diff --git a/doc/reference/command_queue.xml b/doc/reference/command_queue.xml
index 966676c2..f46708f9 100644
--- a/doc/reference/command_queue.xml
+++ b/doc/reference/command_queue.xml
@@ -16,17 +16,17 @@
           </para>
           <para>
             Command queues are created for one or more compute devices within a
-            compute context. For example, to create a queue for the default GPU
-            on the system:
+            compute context. For example, to create a queue for the default
+            compute device on the system:
 <programlisting>
-// get the default GPU device
-<classname>boost::compute::device</classname> gpu = <methodname>boost::compute::system::default_gpu_device()</methodname>;
+// get the default compute device
+<classname>boost::compute::device</classname> device = <methodname>boost::compute::system::default_device()</methodname>;
 
-// create a context for the GPU device
-<classname>boost::compute::context</classname> context(gpu);
+// create a context for the device
+<classname>boost::compute::context</classname> context(device);
 
-// create a command queue for the GPU device
-<classname>boost::compute::command_queue</classname> queue(context, gpu);
+// create a command queue for the device
+<classname>boost::compute::command_queue</classname> queue(context, device);
 </programlisting>
           </para>
           <para>
diff --git a/doc/reference/device.xml b/doc/reference/device.xml
index 1bff02a8..b57d391f 100644
--- a/doc/reference/device.xml
+++ b/doc/reference/device.xml
@@ -14,19 +14,14 @@
             the <methodname>platform::devices()</methodname> method.
           </para>
           <para>
-            A default device can be easily created with the one of the
-            following convenience methods:
-              <itemizedlist>
-                <listitem><methodname>system::default_device()</methodname></listitem>
-                <listitem><methodname>system::default_cpu_device()</methodname></listitem>
-                <listitem><methodname>system::default_gpu_device()</methodname></listitem>
-              </itemizedlist>
+            A default device can be easily created with the
+            <methodname>system::default_device()</methodname> method.
           </para>
           <para>
-            For example, to get the default GPU device on the system:
+            For example, to get the default compute device on the system:
 <programlisting>
-// get the default GPU device
-<classname>boost::compute::device</classname> gpu = <methodname>boost::compute::system::default_gpu_device()</methodname>;
+// get the default compute device
+<classname>boost::compute::device</classname> device = <methodname>boost::compute::system::default_device()</methodname>;
 </programlisting>
           </para>
         </description>
diff --git a/doc/reference/system.xml b/doc/reference/system.xml
index 3c9fab82..d4d64692 100644
--- a/doc/reference/system.xml
+++ b/doc/reference/system.xml
@@ -30,28 +30,6 @@
             </description>
           </method>
 
-          <!-- system::default_gpu_device() -->
-          <method name="default_gpu_device" specifiers="static">
-            <type><classname>device</classname></type>
-
-            <description>
-              <para>
-                Returns the default GPU compute device for the system.
-              </para>
-            </description>
-          </method>
-
-          <!-- system::default_cpu_device() -->
-          <method name="default_cpu_device" specifiers="static">
-            <type><classname>device</classname></type>
-
-            <description>
-              <para>
-                Returns the default CPU compute device for the system.
-              </para>
-            </description>
-          </method>
-
           <!-- system::default_context() -->
           <method name="default_context" specifiers="static">
             <type><classname>context</classname></type>
diff --git a/doc/tutorial.qbk b/doc/tutorial.qbk
index 517817f2..616842aa 100644
--- a/doc/tutorial.qbk
+++ b/doc/tutorial.qbk
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 [section Hello World]
 
 The hello world example gives a simple application that prints the name of
-the default GPU compute device on the system.
+the default compute device on the system.
 
 Compute devices are represented with the
 [classref boost::compute::device device] class.
diff --git a/example/simple_kernel.cpp b/example/simple_kernel.cpp
index c4063cff..2f92807f 100644
--- a/example/simple_kernel.cpp
+++ b/example/simple_kernel.cpp
@@ -15,9 +15,9 @@
 // setup and run a simple vector addition kernel on the GPU
 int main()
 {
-    // get the default GPU device
+    // get the default device
     boost::compute::device gpu =
-        boost::compute::system::default_gpu_device();
+        boost::compute::system::default_device();
 
     // create a context for the device
     boost::compute::context context(gpu);
diff --git a/example/vector_addition.cpp b/example/vector_addition.cpp
index 310cf968..85017d1c 100644
--- a/example/vector_addition.cpp
+++ b/example/vector_addition.cpp
@@ -15,9 +15,9 @@
 // implementation to add two vectors on the GPU
 int main()
 {
-    // get the default GPU device
+    // get the default device
     boost::compute::device gpu =
-        boost::compute::system::default_gpu_device();
+        boost::compute::system::default_device();
 
