diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index b6c828fc22470a27fa51991eed626b88f79b334f..044510f091906f05eaa7b2c28cd34dddd942a0ef 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -2422,7 +2422,6 @@ virProcessWait;
 
 
 # util/virqemu.h
-virQEMUBuildBufferEscape;
 virQEMUBuildBufferEscapeComma;
 virQEMUBuildCommandLineJSON;
 virQEMUBuildCommandLineJSONArrayBitmap;
diff --git a/src/util/virqemu.c b/src/util/virqemu.c
index f10b356781ef60f5e4c58f68645a5478fe797460..2e9e65f9efb06b6653d2608ec333cbb980d6001a 100644
--- a/src/util/virqemu.c
+++ b/src/util/virqemu.c
@@ -299,23 +299,6 @@ virQEMUBuildBufferEscapeComma(virBufferPtr buf, const char *str)
 }
 
 
-/**
- * virQEMUBuildBufferEscape:
- * @buf: buffer to append the escaped string
- * @str: the string to escape
- *
- * Some characters passed as values on the QEMU command line must be escaped.
- *
- *  - ',' must by escaped by ','
- *  - '=' must by escaped by '\'
- */
-void
-virQEMUBuildBufferEscape(virBufferPtr buf, const char *str)
-{
-    virBufferEscapeN(buf, "%s", str, ',', ",", '\\', "=", NULL);
-}
-
-
 /**
  * virQEMUBuildLuksOpts:
  * @buf: buffer to build the string into
diff --git a/src/util/virqemu.h b/src/util/virqemu.h
index 10aeb67f4ecc197acda4900c025e4cd4210d1d8a..539d62ab14ca0632a21a30f89931a504abfae10f 100644
--- a/src/util/virqemu.h
+++ b/src/util/virqemu.h
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@ char *virQEMUBuildObjectCommandlineFromJSON(const char *type,
 char *virQEMUBuildDriveCommandlineFromJSON(virJSONValuePtr src);
 
 void virQEMUBuildBufferEscapeComma(virBufferPtr buf, const char *str);
-void virQEMUBuildBufferEscape(virBufferPtr buf, const char *str);
 void virQEMUBuildLuksOpts(virBufferPtr buf,
                           virStorageEncryptionInfoDefPtr enc,
                           const char *alias)