diff --git a/src/include/device_tree.h b/src/include/device_tree.h
index 8280dad077..6eaeacd6f0 100644
--- a/src/include/device_tree.h
+++ b/src/include/device_tree.h
@@ -142,10 +142,10 @@ struct device_tree_node *dt_find_node(struct device_tree_node *parent, const cha
 			     u32 *addrcp, u32 *sizecp, int create);
 struct device_tree_node *dt_find_node_by_phandle(struct device_tree_node *root,
 						 uint32_t phandle);
-// Look up or create a node relative to a parent node, through its path
+// Look up or create a node in the tree, through its path
 // represented as a string of '/' separated node names.
-struct device_tree_node *dt_find_node_by_path(struct device_tree_node *parent, const char *path,
-				     u32 *addrcp, u32 *sizecp, int create);
+struct device_tree_node *dt_find_node_by_path(struct device_tree *tree,
+			const char *path, u32 *addrcp, u32 *sizecp, int create);
 // Look up a node relative to a parent node, through its compatible string.
 struct device_tree_node *dt_find_compat(struct device_tree_node *parent, const char *compatible);
 // Look up the next child of a parent node, through its compatible string. It
diff --git a/src/lib/device_tree.c b/src/lib/device_tree.c
index 44eca4e2a8..3e1dd3580c 100644
--- a/src/lib/device_tree.c
+++ b/src/lib/device_tree.c
@@ -552,9 +552,9 @@ struct device_tree_node *dt_find_node(struct device_tree_node *parent,
 }
 
 /*
- * Find a node from a string device tree path, relative to a parent node.
+ * Find a node in the tree from a string device tree path.
  *
- * @param parent	The node from which to start the relative path lookup.
+ * @param tree		The device tree to search.
  * @param path          A string representing a path in the device tree, with
  *			nodes separated by '/'. Example: "soc/firmware/coreboot"
  * @param addrcp	Pointer that will be updated with any #address-cells
@@ -567,7 +567,7 @@ struct device_tree_node *dt_find_node(struct device_tree_node *parent,
  * It is the caller responsibility to provide the correct path string, namely
  * not starting or ending with a '/', and not having "//" anywhere in it.
  */
-struct device_tree_node *dt_find_node_by_path(struct device_tree_node *parent,
+struct device_tree_node *dt_find_node_by_path(struct device_tree *tree,
 					      const char *path, u32 *addrcp,
 					      u32 *sizecp, int create)
 {
@@ -595,7 +595,7 @@ struct device_tree_node *dt_find_node_by_path(struct device_tree_node *parent,
 
 	if (!next_slash) {
 		path_array[i] = NULL;
-		node = dt_find_node(parent, path_array,
+		node = dt_find_node(tree->root, path_array,
 				    addrcp, sizecp, create);
 	}
 
@@ -965,7 +965,7 @@ int dt_set_bin_prop_by_path(struct device_tree *tree, const char *path,
 
 	*prop_name++ = '\0'; /* Separate path from the property name. */
 
-	dt_node = dt_find_node_by_path(tree->root, path_copy, NULL,
+	dt_node = dt_find_node_by_path(tree, path_copy, NULL,
 				       NULL, create);
 
 	if (!dt_node) {
@@ -995,7 +995,7 @@ struct device_tree_node *dt_init_reserved_memory_node(struct device_tree *tree)
 	struct device_tree_node *reserved;
 	u32 addr = 0, size = 0;
 
-	reserved = dt_find_node_by_path(tree->root, "reserved-memory", &addr,
+	reserved = dt_find_node_by_path(tree, "reserved-memory", &addr,
 					&size, 1);
 	if (!reserved)
 		return NULL;
diff --git a/src/soc/cavium/cn81xx/soc.c b/src/soc/cavium/cn81xx/soc.c
index 05007493df..20542e5fa2 100644
--- a/src/soc/cavium/cn81xx/soc.c
+++ b/src/soc/cavium/cn81xx/soc.c
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ static int dt_platform_fixup(struct device_tree_fixup *fixup,
 	size_t i;
 
 	/* Set the sclk clock rate. */
-	dt_node = dt_find_node_by_path(tree->root, "soc@0/sclk", NULL, NULL, 0);
+	dt_node = dt_find_node_by_path(tree, "soc@0/sclk", NULL, NULL, 0);
 	if (dt_node) {
 		const u32 freq = thunderx_get_io_clock();
 		printk(BIOS_INFO, "%s: Set SCLK to %u Hz\n", __func__, freq);
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ static int dt_platform_fixup(struct device_tree_fixup *fixup,
 		       __func__);
 
 	/* Set refclkuaa clock rate. */
-	dt_node = dt_find_node_by_path(tree->root, "soc@0/refclkuaa", NULL,
+	dt_node = dt_find_node_by_path(tree, "soc@0/refclkuaa", NULL,
 				       NULL, 0);
 	if (dt_node) {
 		const u32 freq = uart_platform_refclk();
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ static int dt_platform_fixup(struct device_tree_fixup *fixup,
 		const uint64_t addr = UAAx_PF_BAR0(i);
 		/* Remove the node */
 		snprintf(path, sizeof(path), "soc@0/serial@%llx", addr);
-		dt_node = dt_find_node_by_path(tree->root, path, NULL, NULL, 0);
+		dt_node = dt_find_node_by_path(tree, path, NULL, NULL, 0);
 		if (!dt_node || uart_is_enabled(i)) {
 			printk(BIOS_INFO, "%s: ignoring %s\n", __func__, path);
 			continue;
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ static int dt_platform_fixup(struct device_tree_fixup *fixup,
 		const uint64_t addr = PEM_PEMX_PF_BAR0(i);
 		/* Remove the node */
 		snprintf(path, sizeof(path), "soc@0/pci@%llx", addr);
-		dt_node = dt_find_node_by_path(tree->root, path, NULL, NULL, 0);
+		dt_node = dt_find_node_by_path(tree, path, NULL, NULL, 0);
 		if (!dt_node || bdk_pcie_is_running(0, i)) {
 			printk(BIOS_INFO, "%s: ignoring %s\n", __func__, path);
 			continue;
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ static int dt_platform_fixup(struct device_tree_fixup *fixup,
 
 		/* Remove phandle to non existing nodes */
 		snprintf(path, sizeof(path), "soc@0/smmu0@%llx", SMMU_PF_BAR0);
-		dt_node = dt_find_node_by_path(tree->root, path, NULL, NULL, 0);
+		dt_node = dt_find_node_by_path(tree, path, NULL, NULL, 0);
 		if (!dt_node) {
 			printk(BIOS_ERR, "%s: SMMU entry not found\n",
 			       __func__);