diff --git a/block.c b/block.c
index 308e7bacb4..2fd5482572 100644
--- a/block.c
+++ b/block.c
@@ -1109,10 +1109,6 @@ int bdrv_open_backing_file(BlockDriverState *bs, QDict *options, Error **errp)
  * Opens a disk image whose options are given as BlockdevRef in another block
  * device's options.
  *
- * If force_raw is true, bdrv_file_open() will be used, thereby preventing any
- * image format auto-detection. If it is false and a filename is given,
- * bdrv_open() will be used for auto-detection.
- *
  * If allow_none is true, no image will be opened if filename is false and no
  * BlockdevRef is given. *pbs will remain unchanged and 0 will be returned.
  *
@@ -1127,7 +1123,7 @@ int bdrv_open_backing_file(BlockDriverState *bs, QDict *options, Error **errp)
  */
 int bdrv_open_image(BlockDriverState **pbs, const char *filename,
                     QDict *options, const char *bdref_key, int flags,
-                    bool force_raw, bool allow_none, Error **errp)
+                    bool allow_none, Error **errp)
 {
     QDict *image_options;
     int ret;
@@ -1153,22 +1149,7 @@ int bdrv_open_image(BlockDriverState **pbs, const char *filename,
         goto done;
     }
 
-    if (filename && !force_raw) {
-        /* If a filename is given and the block driver should be detected
-           automatically (instead of using none), use bdrv_open() in order to do
-           that auto-detection. */
-        if (reference) {
-            error_setg(errp, "Cannot reference an existing block device while "
-                       "giving a filename");
-            ret = -EINVAL;
-            goto done;
-        }
-
-        ret = bdrv_open(pbs, filename, NULL, image_options, flags, NULL, errp);
-    } else {
-        ret = bdrv_open(pbs, filename, reference, image_options,
-                        flags | BDRV_O_PROTOCOL, NULL, errp);
-    }
+    ret = bdrv_open(pbs, filename, reference, image_options, flags, NULL, errp);
 
 done:
     qdict_del(options, bdref_key);
@@ -1330,8 +1311,8 @@ int bdrv_open(BlockDriverState **pbs, const char *filename,
 
     assert(file == NULL);
     ret = bdrv_open_image(&file, filename, options, "file",
-                          bdrv_open_flags(bs, flags | BDRV_O_UNMAP), true, true,
-                          &local_err);
+                          bdrv_open_flags(bs, flags | BDRV_O_UNMAP) |
+                          BDRV_O_PROTOCOL, true, &local_err);
     if (ret < 0) {
         goto fail;
     }
diff --git a/block/blkdebug.c b/block/blkdebug.c
index 46bd086da9..380c736101 100644
--- a/block/blkdebug.c
+++ b/block/blkdebug.c
@@ -412,7 +412,7 @@ static int blkdebug_open(BlockDriverState *bs, QDict *options, int flags,
     /* Open the backing file */
     assert(bs->file == NULL);
     ret = bdrv_open_image(&bs->file, qemu_opt_get(opts, "x-image"), options, "image",
-                          flags, true, false, &local_err);
+                          flags | BDRV_O_PROTOCOL, false, &local_err);
     if (ret < 0) {
         error_propagate(errp, local_err);
         goto out;
diff --git a/block/blkverify.c b/block/blkverify.c
index 7d8a32ec79..0e28502e8e 100644
--- a/block/blkverify.c
+++ b/block/blkverify.c
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ static int blkverify_open(BlockDriverState *bs, QDict *options, int flags,
     /* Open the raw file */
     assert(bs->file == NULL);
     ret = bdrv_open_image(&bs->file, qemu_opt_get(opts, "x-raw"), options,
-                          "raw", flags, true, false, &local_err);
+                          "raw", flags | BDRV_O_PROTOCOL, false, &local_err);
     if (ret < 0) {
         error_propagate(errp, local_err);
         goto fail;
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ static int blkverify_open(BlockDriverState *bs, QDict *options, int flags,
     /* Open the test file */
     assert(s->test_file == NULL);
     ret = bdrv_open_image(&s->test_file, qemu_opt_get(opts, "x-image"), options,
-                          "test", flags, false, false, &local_err);
+                          "test", flags, false, &local_err);
     if (ret < 0) {
         error_propagate(errp, local_err);
         s->test_file = NULL;
diff --git a/include/block/block.h b/include/block/block.h
index bf78db5ada..780f48b7b3 100644
--- a/include/block/block.h
+++ b/include/block/block.h
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ int bdrv_parse_cache_flags(const char *mode, int *flags);
 int bdrv_parse_discard_flags(const char *mode, int *flags);
 int bdrv_open_image(BlockDriverState **pbs, const char *filename,
                     QDict *options, const char *bdref_key, int flags,
-                    bool force_raw, bool allow_none, Error **errp);
+                    bool allow_none, Error **errp);
 int bdrv_open_backing_file(BlockDriverState *bs, QDict *options, Error **errp);
 int bdrv_open(BlockDriverState **pbs, const char *filename,
               const char *reference, QDict *options, int flags,