diff --git a/include/linux/irq.h b/include/linux/irq.h
index b27cfcfd3a59..61f5cec031e0 100644
--- a/include/linux/irq.h
+++ b/include/linux/irq.h
@@ -335,11 +335,6 @@ struct irq_chip {
 	void		(*irq_print_chip)(struct irq_data *data, struct seq_file *p);
 
 	unsigned long	flags;
-
-	/* Currently used only by UML, might disappear one day.*/
-#ifdef CONFIG_IRQ_RELEASE_METHOD
-	void		(*release)(unsigned int irq, void *dev_id);
-#endif
 };
 
 /*
diff --git a/kernel/irq/manage.c b/kernel/irq/manage.c
index 89a3ea82569b..9b7f68a00e5e 100644
--- a/kernel/irq/manage.c
+++ b/kernel/irq/manage.c
@@ -1204,12 +1204,6 @@ static struct irqaction *__free_irq(unsigned int irq, void *dev_id)
 	/* Found it - now remove it from the list of entries: */
 	*action_ptr = action->next;
 
-	/* Currently used only by UML, might disappear one day: */
-#ifdef CONFIG_IRQ_RELEASE_METHOD
-	if (desc->irq_data.chip->release)
-		desc->irq_data.chip->release(irq, dev_id);
-#endif
-
 	/* If this was the last handler, shut down the IRQ line: */
 	if (!desc->action)
 		irq_shutdown(desc);