diff --git a/hw/net/vhost_net.c b/hw/net/vhost_net.c
index f505c91d42..9bd360bd17 100644
--- a/hw/net/vhost_net.c
+++ b/hw/net/vhost_net.c
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ struct vhost_net *vhost_net_init(VhostNetOptions *options)
     net->dev.vq_index = net->nc->queue_index;
 
     r = vhost_dev_init(&net->dev, options->opaque,
-                       options->backend_type, options->force);
+                       options->backend_type);
     if (r < 0) {
         goto fail;
     }
@@ -188,11 +188,6 @@ fail:
     return NULL;
 }
 
-bool vhost_net_query(VHostNetState *net, VirtIODevice *dev)
-{
-    return vhost_dev_query(&net->dev, dev);
-}
-
 static void vhost_net_set_vq_index(struct vhost_net *net, int vq_index)
 {
     net->dev.vq_index = vq_index;
@@ -424,11 +419,6 @@ struct vhost_net *vhost_net_init(VhostNetOptions *options)
     return NULL;
 }
 
-bool vhost_net_query(VHostNetState *net, VirtIODevice *dev)
-{
-    return false;
-}
-
 int vhost_net_start(VirtIODevice *dev,
                     NetClientState *ncs,
                     int total_queues)
diff --git a/hw/net/virtio-net.c b/hw/net/virtio-net.c
index 9281aa107c..d7282335de 100644
--- a/hw/net/virtio-net.c
+++ b/hw/net/virtio-net.c
@@ -128,10 +128,6 @@ static void virtio_net_vhost_status(VirtIONet *n, uint8_t status)
     if (!n->vhost_started) {
         int r, i;
 
-        if (!vhost_net_query(get_vhost_net(nc->peer), vdev)) {
-            return;
-        }
-
         /* Any packets outstanding? Purge them to avoid touching rings
          * when vhost is running.
          */
diff --git a/hw/scsi/vhost-scsi.c b/hw/scsi/vhost-scsi.c
index 1941aa15c0..1c389c4d7e 100644
--- a/hw/scsi/vhost-scsi.c
+++ b/hw/scsi/vhost-scsi.c
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ static void vhost_scsi_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
     s->dev.backend_features = 0;
 
     ret = vhost_dev_init(&s->dev, (void *)(uintptr_t)vhostfd,
-                         VHOST_BACKEND_TYPE_KERNEL, true);
+                         VHOST_BACKEND_TYPE_KERNEL);
     if (ret < 0) {
         error_setg(errp, "vhost-scsi: vhost initialization failed: %s",
                    strerror(-ret));
diff --git a/hw/virtio/vhost.c b/hw/virtio/vhost.c
index 7ea45b391c..b84d21cf7e 100644
--- a/hw/virtio/vhost.c
+++ b/hw/virtio/vhost.c
@@ -898,7 +898,7 @@ static void vhost_virtqueue_cleanup(struct vhost_virtqueue *vq)
 }
 
 int vhost_dev_init(struct vhost_dev *hdev, void *opaque,
-                   VhostBackendType backend_type, bool force)
+                   VhostBackendType backend_type)
 {
     uint64_t features;
     int i, r;
@@ -961,7 +961,6 @@ int vhost_dev_init(struct vhost_dev *hdev, void *opaque,
     hdev->started = false;
     hdev->memory_changed = false;
     memory_listener_register(&hdev->memory_listener, &address_space_memory);
-    hdev->force = force;
     return 0;
 fail_vq:
     while (--i >= 0) {
@@ -989,17 +988,6 @@ void vhost_dev_cleanup(struct vhost_dev *hdev)
     hdev->vhost_ops->vhost_backend_cleanup(hdev);
 }
 
-bool vhost_dev_query(struct vhost_dev *hdev, VirtIODevice *vdev)
-{
-    BusState *qbus = BUS(qdev_get_parent_bus(DEVICE(vdev)));
-    VirtioBusState *vbus = VIRTIO_BUS(qbus);
-    VirtioBusClass *k = VIRTIO_BUS_GET_CLASS(vbus);
-
-    return !k->query_guest_notifiers ||
-           k->query_guest_notifiers(qbus->parent) ||
-           hdev->force;
-}
-
 /* Stop processing guest IO notifications in qemu.
  * Start processing them in vhost in kernel.
  */
diff --git a/include/hw/virtio/vhost.h b/include/hw/virtio/vhost.h
index 84f170e789..dd510509eb 100644
--- a/include/hw/virtio/vhost.h
+++ b/include/hw/virtio/vhost.h
@@ -51,7 +51,6 @@ struct vhost_dev {
     bool log_enabled;
     unsigned long long log_size;
     Error *migration_blocker;
-    bool force;
     bool memory_changed;
     hwaddr mem_changed_start_addr;
     hwaddr mem_changed_end_addr;
@@ -61,7 +60,7 @@ struct vhost_dev {
 };
 
 int vhost_dev_init(struct vhost_dev *hdev, void *opaque,
-                   VhostBackendType backend_type, bool force);
+                   VhostBackendType backend_type);
 void vhost_dev_cleanup(struct vhost_dev *hdev);
 bool vhost_dev_query(struct vhost_dev *hdev, VirtIODevice *vdev);
 int vhost_dev_start(struct vhost_dev *hdev, VirtIODevice *vdev);
diff --git a/include/net/vhost_net.h b/include/net/vhost_net.h
index 9eb493efc3..840d4b16e2 100644
--- a/include/net/vhost_net.h
+++ b/include/net/vhost_net.h
@@ -11,12 +11,10 @@ typedef struct VhostNetOptions {
     VhostBackendType backend_type;
     NetClientState *net_backend;
     void *opaque;
-    bool force;
 } VhostNetOptions;
 
 struct vhost_net *vhost_net_init(VhostNetOptions *options);
 
-bool vhost_net_query(VHostNetState *net, VirtIODevice *dev);
 int vhost_net_start(VirtIODevice *dev, NetClientState *ncs, int total_queues);
 void vhost_net_stop(VirtIODevice *dev, NetClientState *ncs, int total_queues);
 
diff --git a/net/tap.c b/net/tap.c
index ec12dfd1d8..3a3f522eac 100644
--- a/net/tap.c
+++ b/net/tap.c
@@ -671,7 +671,6 @@ static void net_init_tap_one(const NetdevTapOptions *tap, NetClientState *peer,
 
         options.backend_type = VHOST_BACKEND_TYPE_KERNEL;
         options.net_backend = &s->nc;
-        options.force = tap->has_vhostforce && tap->vhostforce;
 
         if (tap->has_vhostfd || tap->has_vhostfds) {
             vhostfd = monitor_fd_param(cur_mon, vhostfdname, &err);
diff --git a/net/vhost-user.c b/net/vhost-user.c
index 8d2672846f..f1df26df95 100644
--- a/net/vhost-user.c
+++ b/net/vhost-user.c
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@ static int vhost_user_start(VhostUserState *s)
     options.backend_type = VHOST_BACKEND_TYPE_USER;
     options.net_backend = &s->nc;
     options.opaque = s->chr;
-    options.force = true;
 
     s->vhost_net = vhost_net_init(&options);