diff --git a/src/emu/devcpu.h b/src/emu/devcpu.h
index d361127bb40..fd15e54d485 100644
--- a/src/emu/devcpu.h
+++ b/src/emu/devcpu.h
@@ -189,12 +189,16 @@ enum
 #define MCFG_CPU_DATA_MAP MCFG_DEVICE_DATA_MAP
 #define MCFG_CPU_IO_MAP MCFG_DEVICE_IO_MAP
 
+// legacy
 #define MCFG_CPU_VBLANK_INT MCFG_DEVICE_VBLANK_INT
 #define MCFG_CPU_PERIODIC_INT MCFG_DEVICE_PERIODIC_INT
 
 #define MCFG_CPU_VBLANK_INT_DRIVER MCFG_DEVICE_VBLANK_INT_DRIVER
 #define MCFG_CPU_PERIODIC_INT_DRIVER MCFG_DEVICE_PERIODIC_INT_DRIVER
 
+#define MCFG_CPU_VBLANK_INT_REMOVE MCFG_DEVICE_VBLANK_INT_REMOVE
+#define MCFG_CPU_PERIODIC_INT_REMOVE MCFG_DEVICE_PERIODIC_INT_REMOVE
+
 
 //**************************************************************************
 //  MACROS
diff --git a/src/emu/diexec.c b/src/emu/diexec.c
index ed0321d0465..480a0096b2d 100644
--- a/src/emu/diexec.c
+++ b/src/emu/diexec.c
@@ -151,6 +151,20 @@ void device_execute_interface::static_set_vblank_int(device_t &device, device_in
 	exec->m_vblank_interrupt_screen = tag;
 }
 
+//-------------------------------------------------
+//  static_remove_vblank_int - configuration helper
+//  to remove VBLANK interrupts from the device
+//-------------------------------------------------
+
+void device_execute_interface::static_remove_vblank_int(device_t &device)
+{
+	device_execute_interface *exec;
+	if (!device.interface(exec))
+		throw emu_fatalerror("MCFG_DEVICE_VBLANK_INT_REMOVE called on device '%s' with no execute interface", device.tag());
+	exec->m_vblank_interrupt = device_interrupt_delegate();
+	exec->m_vblank_interrupt_legacy = NULL;
+	exec->m_vblank_interrupt_screen = NULL;
+}
 
 //-------------------------------------------------
 //  static_set_periodic_int - configuration helper
@@ -176,6 +190,21 @@ void device_execute_interface::static_set_periodic_int(device_t &device, device_
 	exec->m_timed_interrupt_period = rate;
 }
 
+//-------------------------------------------------
+//  static_remove_periodic_int - configuration helper
+//  to remove periodic interrupts from the device
+//-------------------------------------------------
+
+void device_execute_interface::static_remove_periodic_int(device_t &device)
+{
+	device_execute_interface *exec;
+	if (!device.interface(exec))
+		throw emu_fatalerror("MCFG_DEVICE_PERIODIC_INT_REMOVE called on device '%s' with no execute interface", device.tag());
+	exec->m_timed_interrupt = device_interrupt_delegate();
+	exec->m_timed_interrupt_legacy = NULL;
+	exec->m_timed_interrupt_period = attotime();
+}
+
 
 //-------------------------------------------------
 //  executing - return true if this device is
diff --git a/src/emu/diexec.h b/src/emu/diexec.h
index ee4d425c80a..5c851f21e7a 100644
--- a/src/emu/diexec.h
+++ b/src/emu/diexec.h
@@ -116,18 +116,24 @@ enum
 
 #define MCFG_DEVICE_DISABLE() \
 	device_execute_interface::static_set_disable(*device);
+// legacy
 #define MCFG_DEVICE_VBLANK_INT(_tag, _func) \
 	device_execute_interface::static_set_vblank_int(*device, _func, _tag);
 #define MCFG_DEVICE_VBLANK_INT_DRIVER(_tag, _class, _func) \
 	device_execute_interface::static_set_vblank_int(*device, device_interrupt_delegate(&_class::_func, #_class "::" #_func, DEVICE_SELF, (_class *)0), _tag);
 #define MCFG_DEVICE_VBLANK_INT_DEVICE(_tag, _devtag, _class, _func) \
 	device_execute_interface::static_set_vblank_int(*device, device_interrupt_delegate(&_class::_func, #_class "::" #_func, _devtag, (_class *)0), _tag);
+#define MCFG_DEVICE_VBLANK_INT_REMOVE()  \
+	device_execute_interface::static_remove_vblank_int(*device);
+// legacy
 #define MCFG_DEVICE_PERIODIC_INT(_func, _rate)  \
 	device_execute_interface::static_set_periodic_int(*device, _func, attotime::from_hz(_rate));
 #define MCFG_DEVICE_PERIODIC_INT_DRIVER(_class, _func, _rate) \
 	device_execute_interface::static_set_periodic_int(*device, device_interrupt_delegate(&_class::_func, #_class "::" #_func, DEVICE_SELF, (_class *)0), attotime::from_hz(_rate));
 #define MCFG_DEVICE_PERIODIC_INT_DEVICE(_devtag, _class, _func, _rate) \
 	device_execute_interface::static_set_periodic_int(*device, device_interrupt_delegate(&_class::_func, #_class "::" #_func, _devtag, (_class *)0), attotime::from_hz(_rate));
+#define MCFG_DEVICE_PERIODIC_INT_REMOVE()  \
+	device_execute_interface::static_remove_periodic_int(*device);
 