     // create a context for the device
     boost::compute::context context(gpu);
diff --git a/include/boost/compute/system.hpp b/include/boost/compute/system.hpp
index 55461fab..d328939e 100644
--- a/include/boost/compute/system.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/compute/system.hpp
@@ -30,62 +30,9 @@ class system
 public:
     static device default_device()
     {
-        // check for device from environment variable
-        const char *name     = std::getenv("BOOST_COMPUTE_DEFAULT_DEVICE");
-        const char *platform = std::getenv("BOOST_COMPUTE_DEFAULT_PLATFORM");
-        const char *vendor   = std::getenv("BOOST_COMPUTE_DEFAULT_VENDOR");
+        static device default_device = find_default_device();
 
-        if(name || platform || vendor){
-            BOOST_FOREACH(const device &device, devices()){
-                if (name && !matches(device.name(), name))
-                    continue;
-
-                if (platform && !matches(device_platform(device).name(), platform))
-                    continue;
-
-                if (vendor && !matches(device.vendor(), vendor))
-                    continue;
-
-                return device;
-            }
-        }
-
-        // check for a gpu device
-        device gpu = default_gpu_device();
-        if(gpu.id() != 0){
-            return gpu;
-        }
-
-        // check for a cpu device
-        device cpu = default_cpu_device();
-        if(cpu.id() != 0){
-            return cpu;
-        }
-
-        // return a null device
-        return device();
-    }
-
-    static device default_cpu_device()
-    {
-        BOOST_FOREACH(const device &device, devices()){
-            if(device.type() == device::cpu){
-                return device;
-            }
-        }
-
-        return device();
-    }
-
-    static device default_gpu_device()
-    {
-        BOOST_FOREACH(const device &device, devices()){
-            if(device.type() == device::gpu){
-                return device;
-            }
-        }
-
-        return device();
+        return default_device;
     }
 
     static device find_device(const std::string &name)
@@ -154,6 +101,45 @@ public:
     }
 
 private:
+    static device find_default_device()
+    {
+        // check for device from environment variable
+        const char *name     = std::getenv("BOOST_COMPUTE_DEFAULT_DEVICE");
+        const char *platform = std::getenv("BOOST_COMPUTE_DEFAULT_PLATFORM");
+        const char *vendor   = std::getenv("BOOST_COMPUTE_DEFAULT_VENDOR");
+
+        if(name || platform || vendor){
+            BOOST_FOREACH(const device &device, devices()){
+                if (name && !matches(device.name(), name))
+                    continue;
+
+                if (platform && !matches(device_platform(device).name(), platform))
+                    continue;
+
+                if (vendor && !matches(device.vendor(), vendor))
+                    continue;
+
+                return device;
+            }
+        }
+
+        // find the first gpu device
+        BOOST_FOREACH(const device &device, devices()){
+            if(device.type() == device::gpu){
+                return device;
+            }
+        }
+
+        // find the first cpu device
+        BOOST_FOREACH(const device &device, devices()){
+            if(device.type() == device::cpu){
+                return device;
+            }
+        }
+
+        return device();
+    }
+
     static platform device_platform(const device &device)
     {
         return platform(device.get_info<cl_platform_id>(CL_DEVICE_PLATFORM));
diff --git a/test/test_device.cpp b/test/test_device.cpp
index 01195a97..d4a89094 100644
--- a/test/test_device.cpp
+++ b/test/test_device.cpp
@@ -22,25 +22,9 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(null_device)
     BOOST_CHECK(null.id() == cl_device_id());
 }
 
-BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(get_gpu_type)
+BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(get_device_name)
 {
-    boost::compute::device gpu = boost::compute::system::default_gpu_device();
-    if(gpu.id()){
-        BOOST_CHECK(gpu.type() == boost::compute::device::gpu);
-    }
-}
-
-BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(get_cpu_type)
-{
-    boost::compute::device cpu = boost::compute::system::default_cpu_device();
-    if(cpu.id()){
-        BOOST_CHECK(cpu.type() == boost::compute::device::cpu);
-    }
-}
-
-BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(get_gpu_name)
-{
-    boost::compute::device gpu = boost::compute::system::default_gpu_device();
+    boost::compute::device gpu = boost::compute::system::default_device();
     if(gpu.id()){
         BOOST_CHECK(!gpu.name().empty());
     }