diff --git a/fs/configfs/item.c b/fs/configfs/item.c
index e65f9ffbb99951ba83843a2836fb311f5e6af034..4d6a30e76168c3f548ce48dbbb1428e0baf81d49 100644
--- a/fs/configfs/item.c
+++ b/fs/configfs/item.c
@@ -47,12 +47,11 @@ static void config_item_release(struct kref *kref);
  *	config_item_init - initialize item.
  *	@item:	item in question.
  */
-void config_item_init(struct config_item *item)
+static void config_item_init(struct config_item *item)
 {
 	kref_init(&item->ci_kref);
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&item->ci_entry);
 }
-EXPORT_SYMBOL(config_item_init);
 
 /**
  *	config_item_set_name - Set the name of an item
diff --git a/include/linux/configfs.h b/include/linux/configfs.h
index 34025df6182962952e094f9c98e7a38b3c25bab4..c9e5c57e4edf2c09ccc4c09c72c54a87c1ecbd9c 100644
--- a/include/linux/configfs.h
+++ b/include/linux/configfs.h
@@ -71,7 +71,6 @@ static inline char *config_item_name(struct config_item * item)
 	return item->ci_name;
 }
 
-extern void config_item_init(struct config_item *);
 extern void config_item_init_type_name(struct config_item *item,
 				       const char *name,
 				       struct config_item_type *type);