diff --git a/src/emu/machine/eepromdev.c b/src/emu/machine/eepromdev.c
index f46f05129ad..a98a0fade10 100644
--- a/src/emu/machine/eepromdev.c
+++ b/src/emu/machine/eepromdev.c
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@
 #define SERIAL_BUFFER_LENGTH 40
 #define MEMORY_SIZE 1024
 
+/* FIXME: many drivers do not need default_data / default_data_size and put them to 0 in the drivers seems a waste of code */
+UINT8 *eeprom_empty_default_data = NULL;
+
 typedef struct _eeprom_state eeprom_state;
 struct _eeprom_state
 {
diff --git a/src/emu/machine/eepromdev.h b/src/emu/machine/eepromdev.h
index b1734d3c5f6..beb383d565c 100644
--- a/src/emu/machine/eepromdev.h
+++ b/src/emu/machine/eepromdev.h
@@ -53,6 +53,11 @@ DEVICE_GET_INFO(eeprom);
 	MDRV_DEVICE_CONFIG_DATAPTR(eeprom_config, default_data, &_data) \
 	MDRV_DEVICE_CONFIG_DATA32(eeprom_config, default_data_size, _size)
 
+/* FIXME: many drivers do not need default_data / default_data_size and put them to 0 in the drivers seems a waste of code */
+extern UINT8 *eeprom_empty_default_data;
+
+#define MDRV_EEPROM_NODEFAULT_ADD(_tag, _interface) \
+	MDRV_EEPROM_ADD(_tag, _interface, 0, eeprom_empty_default_data)
 
 void eepromdev_write_bit( const device_config *device, int bit );
 int eepromdev_read_bit( const device_config *device );