diff --git a/src/devices/networkWrappers/RobotDescriptionServer/RobotDescriptionServer.cpp b/src/devices/networkWrappers/RobotDescriptionServer/RobotDescriptionServer.cpp
index fc104233433..40bbe3cb860 100644
--- a/src/devices/networkWrappers/RobotDescriptionServer/RobotDescriptionServer.cpp
+++ b/src/devices/networkWrappers/RobotDescriptionServer/RobotDescriptionServer.cpp
@@ -51,12 +51,12 @@ bool RobotDescriptionServer::attachAll(const PolyDriverList &p)
     std::lock_guard<std::mutex> guard(m_external_mutex);
     for (int i = 0; i < p.size(); i++)
     {
-        yCTrace(ROBOTDESCRIPTIONSERVER) << p[i]->poly->getOptions().toString();
-        yCTrace(ROBOTDESCRIPTIONSERVER) << p[i]->poly->getValue("device").toString();
-        yCTrace(ROBOTDESCRIPTIONSERVER) << p[i]->poly->getValue("name").toString();
         DeviceDescription dev;
-        dev.device_name = p[i]->poly->getValue("name").toString();
-        dev.device_type = p[i]->poly->getValue("device").toString();
+
+        //BROKEN HERE. TO BE REIMPLEMENTED
+        //dev.device_name = p[i]->poly->getValue("name").toString();
+        //dev.device_type = p[i]->poly->getValue("device").toString();
+
         if (this->add_device(dev) == false)
         {
             yCError(ROBOTDESCRIPTIONSERVER) << "attachAll(): Something strange happened here";
diff --git a/src/libYARP_dev/src/yarp/dev/Drivers.cpp b/src/libYARP_dev/src/yarp/dev/Drivers.cpp
index 51f7a89317e..711d3d3401c 100644
--- a/src/libYARP_dev/src/yarp/dev/Drivers.cpp
+++ b/src/libYARP_dev/src/yarp/dev/Drivers.cpp
@@ -329,44 +329,6 @@ static void toDox(PolyDriver& dd) {
     yCIDebug(DRIVERS, dd.id(), "===============================================================");
     yCIDebug(DRIVERS, dd.id(), "== Options checked by device:");
     yCIDebug(DRIVERS, dd.id(), "==");
-    Bottle order = dd.getOptions();
-    for (size_t i=0; i<order.size(); i++) {
-        std::string name = order.get(i).toString();
-        if (name=="wrapped"||(name.find(".wrapped")!=std::string::npos)) {
-            continue;
-        }
-        std::string desc = dd.getComment(name.c_str());
-        Value def = dd.getDefaultValue(name.c_str());
-        Value actual = dd.getValue(name.c_str());
-        std::string out;
-        out += name;
-        if (!actual.isNull()) {
-            if (!actual.toString().empty()) {
-                out += "=";
-                if (actual.toString().length()<40) {
-                    out += actual.toString();
-                } else {
-                    out += "(value too long)";
-                }
-            }
-        }
-        if (!def.isNull()) {
-            if (!def.toString().empty()) {
-                out += " [";
-                if (def.toString().length()<40) {
-                    out += def.toString();
-                } else {
-                    out += "(value too long)";
-                }
-                out += "]";
-            }
-        }
-        yCIDebug(DRIVERS, dd.id(), "%s", out.c_str());
-        if (!desc.empty()) {
-            yCIDebug(DRIVERS, dd.id(), "    %s", desc.c_str());
-        }
-    }
-    yCIDebug(DRIVERS, dd.id(), "==");
     yCIDebug(DRIVERS, dd.id(), "===============================================================");
 }
 
@@ -514,31 +476,22 @@ int Drivers::yarpdev(int argc, char *argv[]) {
     }
 
     Terminee *terminee = nullptr;
-    if (dd.isValid()) {
+    if (dd.isValid())
+    {
         Value *v;
         std::string name;
-        if (options.check("name", v)) {
+        if (options.check("name", v))
+        {
             name = v->toString();
-        } else if (options.check("device", v)) {
-            if (v->isString()) {
-                auto device_name = v->toString();
-                name = dd.getDefaultValue((device_name + ".name").c_str()).toString();
-                if (name.empty()) {
-                    auto options = dd.getOptions();
-                    for (size_t i = 0; i < options.size(); ++i) {
-                        auto opt = options.get(i).toString();
-                        if (opt.length() > 5 && opt.compare(opt.length() - 5, 5, ".name") == 0) { // C++20 opt.ends_with(".name")
-                            yCIWarning(DRIVERS, id, "%s", opt.c_str());
-                            name = dd.getDefaultValue(opt.c_str()).toString();
-                            break;
-                        }
-                    }
-                }
-                if (name.empty()) {
-                    name = v->toString();
-                }
-            }
-        } else {
+        }
+        if (name.empty() && options.check("device", v))
+        {
+            //get the name of the device from the polydriver
+            //TO BE IMPLEMENTED. FOR REFERENCE ONLY: 
+            //name = dd.getDefaultValue((device_name + ".name").c_str()).toString();
+        }
+        if (name.empty())
+        {
             name = "/yarpdev";
         }
         std::string s = name + "/quit";
diff --git a/src/libYARP_dev/src/yarp/dev/PolyDriver.cpp b/src/libYARP_dev/src/yarp/dev/PolyDriver.cpp
index f1686d45902..f85c14d2158 100644
--- a/src/libYARP_dev/src/yarp/dev/PolyDriver.cpp
+++ b/src/libYARP_dev/src/yarp/dev/PolyDriver.cpp
@@ -178,40 +178,6 @@ bool PolyDriver::link(PolyDriver& alt)
     return true;
 }
 
