diff --git a/backends/tpm.c b/backends/tpm.c
index dc750d48c9..34e82085ec 100644
--- a/backends/tpm.c
+++ b/backends/tpm.c
@@ -25,13 +25,12 @@ static void tpm_backend_worker_thread(gpointer data, gpointer user_data)
     TPMBackendClass *k  = TPM_BACKEND_GET_CLASS(s);
 
     assert(k->handle_request != NULL);
-    k->handle_request(s, (TPMBackendCmd)data);
+    k->handle_request(s);
 }
 
 static void tpm_backend_thread_end(TPMBackend *s)
 {
     if (s->thread_pool) {
-        g_thread_pool_push(s->thread_pool, (gpointer)TPM_BACKEND_CMD_END, NULL);
         g_thread_pool_free(s->thread_pool, FALSE, TRUE);
         s->thread_pool = NULL;
     }
@@ -64,7 +63,6 @@ int tpm_backend_startup_tpm(TPMBackend *s)
 
     s->thread_pool = g_thread_pool_new(tpm_backend_worker_thread, s, 1, TRUE,
                                        NULL);
-    g_thread_pool_push(s->thread_pool, (gpointer)TPM_BACKEND_CMD_INIT, NULL);
 
     res = k->startup_tpm ? k->startup_tpm(s) : 0;
 
@@ -80,8 +78,7 @@ bool tpm_backend_had_startup_error(TPMBackend *s)
 
 void tpm_backend_deliver_request(TPMBackend *s)
 {
-    g_thread_pool_push(s->thread_pool, (gpointer)TPM_BACKEND_CMD_PROCESS_CMD,
-                       NULL);
+    g_thread_pool_push(s->thread_pool, NULL, NULL);
 }
 
 void tpm_backend_reset(TPMBackend *s)
diff --git a/hw/tpm/tpm_emulator.c b/hw/tpm/tpm_emulator.c
index 03ea5845db..a6763e8ea2 100644
--- a/hw/tpm/tpm_emulator.c
+++ b/hw/tpm/tpm_emulator.c
@@ -172,39 +172,29 @@ static int tpm_emulator_set_locality(TPMEmulator *tpm_emu, uint8_t locty_number)
     return 0;
 }
 
-static void tpm_emulator_handle_request(TPMBackend *tb, TPMBackendCmd cmd)
+static void tpm_emulator_handle_request(TPMBackend *tb)
 {
     TPMEmulator *tpm_emu = TPM_EMULATOR(tb);
     TPMLocality *locty = NULL;
     bool selftest_done = false;
     Error *err = NULL;
 
-    DPRINTF("processing command type %d", cmd);
+    DPRINTF("processing TPM command");
 
-    switch (cmd) {
-    case TPM_BACKEND_CMD_PROCESS_CMD:
-        locty = tb->tpm_state->locty_data;
-        if (tpm_emulator_set_locality(tpm_emu,
-                                      tb->tpm_state->locty_number) < 0 ||
-            tpm_emulator_unix_tx_bufs(tpm_emu, locty->w_buffer.buffer,
-                                      locty->w_offset, locty->r_buffer.buffer,
-                                      locty->r_buffer.size, &selftest_done,
-                                      &err) < 0) {
-            tpm_util_write_fatal_error_response(locty->r_buffer.buffer,
-                                                locty->r_buffer.size);
-            error_report_err(err);
-        }
-
-        tb->recv_data_callback(tb->tpm_state, tb->tpm_state->locty_number,
-                               selftest_done);
-
-        break;
-    case TPM_BACKEND_CMD_INIT:
-    case TPM_BACKEND_CMD_END:
-    case TPM_BACKEND_CMD_TPM_RESET:
-        /* nothing to do */
-        break;
+    locty = tb->tpm_state->locty_data;
+    if (tpm_emulator_set_locality(tpm_emu,
+                                  tb->tpm_state->locty_number) < 0 ||
+        tpm_emulator_unix_tx_bufs(tpm_emu, locty->w_buffer.buffer,
+                                  locty->w_offset, locty->r_buffer.buffer,
+                                  locty->r_buffer.size, &selftest_done,
+                                  &err) < 0) {
+        tpm_util_write_fatal_error_response(locty->r_buffer.buffer,
+                                            locty->r_buffer.size);
+        error_report_err(err);
     }
+
+    tb->recv_data_callback(tb->tpm_state, tb->tpm_state->locty_number,
+                           selftest_done);
 }
 
 static int tpm_emulator_probe_caps(TPMEmulator *tpm_emu)
diff --git a/hw/tpm/tpm_passthrough.c b/hw/tpm/tpm_passthrough.c
index d9da99bc8e..5cd988e8a4 100644
--- a/hw/tpm/tpm_passthrough.c
+++ b/hw/tpm/tpm_passthrough.c
@@ -149,29 +149,20 @@ static int tpm_passthrough_unix_transfer(TPMPassthruState *tpm_pt,
                                         selftest_done);
 }
 
-static void tpm_passthrough_handle_request(TPMBackend *tb, TPMBackendCmd cmd)
+static void tpm_passthrough_handle_request(TPMBackend *tb)
 {
     TPMPassthruState *tpm_pt = TPM_PASSTHROUGH(tb);
     bool selftest_done = false;
 
-    DPRINTF("tpm_passthrough: processing command type %d\n", cmd);
+    DPRINTF("tpm_passthrough: processing command\n");
 
-    switch (cmd) {
-    case TPM_BACKEND_CMD_PROCESS_CMD:
-        tpm_passthrough_unix_transfer(tpm_pt,
-                                      tb->tpm_state->locty_data,
-                                      &selftest_done);
+    tpm_passthrough_unix_transfer(tpm_pt,
+                                  tb->tpm_state->locty_data,
+                                  &selftest_done);
 
-        tb->recv_data_callback(tb->tpm_state,
-                               tb->tpm_state->locty_number,
-                               selftest_done);
-        break;
-    case TPM_BACKEND_CMD_INIT:
-    case TPM_BACKEND_CMD_END:
-    case TPM_BACKEND_CMD_TPM_RESET:
-        /* nothing to do */
-        break;
-    }
+    tb->recv_data_callback(tb->tpm_state,
+                           tb->tpm_state->locty_number,
+                           selftest_done);
 }
 
 static void tpm_passthrough_reset(TPMBackend *tb)
diff --git a/include/sysemu/tpm_backend.h b/include/sysemu/tpm_backend.h
index b08f985500..7d7ebfc21d 100644
--- a/include/sysemu/tpm_backend.h
+++ b/include/sysemu/tpm_backend.h
@@ -32,13 +32,6 @@ typedef struct TPMBackend TPMBackend;
 
 typedef void (TPMRecvDataCB)(TPMState *, uint8_t locty, bool selftest_done);
 
-typedef enum TPMBackendCmd {
-    TPM_BACKEND_CMD_INIT = 1,
-    TPM_BACKEND_CMD_PROCESS_CMD,
-    TPM_BACKEND_CMD_END,
-    TPM_BACKEND_CMD_TPM_RESET,
-} TPMBackendCmd;
-
 struct TPMBackend {
     Object parent;
 
@@ -83,7 +76,7 @@ struct TPMBackendClass {
 
     void (*opened)(TPMBackend *s, Error **errp);
 
-    void (*handle_request)(TPMBackend *s, TPMBackendCmd cmd);
+    void (*handle_request)(TPMBackend *s);
 };
 
 /**