diff --git a/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_ebiptables_driver.c b/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_ebiptables_driver.c
index 34107a2cc3..d0acb23658 100644
--- a/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_ebiptables_driver.c
+++ b/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_ebiptables_driver.c
@@ -507,7 +507,11 @@ ebiptablesAddRuleInst(virNWFilterRuleInstPtr res,
     inst->priority = priority;
     inst->ruleType = ruleType;
 
-    return virNWFilterRuleInstAddData(res, inst);
+    if (VIR_APPEND_ELEMENT(res->data, res->ndata, inst) < 0) {
+        VIR_FREE(inst);
+        return -1;
+    }
+    return 0;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_gentech_driver.c b/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_gentech_driver.c
index 5c3b25edc3..1e9b3d2dfe 100644
--- a/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_gentech_driver.c
+++ b/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_gentech_driver.c
@@ -115,28 +115,6 @@ virNWFilterTechDriverForName(const char *name)
 }
 
 
-/**
- * virNWFilterRuleInstAddData:
- * @res : pointer to virNWFilterRuleInst object collecting the instantiation
- *        data of a single firewall rule.
- * @data : the opaque data that the driver wants to add
- *
- * Add instantiation data to a firewall rule. An instantiated firewall
- * rule may hold multiple data structure representing its instantiation
- * data. This may for example be the case if a rule has been defined
- * for bidirectional traffic and data needs to be added to the incoming
- * and outgoing chains.
- *
- * Returns 0 in case of success, -1 in case of an error.
- */
-int
-virNWFilterRuleInstAddData(virNWFilterRuleInstPtr res,
-                           void *data)
-{
-    return VIR_APPEND_ELEMENT(res->data, res->ndata, data);
-}
-
-
 static void
 virNWFilterRuleInstFree(virNWFilterRuleInstPtr inst)
 {
diff --git a/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_gentech_driver.h b/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_gentech_driver.h
index d72e040725..52bd1f6777 100644
--- a/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_gentech_driver.h
+++ b/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_gentech_driver.h
@@ -28,9 +28,6 @@
 
 virNWFilterTechDriverPtr virNWFilterTechDriverForName(const char *name);
 
-int virNWFilterRuleInstAddData(virNWFilterRuleInstPtr res,
-                               void *data);
-
 int virNWFilterTechDriversInit(bool privileged);
 void virNWFilterTechDriversShutdown(void);