diff --git a/drivers/net/r8169.c b/drivers/net/r8169.c
index d132fe7d475e99afe10d73cc02963923c1efadbc..27f90b2139c0cc0db75c9bb10020085cca068527 100644
--- a/drivers/net/r8169.c
+++ b/drivers/net/r8169.c
@@ -1397,41 +1397,6 @@ static void rtl8169_netpoll(struct net_device *dev)
 }
 #endif
 
-static void __rtl8169_set_mac_addr(struct net_device *dev, void __iomem *ioaddr)
-{
-	unsigned int i, j;
-
-	RTL_W8(Cfg9346, Cfg9346_Unlock);
-	for (i = 0; i < 2; i++) {
-		__le32 l = 0;
-
-		for (j = 0; j < 4; j++) {
-			l <<= 8;
-			l |= dev->dev_addr[4*i + j];
-		}
-		RTL_W32(MAC0 + 4*i, cpu_to_be32(l));
-	}
-	RTL_W8(Cfg9346, Cfg9346_Lock);
-}
-
-static int rtl8169_set_mac_addr(struct net_device *dev, void *p)
-{
-	struct rtl8169_private *tp = netdev_priv(dev);
-	struct sockaddr *addr = p;
-
-	if (!is_valid_ether_addr(addr->sa_data))
-		return -EINVAL;
-
-	memcpy(dev->dev_addr, addr->sa_data, dev->addr_len);
-
-	if (netif_running(dev)) {
-		spin_lock_irq(&tp->lock);
-		__rtl8169_set_mac_addr(dev, tp->mmio_addr);
-		spin_unlock_irq(&tp->lock);
-	}
-	return 0;
-}
-
 static void rtl8169_release_board(struct pci_dev *pdev, struct net_device *dev,
 				  void __iomem *ioaddr)
 {
@@ -1681,7 +1646,6 @@ rtl8169_init_one(struct pci_dev *pdev, const struct pci_device_id *ent)
 	dev->stop = rtl8169_close;
 	dev->tx_timeout = rtl8169_tx_timeout;
 	dev->set_multicast_list = rtl8169_set_rx_mode;
-	dev->set_mac_address = rtl8169_set_mac_addr;
 	dev->watchdog_timeo = RTL8169_TX_TIMEOUT;
 	dev->irq = pdev->irq;
 	dev->base_addr = (unsigned long) ioaddr;
@@ -1929,8 +1893,6 @@ rtl8169_hw_start(struct net_device *dev)
 	/* Enable all known interrupts by setting the interrupt mask. */
 	RTL_W16(IntrMask, rtl8169_intr_mask);
 
-	__rtl8169_set_mac_addr(dev, ioaddr);
-
 	netif_start_queue(dev);
 }