diff --git a/vnc-encoding-zlib.c b/vnc-encoding-zlib.c
index 29dd1b7aee..52b18aa84a 100644
--- a/vnc-encoding-zlib.c
+++ b/vnc-encoding-zlib.c
@@ -140,8 +140,3 @@ void vnc_zlib_send_framebuffer_update(VncState *vs, int x, int y, int w, int h)
     vnc_write_u32(vs, bytes_written);
     vs->output.offset = new_offset;
 }
-
-void vnc_zlib_init(VncState *vs)
-{
-    vs->zlib_stream.opaque = NULL;
-}
diff --git a/vnc.c b/vnc.c
index 8db15577de..42ff25396f 100644
--- a/vnc.c
+++ b/vnc.c
@@ -1642,7 +1642,6 @@ static void set_encodings(VncState *vs, int32_t *encodings, size_t n_encodings)
     int i;
     unsigned int enc = 0;
 
-    vnc_zlib_init(vs);
     vs->features = 0;
     vs->vnc_encoding = 0;
     vs->tight_compression = 9;
diff --git a/vnc.h b/vnc.h
index 3800687943..c8200e90c0 100644
--- a/vnc.h
+++ b/vnc.h
@@ -403,7 +403,6 @@ void vnc_hextile_send_framebuffer_update(VncState *vs, int x,
                                          int y, int w, int h);
 void vnc_hextile_set_pixel_conversion(VncState *vs, int generic);
 
-void vnc_zlib_init(VncState *vs);
 void vnc_zlib_send_framebuffer_update(VncState *vs, int x, int y, int w, int h);
 
 #endif /* __QEMU_VNC_H */