diff --git a/src/conf/domain_addr.c b/src/conf/domain_addr.c
index 500abb1363..555da5973e 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_addr.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_addr.c
@@ -646,31 +646,6 @@ virDomainPCIAddressReleaseAddr(virDomainPCIAddressSetPtr addrs,
     return 0;
 }
 
-int
-virDomainPCIAddressReleaseSlot(virDomainPCIAddressSetPtr addrs,
-                               virPCIDeviceAddressPtr addr)
-{
-    /* permit any kind of connection type in validation, since we
-     * already had it, and are giving it back.
-     */
-    virDomainPCIConnectFlags flags = VIR_PCI_CONNECT_TYPES_MASK;
-    int ret = -1;
-    char *addrStr = NULL;
-
-    if (!(addrStr = virDomainPCIAddressAsString(addr)))
-        goto cleanup;
-
-    if (!virDomainPCIAddressValidate(addrs, addr, addrStr, flags, true))
-        goto cleanup;
-
-    addrs->buses[addr->bus].slot[addr->slot].functions = 0;
-    ret = 0;
- cleanup:
-    VIR_FREE(addrStr);
-    return ret;
-}
-
-
 virDomainPCIAddressSetPtr
 virDomainPCIAddressSetAlloc(unsigned int nbuses)
 {
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_addr.h b/src/conf/domain_addr.h
index f4499b316b..632f0c0511 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_addr.h
+++ b/src/conf/domain_addr.h
@@ -164,10 +164,6 @@ int virDomainPCIAddressReleaseAddr(virDomainPCIAddressSetPtr addrs,
                                    virPCIDeviceAddressPtr addr)
     ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1) ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(2);
 
-int virDomainPCIAddressReleaseSlot(virDomainPCIAddressSetPtr addrs,
-                                   virPCIDeviceAddressPtr addr)
-    ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1) ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(2);
-
 int virDomainPCIAddressReserveNextAddr(virDomainPCIAddressSetPtr addrs,
                                        virDomainDeviceInfoPtr dev,
                                        virDomainPCIConnectFlags flags,
diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index d3d0e1e676..9c74d35c45 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ virDomainPCIAddressAsString;
 virDomainPCIAddressBusSetModel;
 virDomainPCIAddressEnsureAddr;
 virDomainPCIAddressFlagsCompatible;
-virDomainPCIAddressReleaseSlot;
+virDomainPCIAddressReleaseAddr;
 virDomainPCIAddressReserveAddr;
 virDomainPCIAddressReserveNextAddr;
 virDomainPCIAddressSetAllMulti;
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_domain_address.c b/src/qemu/qemu_domain_address.c
index abb37b2bc1..9cd1e9e0f4 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_domain_address.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_domain_address.c
@@ -2545,7 +2545,7 @@ qemuDomainReleaseDeviceAddress(virDomainObjPtr vm,
         devstr = info->alias;
 
     if (virDeviceInfoPCIAddressPresent(info) &&
-        virDomainPCIAddressReleaseSlot(priv->pciaddrs,
+        virDomainPCIAddressReleaseAddr(priv->pciaddrs,
                                        &info->addr.pci) < 0)
         VIR_WARN("Unable to release PCI address on %s",
                  NULLSTR(devstr));