diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index 66f73e84aa..d95c181793 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -2057,7 +2057,6 @@ virCommandNewArgs;
 virCommandNewVAList;
 virCommandNonblockingFDs;
 virCommandPassFD;
-virCommandPassFDIndex;
 virCommandRawStatus;
 virCommandRequireHandshake;
 virCommandRun;
diff --git a/src/util/vircommand.c b/src/util/vircommand.c
index f3c26a2673..d78c666f28 100644
--- a/src/util/vircommand.c
+++ b/src/util/vircommand.c
@@ -1020,43 +1020,6 @@ virCommandNewVAList(const char *binary, va_list list)
         (flags & VIR_COMMAND_PASS_FD_CLOSE_PARENT)) \
         VIR_FORCE_CLOSE(fd)
 
-/**
- * virCommandPassFDIndex:
- * @cmd: the command to modify
- * @fd: fd to reassign to the child
- * @flags: extra flags; binary-OR of virCommandPassFDFlags
- * @idx: pointer to fill with the index of the FD in the transfer set
- *
- * Transfer the specified file descriptor to the child, instead
- * of closing it on exec. @fd must not be one of the three
- * standard streams.
- *
- * If the flag VIR_COMMAND_PASS_FD_CLOSE_PARENT is set then fd will
- * be closed in the parent no later than Run/RunAsync/Free. The parent
- * should cease using the @fd when this call completes
- */
-void
-virCommandPassFDIndex(virCommand *cmd, int fd, unsigned int flags, size_t *idx)
-{
-    if (!cmd) {
-        VIR_COMMAND_MAYBE_CLOSE_FD(fd, flags);
-        return;
-    }
-
-    if (fd <= STDERR_FILENO) {
-        VIR_DEBUG("invalid fd %d", fd);
-        VIR_COMMAND_MAYBE_CLOSE_FD(fd, flags);
-        if (!cmd->has_error)
-            cmd->has_error = -1;
-        return;
-    }
-
-    virCommandFDSet(cmd, fd, flags);
-
-    if (idx)
-        *idx = cmd->npassfd - 1;
-}
-
 /**
  * virCommandPassFD:
  * @cmd: the command to modify
@@ -1074,7 +1037,20 @@ virCommandPassFDIndex(virCommand *cmd, int fd, unsigned int flags, size_t *idx)
 void
 virCommandPassFD(virCommand *cmd, int fd, unsigned int flags)
 {
-    virCommandPassFDIndex(cmd, fd, flags, NULL);
+    if (!cmd) {
+        VIR_COMMAND_MAYBE_CLOSE_FD(fd, flags);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    if (fd <= STDERR_FILENO) {
+        VIR_DEBUG("invalid fd %d", fd);
+        VIR_COMMAND_MAYBE_CLOSE_FD(fd, flags);
+        if (!cmd->has_error)
+            cmd->has_error = -1;
+        return;
+    }
+
+    virCommandFDSet(cmd, fd, flags);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/util/vircommand.h b/src/util/vircommand.h
index c534a9bb16..21ef8ff663 100644
--- a/src/util/vircommand.h
+++ b/src/util/vircommand.h
@@ -56,11 +56,6 @@ void virCommandPassFD(virCommand *cmd,
                       int fd,
                       unsigned int flags) G_GNUC_NO_INLINE;
 
-void virCommandPassFDIndex(virCommand *cmd,
-                           int fd,
-                           unsigned int flags,
-                           size_t *idx) G_GNUC_NO_INLINE;
-
 void virCommandSetPidFile(virCommand *cmd,
                           const char *pidfile) ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(2);