diff --git a/util/rcu.c b/util/rcu.c
index 47c2bceac8ec145273fa898b96686af6ad81b979..8ba304dc44118b3295151aebdeb496dd015c66b2 100644
--- a/util/rcu.c
+++ b/util/rcu.c
@@ -335,11 +335,6 @@ static void rcu_init_unlock(void)
     qemu_mutex_unlock(&rcu_registry_lock);
     qemu_mutex_unlock(&rcu_sync_lock);
 }
-
-static void rcu_init_child(void)
-{
-    qemu_mutex_init(&rcu_registry_lock);
-}
 #endif
 
 void rcu_after_fork(void)
@@ -351,7 +346,7 @@ void rcu_after_fork(void)
 static void __attribute__((__constructor__)) rcu_init(void)
 {
 #ifdef CONFIG_POSIX
-    pthread_atfork(rcu_init_lock, rcu_init_unlock, rcu_init_child);
+    pthread_atfork(rcu_init_lock, rcu_init_unlock, rcu_init_unlock);
 #endif
     rcu_init_complete();
 }