diff --git a/src/conf/secret_conf.c b/src/conf/secret_conf.c
index d41d8157cd..629a4a57f7 100644
--- a/src/conf/secret_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/secret_conf.c
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ virSecretParseXML(xmlXPathContext *ctxt)
 }
 
 
-static virSecretDef *
+virSecretDef *
 virSecretDefParse(const char *xmlStr,
                   const char *filename,
                   unsigned int flags)
@@ -190,18 +190,6 @@ virSecretDefParse(const char *xmlStr,
     return virSecretParseXML(ctxt);
 }
 
-virSecretDef *
-virSecretDefParseString(const char *xmlStr,
-                        unsigned int flags)
-{
-    return virSecretDefParse(xmlStr, NULL, flags);
-}
-
-virSecretDef *
-virSecretDefParseFile(const char *filename)
-{
-    return virSecretDefParse(NULL, filename, 0);
-}
 
 static int
 virSecretDefFormatUsage(virBuffer *buf,
diff --git a/src/conf/secret_conf.h b/src/conf/secret_conf.h
index 36d50407fd..dee98899ac 100644
--- a/src/conf/secret_conf.h
+++ b/src/conf/secret_conf.h
@@ -35,8 +35,11 @@ struct _virSecretDef {
 void virSecretDefFree(virSecretDef *def);
 G_DEFINE_AUTOPTR_CLEANUP_FUNC(virSecretDef, virSecretDefFree);
 
-virSecretDef *virSecretDefParseString(const char *xml, unsigned int flags);
-virSecretDef *virSecretDefParseFile(const char *filename);
+virSecretDef *
+virSecretDefParse(const char *xmlStr,
+                  const char *filename,
+                  unsigned int flags);
+
 char *virSecretDefFormat(const virSecretDef *def);
 
 #define VIR_CONNECT_LIST_SECRETS_FILTERS_EPHEMERAL \
diff --git a/src/conf/virsecretobj.c b/src/conf/virsecretobj.c
index 4032cd1e9a..4929f74155 100644
--- a/src/conf/virsecretobj.c
+++ b/src/conf/virsecretobj.c
@@ -870,7 +870,7 @@ virSecretLoad(virSecretObjList *secrets,
     virSecretDef *def = NULL;
     virSecretObj *obj = NULL;
 
-    if (!(def = virSecretDefParseFile(path)))
+    if (!(def = virSecretDefParse(NULL, path, 0)))
         goto cleanup;
 
     if (virSecretLoadValidateUUID(def, file) < 0)
diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index c1ecd1ab04..6334cbb448 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -1010,8 +1010,7 @@ virObjectEventStateQueue;
 # conf/secret_conf.h
 virSecretDefFormat;
 virSecretDefFree;
-virSecretDefParseFile;
-virSecretDefParseString;
+virSecretDefParse;
 virSecretUsageTypeFromString;
 virSecretUsageTypeToString;
 
diff --git a/src/secret/secret_driver.c b/src/secret/secret_driver.c
index 6328589fa4..bd981a8ace 100644
--- a/src/secret/secret_driver.c
+++ b/src/secret/secret_driver.c
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ secretDefineXML(virConnectPtr conn,
 
     virCheckFlags(VIR_SECRET_DEFINE_VALIDATE, NULL);
 
-    if (!(def = virSecretDefParseString(xml, flags)))
+    if (!(def = virSecretDefParse(xml, NULL, flags)))
         return NULL;
 
     if (virSecretDefineXMLEnsureACL(conn, def) < 0)
diff --git a/tests/secretxml2xmltest.c b/tests/secretxml2xmltest.c
index 828e44a32b..eb4d3e143c 100644
--- a/tests/secretxml2xmltest.c
+++ b/tests/secretxml2xmltest.c
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ testCompareXMLToXMLFiles(const char *inxml, const char *outxml)
     g_autofree char *actual = NULL;
     g_autoptr(virSecretDef) secret = NULL;
 
-    if (!(secret = virSecretDefParseFile(inxml)))
+    if (!(secret = virSecretDefParse(NULL, inxml, 0)))
         return -1;
 
     if (!(actual = virSecretDefFormat(secret)))