diff --git a/src/libvirt_remote.syms b/src/libvirt_remote.syms
index 5436e3ec18a477f2641af8a859d5826c3a7e3841..a950bed14efcb9c5c4f53958d46e1909511cfb80 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_remote.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_remote.syms
@@ -144,7 +144,6 @@ virNetServerClientIsLocal;
 virNetServerClientIsSecure;
 virNetServerClientLocalAddrStringSASL;
 virNetServerClientNeedAuth;
-virNetServerClientNeedAuthLocked;
 virNetServerClientNew;
 virNetServerClientNewPostExecRestart;
 virNetServerClientPreExecRestart;
diff --git a/src/rpc/virnetserverclient.c b/src/rpc/virnetserverclient.c
index 7786e3e2df8ef1297ca71fb39c35413dd1bbdafe..70e881b83a65bd12312f3a0aa125270e15c53637 100644
--- a/src/rpc/virnetserverclient.c
+++ b/src/rpc/virnetserverclient.c
@@ -1565,19 +1565,12 @@ int virNetServerClientSendMessage(virNetServerClientPtr client,
 }
 
 
-bool
-virNetServerClientNeedAuthLocked(virNetServerClientPtr client)
-{
-    return !virNetServerClientAuthMethodImpliesAuthenticated(client->auth);
-}
-
-
 bool
 virNetServerClientNeedAuth(virNetServerClientPtr client)
 {
     bool need;
     virObjectLock(client);
-    need = virNetServerClientNeedAuthLocked(client);
+    need = !virNetServerClientAuthMethodImpliesAuthenticated(client->auth);
     virObjectUnlock(client);
     return need;
 }
diff --git a/src/rpc/virnetserverclient.h b/src/rpc/virnetserverclient.h
index c174e8285f0cf5aa6728dea03e8d3b6acde9068c..81eac6dcec8814a27c06b6f465b814ddcdc84655 100644
--- a/src/rpc/virnetserverclient.h
+++ b/src/rpc/virnetserverclient.h
@@ -148,7 +148,6 @@ int virNetServerClientSendMessage(virNetServerClientPtr client,
                                   virNetMessagePtr msg);
 
 bool virNetServerClientNeedAuth(virNetServerClientPtr client);
-bool virNetServerClientNeedAuthLocked(virNetServerClientPtr client);
 bool virNetServerClientIsAuthPendingLocked(virNetServerClientPtr client);
 void virNetServerClientSetAuthPendingLocked(virNetServerClientPtr client, bool auth_pending);