 
 //**************************************************************************
@@ -176,8 +182,10 @@ public:
 	static void static_set_disable(device_t &device);
 	static void static_set_vblank_int(device_t &device, device_interrupt_func function, const char *tag, int rate = 0); // legacy
 	static void static_set_vblank_int(device_t &device, device_interrupt_delegate function, const char *tag, int rate = 0);
+	static void static_remove_vblank_int(device_t &device);
 	static void static_set_periodic_int(device_t &device, device_interrupt_func function, attotime rate); // legacy
 	static void static_set_periodic_int(device_t &device, device_interrupt_delegate function, attotime rate);
+	static void static_remove_periodic_int(device_t &device);
 
 	// execution management
 	bool executing() const;
diff --git a/src/mame/drivers/dacholer.c b/src/mame/drivers/dacholer.c
index 315bfe8780d..6d4afbd2a66 100644
--- a/src/mame/drivers/dacholer.c
+++ b/src/mame/drivers/dacholer.c
@@ -696,7 +696,7 @@ static MACHINE_CONFIG_DERIVED( itaten, dacholer )
 	MCFG_CPU_MODIFY("audiocpu")
 	MCFG_CPU_PROGRAM_MAP(itaten_snd_map)
 	MCFG_CPU_IO_MAP(itaten_snd_io_map)
-	MCFG_CPU_VBLANK_INT(NULL,NULL)
+	MCFG_CPU_VBLANK_INT_REMOVE()
 
 	MCFG_GFXDECODE(itaten)
 
diff --git a/src/mame/drivers/segas18.c b/src/mame/drivers/segas18.c
index 0f519f9e653..1080cca20de 100644
--- a/src/mame/drivers/segas18.c
+++ b/src/mame/drivers/segas18.c
@@ -1303,7 +1303,7 @@ MACHINE_CONFIG_END
 
 static MACHINE_CONFIG_DERIVED( system18_fd1094_i8751, system18_fd1094 )
 	MCFG_CPU_MODIFY("maincpu")
-	MCFG_CPU_VBLANK_INT(NULL, NULL)
+	MCFG_CPU_VBLANK_INT_REMOVE()
 
 	MCFG_CPU_ADD("mcu", I8751, 8000000)
 	MCFG_CPU_IO_MAP(mcu_io_map)
diff --git a/src/mame/drivers/system1.c b/src/mame/drivers/system1.c
index 8fc9fe5ea5a..f865618fb50 100644
--- a/src/mame/drivers/system1.c
+++ b/src/mame/drivers/system1.c
@@ -2156,7 +2156,7 @@ static MACHINE_CONFIG_START( sys1ppi, system1_state )
 	MCFG_CPU_ADD("maincpu", Z80, MASTER_CLOCK)  /* not really, see notes above */
 	MCFG_CPU_PROGRAM_MAP(system1_map)
 	MCFG_CPU_IO_MAP(system1_ppi_io_map)
-	MCFG_CPU_VBLANK_INT_DRIVER("screen", system1_state,  irq0_line_hold)
+	MCFG_CPU_VBLANK_INT_DRIVER("screen", system1_state, irq0_line_hold)
 
 	MCFG_CPU_ADD("soundcpu", Z80, SOUND_CLOCK/2)
 	MCFG_CPU_PROGRAM_MAP(sound_map)
@@ -2225,11 +2225,11 @@ static MACHINE_CONFIG_FRAGMENT( mcu )
 
 	/* basic machine hardware */
 	MCFG_CPU_MODIFY("maincpu")
-	MCFG_CPU_VBLANK_INT(NULL, NULL)
+	MCFG_CPU_VBLANK_INT_REMOVE()
 
 	MCFG_CPU_ADD("mcu", I8751, SOUND_CLOCK)
 	MCFG_CPU_IO_MAP(mcu_io_map)
-	MCFG_CPU_VBLANK_INT_DRIVER("screen", system1_state,  mcu_irq_assert)
+	MCFG_CPU_VBLANK_INT_DRIVER("screen", system1_state, mcu_irq_assert)
 
 	MCFG_TIMER_DRIVER_ADD_PERIODIC("mcu_t0", system1_state, mcu_t0_callback, attotime::from_usec(2500))
 MACHINE_CONFIG_END