diff --git a/block/dirty-bitmap.c b/block/dirty-bitmap.c
index 967159479d..ea82c06f07 100644
--- a/block/dirty-bitmap.c
+++ b/block/dirty-bitmap.c
@@ -97,15 +97,6 @@ BdrvDirtyBitmap *bdrv_find_dirty_bitmap(BlockDriverState *bs, const char *name)
     return NULL;
 }
 
-/* Called with BQL taken.  */
-void bdrv_dirty_bitmap_make_anon(BdrvDirtyBitmap *bitmap)
-{
-    assert(!bdrv_dirty_bitmap_frozen(bitmap));
-    g_free(bitmap->name);
-    bitmap->name = NULL;
-    bitmap->persistent = false;
-}
-
 /* Called with BQL taken.  */
 BdrvDirtyBitmap *bdrv_create_dirty_bitmap(BlockDriverState *bs,
                                           uint32_t granularity,
diff --git a/blockdev.c b/blockdev.c
index 8de95be8f4..266ecc06cc 100644
--- a/blockdev.c
+++ b/blockdev.c
@@ -2881,7 +2881,6 @@ void qmp_block_dirty_bitmap_remove(const char *node, const char *name,
         }
     }
 
-    bdrv_dirty_bitmap_make_anon(bitmap);
     bdrv_release_dirty_bitmap(bs, bitmap);
 }
 
diff --git a/include/block/dirty-bitmap.h b/include/block/dirty-bitmap.h
index 1ff8949b1b..5a51a78b63 100644
--- a/include/block/dirty-bitmap.h
+++ b/include/block/dirty-bitmap.h
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ BdrvDirtyBitmap *bdrv_reclaim_dirty_bitmap(BlockDriverState *bs,
 void bdrv_dirty_bitmap_enable_successor(BdrvDirtyBitmap *bitmap);
 BdrvDirtyBitmap *bdrv_find_dirty_bitmap(BlockDriverState *bs,
                                         const char *name);
-void bdrv_dirty_bitmap_make_anon(BdrvDirtyBitmap *bitmap);
 void bdrv_release_dirty_bitmap(BlockDriverState *bs, BdrvDirtyBitmap *bitmap);
 void bdrv_release_named_dirty_bitmaps(BlockDriverState *bs);
 void bdrv_release_persistent_dirty_bitmaps(BlockDriverState *bs);