diff --git a/hw/acpi/core.c b/hw/acpi/core.c
index 9f22b86fa9b176d683e3cb588e61ae7cf6afaeae..9ed1629f36711812a0a761af6d42dc250bb9a084 100644
--- a/hw/acpi/core.c
+++ b/hw/acpi/core.c
@@ -307,8 +307,6 @@ out:
     error_propagate(errp, err);
 }
 
-static bool acpi_table_builtin = false;
-
 unsigned acpi_table_len(void *current)
 {
     struct acpi_table_header *hdr = current - sizeof(hdr->_length);
@@ -324,7 +322,7 @@ void *acpi_table_hdr(void *h)
 
 uint8_t *acpi_table_first(void)
 {
-    if (acpi_table_builtin || !acpi_tables) {
+    if (!acpi_tables) {
         return NULL;
     }
     return acpi_table_hdr(acpi_tables + ACPI_TABLE_PFX_SIZE);