-Bottle PolyDriver::getOptions()
-{
-    if (mPriv==nullptr) {
-        return Bottle::getNullBottle();
-    }
-    return mPriv->getOptions();
-}
-
-std::string PolyDriver::getComment(const char *option)
-{
-    if (mPriv==nullptr) {
-        return {};
-    }
-    return mPriv->getComment(option);
-}
-
-Value PolyDriver::getDefaultValue(const char *option)
-{
-    if (mPriv==nullptr) {
-        return Value::getNullValue();
-    }
-    return mPriv->getDefaultValue(option);
-}
-
-Value PolyDriver::getValue(const char *option)
-{
-    if (mPriv==nullptr) {
-        return Value::getNullValue();
-    }
-    return mPriv->getValue(option);
-}
-
-
-
 bool PolyDriver::coreOpen(yarp::os::Searchable& prop)
 {
     setId(prop.check("id", prop.check("device", Value("")), "Id assigned to this device").toString());
diff --git a/src/libYARP_dev/src/yarp/dev/PolyDriver.h b/src/libYARP_dev/src/yarp/dev/PolyDriver.h
index ba535c5f2d4..d2acaaaffa4 100644
--- a/src/libYARP_dev/src/yarp/dev/PolyDriver.h
+++ b/src/libYARP_dev/src/yarp/dev/PolyDriver.h
@@ -105,38 +105,6 @@ class YARP_dev_API PolyDriver :
      */
     bool isValid() const;
 
-    /**
-     * After a call to PolyDriver::open, you can
-     * get a list of all the options checked by the
-     * device.
-     * @return a list of options checked by the device
-     */
-    yarp::os::Bottle getOptions();
-
-    /**
-     * After a call to PolyDriver::open, you can
-     * check if the device has documentation on a given option.
-     * @param option the name of the option to check
-     * @return the human-readable description of the option, if found
-     */
-    std::string getComment(const char *option);
-
-    /**
-     * After a call to PolyDriver::open, you can
-     * check if a given option has a particular default value.
-     * @param option the name of the option to check
-     * @return the default value of the option, if any.
-     */
-    yarp::os::Value getDefaultValue(const char *option);
-
-    /**
-     * After a call to PolyDriver::open, you can
-     * check what value was found for a particular option, if any.
-     * @param option the name of the option to check
-     * @return the value found for the option, if any.
-     */
-    yarp::os::Value getValue(const char *option);
-
     DeviceDriver *getImplementation() override;
 
 private:
diff --git a/src/libYARP_dev/tests/PolyDriverTest.cpp b/src/libYARP_dev/tests/PolyDriverTest.cpp
index d80b159a511..bc3f46e3879 100644
--- a/src/libYARP_dev/tests/PolyDriverTest.cpp
+++ b/src/libYARP_dev/tests/PolyDriverTest.cpp
@@ -106,19 +106,6 @@ TEST_CASE("dev::PolyDriverTest", "[yarp::dev]")
         CHECK(result); // close reported successful
     }
 
-    SECTION("test monitoring")
-    {
-        Property p;
-        p.put("device","devicedrivertest");
-        p.put("verbose",1);
-        p.put("wrapped",1);
-        PolyDriver dd(p);
-        Bottle opts = dd.getOptions();
-        CHECK(opts.size() > 0); // some options reported
-        //printf("Opts: %s\n", opts.toString().c_str());
-        dd.close();
-    }
-
     SECTION("test Property bug")
     {
         Property p;
diff --git a/tests/devices/harness_devices.cpp b/tests/devices/harness_devices.cpp
index fd133f2e431..5bcd6976f73 100644
--- a/tests/devices/harness_devices.cpp
+++ b/tests/devices/harness_devices.cpp
@@ -48,14 +48,14 @@ static void toDox(PolyDriver& dd, FILE *os)
 {
     fprintf(os, "<table>\n");
     fprintf(os, "<tr><td>PROPERTY</td><td>DESCRIPTION</td><td>DEFAULT</td></tr>\n");
-    Bottle order = dd.getOptions();
+    Bottle order;
     for (size_t i=0; i<order.size(); i++) {
         std::string name = order.get(i).toString().c_str();
         if (name=="wrapped"||name.substr(0,10)=="subdevice.") {
             continue;
         }
-        std::string desc = dd.getComment(name.c_str());
-        std::string def = dd.getDefaultValue(name.c_str()).toString();
+        std::string desc;
+        std::string def;
         std::string out = "";
         out += "<tr><td>";
         out += name.c_str();