diff --git a/src/rpc/virkeepalive.c b/src/rpc/virkeepalive.c
index 9d08c3bcca..52decf5a5f 100644
--- a/src/rpc/virkeepalive.c
+++ b/src/rpc/virkeepalive.c
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ virKeepAliveMessage(virKeepAlive *ka, int proc)
     msg->header.proc = proc;
 
     if (virNetMessageEncodeHeader(msg) < 0 ||
-        virNetMessageEncodePayloadEmpty(msg) < 0) {
+        virNetMessageEncodePayloadRaw(msg, NULL, 0) < 0) {
         virNetMessageFree(msg);
         goto error;
     }
diff --git a/src/rpc/virnetmessage.c b/src/rpc/virnetmessage.c
index b806adf782..d78438bd95 100644
--- a/src/rpc/virnetmessage.c
+++ b/src/rpc/virnetmessage.c
@@ -496,31 +496,6 @@ int virNetMessageEncodePayloadRaw(virNetMessage *msg,
 }
 
 
-int virNetMessageEncodePayloadEmpty(virNetMessage *msg)
-{
-    XDR xdr;
-    unsigned int msglen;
-
-    /* Re-encode the length word. */
-    VIR_DEBUG("Encode length as %zu", msg->bufferOffset);
-    xdrmem_create(&xdr, msg->buffer, VIR_NET_MESSAGE_HEADER_XDR_LEN, XDR_ENCODE);
-    msglen = msg->bufferOffset;
-    if (!xdr_u_int(&xdr, &msglen)) {
-        virReportError(VIR_ERR_RPC, "%s", _("Unable to encode message length"));
-        goto error;
-    }
-    xdr_destroy(&xdr);
-
-    msg->bufferLength = msg->bufferOffset;
-    msg->bufferOffset = 0;
-    return 0;
-
- error:
-    xdr_destroy(&xdr);
-    return -1;
-}
-
-
 void virNetMessageSaveError(struct virNetMessageError *rerr)
 {
     virErrorPtr verr;
diff --git a/src/rpc/virnetmessage.h b/src/rpc/virnetmessage.h
index 8f878962f8..849674fa53 100644
--- a/src/rpc/virnetmessage.h
+++ b/src/rpc/virnetmessage.h
@@ -85,8 +85,6 @@ int virNetMessageEncodePayloadRaw(virNetMessage *msg,
                                   const char *buf,
                                   size_t len)
     ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1) G_GNUC_WARN_UNUSED_RESULT;
-int virNetMessageEncodePayloadEmpty(virNetMessage *msg)
-    ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1) G_GNUC_WARN_UNUSED_RESULT;
 
 void virNetMessageSaveError(struct virNetMessageError *rerr)
     ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1);
diff --git a/src/rpc/virnetserverprogram.c b/src/rpc/virnetserverprogram.c
index 070d76fdd0..3ddf9f0428 100644
--- a/src/rpc/virnetserverprogram.c
+++ b/src/rpc/virnetserverprogram.c
@@ -518,14 +518,9 @@ int virNetServerProgramSendStreamData(virNetServerProgram *prog,
     if (virNetMessageEncodeHeader(msg) < 0)
         return -1;
 
-    if (data && len) {
-        if (virNetMessageEncodePayloadRaw(msg, data, len) < 0)
-            return -1;
+    if (virNetMessageEncodePayloadRaw(msg, data, len) < 0)
+        return -1;
 
-    } else {
-        if (virNetMessageEncodePayloadEmpty(msg) < 0)
-            return -1;
-    }
     VIR_DEBUG("Total %zu", msg->bufferLength);
 
     return virNetServerClientSendMessage(client, msg);