b2 100644
--- a/drivers/p4runtime/src/main/java/org/onosproject/drivers/p4runtime/AbstractP4RuntimePipelineProgrammable.java
+++ b/drivers/p4runtime/src/main/java/org/onosproject/drivers/p4runtime/AbstractP4RuntimePipelineProgrammable.java
@@ -65,13 +65,7 @@
             return completedFuture(false);
         }
 
-        final ByteBuffer deviceDataBuffer = createDeviceDataBuffer(pipeconf);
-        if (deviceDataBuffer == null) {
-            // Hopefully the child class logged the problem.
-            return completedFuture(false);
-        }
-
-        return client.isPipelineConfigSet(p4DeviceId, pipeconf, deviceDataBuffer);
+        return client.isPipelineConfigSet(p4DeviceId, pipeconf);
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/protocols/p4runtime/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/p4runtime/api/P4RuntimePipelineConfigClient.java b/protocols/p4runtime/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/p4runtime/api/P4RuntimePipelineConfigClient.java
index 2d9cb94..cc4b9e1 100644
--- a/protocols/p4runtime/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/p4runtime/api/P4RuntimePipelineConfigClient.java
+++ b/protocols/p4runtime/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/p4runtime/api/P4RuntimePipelineConfigClient.java
@@ -74,26 +74,24 @@
      *
      * @param p4DeviceId P4Runtime-internal device ID
      * @param pipeconf   pipeconf
-     * @param deviceData target-specific data
      * @return completable future, true if the device has the given pipeconf
      * set, false otherwise.
      */
     CompletableFuture<Boolean> isPipelineConfigSet(
-            long p4DeviceId, PiPipeconf pipeconf, ByteBuffer deviceData);
+            long p4DeviceId, PiPipeconf pipeconf);
 
     /**
-     * Same as {@link #isPipelineConfigSet(long, PiPipeconf, ByteBuffer)} but
-     * blocks execution.
+     * Same as {@link #isPipelineConfigSet(long, PiPipeconf)} but blocks
+     * execution.
      *
      * @param p4DeviceId P4Runtime-internal device ID
      * @param pipeconf   pipeconf
-     * @param deviceData target-specific data
      * @return true if the device has the given pipeconf set, false otherwise.
      */
     default boolean isPipelineConfigSetSync(
-            long p4DeviceId, PiPipeconf pipeconf, ByteBuffer deviceData) {
+            long p4DeviceId, PiPipeconf pipeconf) {
         return Futures.getUnchecked(isPipelineConfigSet(
-                p4DeviceId, pipeconf, deviceData));
+                p4DeviceId, pipeconf));
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/protocols/p4runtime/ctl/src/main/java/org/onosproject/p4runtime/ctl/client/P4RuntimeClientImpl.java b/protocols/p4runtime/ctl/src/main/java/org/onosproject/p4runtime/ctl/client/P4RuntimeClientImpl.java
index 653fcfd..fdf5a94 100644
--- a/protocols/p4runtime/ctl/src/main/java/org/onosproject/p4runtime/ctl/client/P4RuntimeClientImpl.java
+++ b/protocols/p4runtime/ctl/src/main/java/org/onosproject/p4runtime/ctl/client/P4RuntimeClientImpl.java
@@ -113,8 +113,8 @@
 
     @Override
     public CompletableFuture<Boolean> isPipelineConfigSet(
-            long p4DeviceId, PiPipeconf pipeconf, ByteBuffer deviceData) {
-        return pipelineConfigClient.isPipelineConfigSet(p4DeviceId, pipeconf, deviceData);
+            long p4DeviceId, PiPipeconf pipeconf) {
+        return pipelineConfigClient.isPipelineConfigSet(p4DeviceId, pipeconf);
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/protocols/p4runtime/ctl/src/main/java/org/onosproject/p4runtime/ctl/client/PipelineConfigClientImpl.java b/protocols/p4runtime/ctl/src/main/java/org/onosproject/p4runtime/ctl/client/PipelineConfigClientImpl.java
index 1dffc9c..f9aa5e7 100644
--- a/protocols/p4runtime/ctl/src/main/java/org/onosproject/p4runtime/ctl/client/PipelineConfigClientImpl.java
+++ b/protocols/p4runtime/ctl/src/main/java/org/onosproject/p4runtime/ctl/client/PipelineConfigClientImpl.java
@@ -146,7 +146,9 @@
                 .newBuilder()
                 .setExtras(P4Config.P4DeviceConfig.Extras.getDefaultInstance())
                 .setReassign(true)
-                .setDeviceData(ByteString.copyFrom(deviceData))
+                .setDeviceData(deviceData != null
+                                       ? ByteString.copyFrom(deviceData)
+                                       : ByteString.EMPTY)
                 .build();
         return ForwardingPipelineConfig
                 .newBuilder()
@@ -159,10 +161,10 @@
 
     @Override
     public CompletableFuture<Boolean> isPipelineConfigSet(
-            long p4DeviceId, PiPipeconf pipeconf, ByteBuffer expectedDeviceData) {
+            long p4DeviceId, PiPipeconf pipeconf) {
         return getPipelineCookieFromServer(p4DeviceId)
                 .thenApply(cfgFromDevice -> comparePipelineConfig(
-                        pipeconf, expectedDeviceData, cfgFromDevice));
+                        pipeconf, cfgFromDevice));
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -171,14 +173,13 @@
     }
 
     private boolean comparePipelineConfig(
-            PiPipeconf pipeconf, ByteBuffer expectedDeviceData,
-            ForwardingPipelineConfig cfgFromDevice) {
+            PiPipeconf pipeconf, ForwardingPipelineConfig cfgFromDevice) {
         if (cfgFromDevice == null) {
             return false;
         }
 
         final ForwardingPipelineConfig expectedCfg = buildForwardingPipelineConfigMsg(
-                pipeconf, expectedDeviceData);
+                pipeconf, null);
         if (expectedCfg == null) {
             return false;
         }
@@ -190,25 +191,11 @@
         // No cookie.
         log.warn("{} returned GetForwardingPipelineConfigResponse " +
                          "with 'cookie' field unset. " +
-                         "Will try by comparing 'device_data' and 'p4_info'...",
+                         "Will try by comparing 'p4_info'...",
                  client.deviceId());
 
-        if (cfgFromDevice.getP4DeviceConfig().isEmpty()
-                && !expectedCfg.getP4DeviceConfig().isEmpty()) {
-            // Don't bother with a warn or error since we don't really allow
-            // updating the P4 blob to a different one without changing the
-            // P4Info. I.e, comparing just the P4Info should be enough for us.
-            log.debug("{} returned GetForwardingPipelineConfigResponse " +
-                              "with empty 'p4_device_config' field, " +
-                              "equality will be based only on P4Info",
-                      client.deviceId());
-            return cfgFromDevice.getP4Info().equals(expectedCfg.getP4Info());
-        }
-
-        return cfgFromDevice.getP4DeviceConfig()
-                .equals(expectedCfg.getP4DeviceConfig())
-                && cfgFromDevice.getP4Info()
-                .equals(expectedCfg.getP4Info());
+        return cfgFromDevice.hasP4Info() && expectedCfg.hasP4Info() &&
+                cfgFromDevice.getP4Info().equals(expectedCfg.getP4Info());
     }
 
     private CompletableFuture<ForwardingPipelineConfig> getPipelineCookieFromServer(