diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index ae23901329..4e9b616621 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -2316,7 +2316,6 @@ virFirewallRuleAddArgFormat;
 virFirewallRuleAddArgList;
 virFirewallRuleAddArgSet;
 virFirewallRuleGetArgCount;
-virFirewallSetBackend;
 virFirewallStartRollback;
 virFirewallStartTransaction;
 
diff --git a/src/util/virfirewall.c b/src/util/virfirewall.c
index 1e6c667ee1..98d78857df 100644
--- a/src/util/virfirewall.c
+++ b/src/util/virfirewall.c
@@ -22,8 +22,7 @@
 
 #include <stdarg.h>
 
-#define LIBVIRT_VIRFIREWALLPRIV_H_ALLOW
-#include "virfirewallpriv.h"
+#include "virfirewall.h"
 #include "virfirewalld.h"
 #include "viralloc.h"
 #include "virerror.h"
@@ -81,61 +80,16 @@ struct _virFirewall {
     size_t currentGroup;
 };
 
-static virFirewallBackend currentBackend = VIR_FIREWALL_BACKEND_AUTOMATIC;
 static virMutex ruleLock = VIR_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
 
-static int
-virFirewallValidateBackend(virFirewallBackend backend);
-
 static int
 virFirewallOnceInit(void)
 {
-    return virFirewallValidateBackend(currentBackend);
+    return 0;
 }
 
 VIR_ONCE_GLOBAL_INIT(virFirewall);
 
-static int
-virFirewallValidateBackend(virFirewallBackend backend)
-{
-    if (backend == VIR_FIREWALL_BACKEND_AUTOMATIC ||
-        backend == VIR_FIREWALL_BACKEND_FIREWALLD) {
-        int rv = virFirewallDIsRegistered();
-
-        VIR_DEBUG("Firewalld is registered ? %d", rv);
-
-        if (rv == -1)
-            return -1;
-
-        if (rv == -2) {
-            if (backend == VIR_FIREWALL_BACKEND_FIREWALLD) {
-                virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s",
-                               _("firewalld backend requested, but service is not running"));
-                return -1;
-            } else {
-                VIR_DEBUG("firewalld service not running, using direct backend");
-                backend = VIR_FIREWALL_BACKEND_DIRECT;
-            }
-        } else {
-            VIR_DEBUG("firewalld service running, using firewalld backend");
-            backend = VIR_FIREWALL_BACKEND_FIREWALLD;
-        }
-    }
-
-    currentBackend = backend;
-    return 0;
-}
-
-int
-virFirewallSetBackend(virFirewallBackend backend)
-{
-    currentBackend = backend;
-
-    if (virFirewallInitialize() < 0)
-        return -1;
-
-    return virFirewallValidateBackend(backend);
-}
 
 static virFirewallGroup *
 virFirewallGroupNew(void)
diff --git a/src/util/virfirewallpriv.h b/src/util/virfirewallpriv.h
deleted file mode 100644
index b846f8799c..0000000000
--- a/src/util/virfirewallpriv.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,37 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * virfirewallpriv.h: integration with firewalls private APIs
- *
- * Copyright (C) 2013 Red Hat, Inc.
- *
- * This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
- * modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
- * License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
- * version 2.1 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
- *
- * This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
- * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
- * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
- * Lesser General Public License for more details.
- *
- * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
- * License along with this library.  If not, see
- * <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
- */
-
-#ifndef LIBVIRT_VIRFIREWALLPRIV_H_ALLOW
-# error "virfirewallpriv.h may only be included by virfirewall.c or test suites"
-#endif /* LIBVIRT_VIRFIREWALLPRIV_H_ALLOW */
-
-#pragma once
-
-#include "virfirewall.h"
-
-typedef enum {
-    VIR_FIREWALL_BACKEND_AUTOMATIC,
-    VIR_FIREWALL_BACKEND_DIRECT,
-    VIR_FIREWALL_BACKEND_FIREWALLD,
-
-    VIR_FIREWALL_BACKEND_LAST,
-} virFirewallBackend;
-
-int virFirewallSetBackend(virFirewallBackend backend);
diff --git a/tests/networkxml2firewalltest.c b/tests/networkxml2firewalltest.c
index 68a82e60d6..11be85e06f 100644
--- a/tests/networkxml2firewalltest.c
+++ b/tests/networkxml2firewalltest.c
@@ -31,9 +31,7 @@
 # include "network/bridge_driver_platform.h"
 # include "virbuffer.h"
 # include "virmock.h"
-
-# define LIBVIRT_VIRFIREWALLPRIV_H_ALLOW
-# include "virfirewallpriv.h"
+# include "virfirewall.h"
 
