diff -urNad grub2-1.95+20080201~/include/grub/util/getroot.h grub2-1.95+20080201/include/grub/util/getroot.h
--- grub2-1.95+20080201~/include/grub/util/getroot.h	2008-01-12 16:11:56.000000000 +0100
+++ grub2-1.95+20080201/include/grub/util/getroot.h	2008-02-03 18:14:11.000000000 +0100
@@ -29,5 +29,6 @@
 char *grub_get_prefix (const char *dir);
 int grub_util_get_dev_abstraction (const char *os_dev);
 char *grub_util_get_grub_dev (const char *os_dev);
+char *grub_util_check_block_device (const char *blk_dev);
 
 #endif /* ! GRUB_UTIL_GETROOT_HEADER */
diff -urNad grub2-1.95+20080201~/util/getroot.c grub2-1.95+20080201/util/getroot.c
--- grub2-1.95+20080201~/util/getroot.c	2008-01-12 16:11:56.000000000 +0100
+++ grub2-1.95+20080201/util/getroot.c	2008-02-03 21:56:29.000000000 +0100
@@ -327,3 +327,17 @@
 
   return grub_dev;
 }
+
+char *
+grub_util_check_block_device (const char *blk_dev)
+{
+  struct stat st;
+
+  if (stat (blk_dev, &st) < 0)
+    grub_util_error ("Cannot stat `%s'", blk_dev);
+
+  if (S_ISBLK (st.st_mode))
+    return strdup(blk_dev);
+  else
+    return 0;
+}
diff -urNad grub2-1.95+20080201~/util/grub-probe.c grub2-1.95+20080201/util/grub-probe.c
--- grub2-1.95+20080201~/util/grub-probe.c	2008-01-25 23:33:57.000000000 +0100
+++ grub2-1.95+20080201/util/grub-probe.c	2008-02-03 19:30:50.000000000 +0100
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@
 };
 
 int print = PRINT_FS;
+unsigned int argument_is_device = 0;
 
 void
 grub_putchar (int c)
@@ -84,9 +85,18 @@
   int abstraction_type;
   grub_device_t dev = NULL;
   
-  device_name = grub_guess_root_device (path);
+  if (argument_is_device)
+    device_name = grub_util_check_block_device (path);
+  else
+    device_name = grub_guess_root_device (path);
+  
   if (! device_name)
-    grub_util_error ("cannot find a device for %s.\n", path);
+    {
+      if (argument_is_device)
+        grub_util_error ("%s is not a block device.\n", path);
+      else
+        grub_util_error ("cannot find a device for %s.\n", path);
+    }
 
   if (print == PRINT_DEVICE)
     {
@@ -201,6 +211,7 @@
 
 static struct option options[] =
   {
+    {"device", no_argument, 0, 'd'},
     {"device-map", required_argument, 0, 'm'},
     {"target", required_argument, 0, 't'},
     {"help", no_argument, 0, 'h'},
@@ -217,10 +228,11 @@
 	     "Try ``grub-probe --help'' for more information.\n");
   else
     printf ("\
-Usage: grub-probe [OPTION]... PATH\n\
+Usage: grub-probe [OPTION]... [PATH|DEVICE]\n\
 \n\
-Probe device information for a given path.\n\
+Probe device information for a given path or device.\n\
 \n\
+  -d, --device              given argument is a system device, not a path\n\
   -m, --device-map=FILE     use FILE as the device map [default=%s]\n\
   -t, --target=(fs|drive|device|partmap|abstraction)\n\
                             print filesystem module, GRUB drive, system device, partition map module or abstraction module [default=fs]\n\
@@ -246,13 +258,17 @@
   /* Check for options.  */
   while (1)
     {
-      int c = getopt_long (argc, argv, "m:t:hVv", options, 0);
+      int c = getopt_long (argc, argv, "dm:t:hVv", options, 0);
       
       if (c == -1)
 	break;
       else
 	switch (c)
 	  {
+	  case 'd':
+	    argument_is_device = 1;
+	    break;
+
 	  case 'm':
 	    if (dev_map)
 	      free (dev_map);