 # define LIBVIRT_VIRCOMMANDPRIV_H_ALLOW
 # include "vircommandpriv.h"
@@ -167,10 +165,6 @@ mymain(void)
             ret = -1; \
     } while (0)
 
-    if (virFirewallSetBackend(VIR_FIREWALL_BACKEND_DIRECT) < 0) {
-        return EXIT_FAILURE;
-    }
-
     basefile = g_strdup_printf("%s/networkxml2firewalldata/base.args", abs_srcdir);
 
     if (virFileReadAll(basefile, INT_MAX, &baseargs) < 0)
diff --git a/tests/nwfilterebiptablestest.c b/tests/nwfilterebiptablestest.c
index 9307a10229..35c1c772ae 100644
--- a/tests/nwfilterebiptablestest.c
+++ b/tests/nwfilterebiptablestest.c
@@ -26,9 +26,6 @@
 #include "virbuffer.h"
 #include "virfirewall.h"
 
-#define LIBVIRT_VIRFIREWALLPRIV_H_ALLOW
-#include "virfirewallpriv.h"
-
 #define LIBVIRT_VIRCOMMANDPRIV_H_ALLOW
 #include "vircommandpriv.h"
 
@@ -460,10 +457,6 @@ mymain(void)
 {
     int ret = 0;
 
-    if (virFirewallSetBackend(VIR_FIREWALL_BACKEND_DIRECT) < 0) {
-        return EXIT_FAILURE;
-    }
-
     if (virTestRun("ebiptablesAllTeardown",
                    testNWFilterEBIPTablesAllTeardown,
                    NULL) < 0)
diff --git a/tests/nwfilterxml2firewalltest.c b/tests/nwfilterxml2firewalltest.c
index 857214dde5..ec37a4ae11 100644
--- a/tests/nwfilterxml2firewalltest.c
+++ b/tests/nwfilterxml2firewalltest.c
@@ -26,9 +26,7 @@
 # include "testutils.h"
 # include "nwfilter/nwfilter_ebiptables_driver.h"
 # include "virbuffer.h"
-
-# define LIBVIRT_VIRFIREWALLPRIV_H_ALLOW
-# include "virfirewallpriv.h"
+# include "virfirewall.h"
 
 # define LIBVIRT_VIRCOMMANDPRIV_H_ALLOW
 # include "vircommandpriv.h"
@@ -423,10 +421,6 @@ mymain(void)
             ret = -1; \
     } while (0)
 
-    if (virFirewallSetBackend(VIR_FIREWALL_BACKEND_DIRECT) < 0) {
-        return EXIT_FAILURE;
-    }
-
     DO_TEST("ah");
     DO_TEST("ah-ipv6");
     DO_TEST("all");
diff --git a/tests/virfirewalltest.c b/tests/virfirewalltest.c
index 724d3081f1..8a0ca6be07 100644
--- a/tests/virfirewalltest.c
+++ b/tests/virfirewalltest.c
@@ -25,10 +25,10 @@
 # include <gio/gio.h>
 
 # include "virbuffer.h"
+# include "virfirewall.h"
+
 # define LIBVIRT_VIRCOMMANDPRIV_H_ALLOW
 # include "vircommandpriv.h"
-# define LIBVIRT_VIRFIREWALLPRIV_H_ALLOW
-# include "virfirewallpriv.h"
 # define LIBVIRT_VIRFIREWALLDPRIV_H_ALLOW
 # include "virfirewalldpriv.h"
 # include "virmock.h"
@@ -779,9 +779,6 @@ mymain(void)
 {
     int ret = 0;
 
-    if (virFirewallSetBackend(VIR_FIREWALL_BACKEND_DIRECT) < 0)
-        return EXIT_FAILURE;
-
 # define RUN_TEST(name, method) \
     do { \
         if (virTestRun(name, method, NULL) < 0) \