diff --git a/hw/pci/pci.c b/hw/pci/pci.c
index 5849606f66..449abfb182 100644
--- a/hw/pci/pci.c
+++ b/hw/pci/pci.c
@@ -1853,78 +1853,6 @@ const pci_class_desc *get_class_desc(int class)
     return desc;
 }
 
-/* Initialize a PCI NIC.  */
-PCIDevice *pci_nic_init_nofail(NICInfo *nd, PCIBus *rootbus,
-                               const char *default_model,
-                               const char *default_devaddr)
-{
-    const char *devaddr = nd->devaddr ? nd->devaddr : default_devaddr;
-    GPtrArray *pci_nic_models;
-    PCIBus *bus;
-    PCIDevice *pci_dev;
-    DeviceState *dev;
-    int devfn;
-    int i;
-    int dom, busnr;
-    unsigned slot;
-
-    if (nd->model && !strcmp(nd->model, "virtio")) {
-        g_free(nd->model);
-        nd->model = g_strdup("virtio-net-pci");
-    }
-
-    pci_nic_models = qemu_get_nic_models(TYPE_PCI_DEVICE);
-
-    if (qemu_show_nic_models(nd->model, (const char **)pci_nic_models->pdata)) {
-        exit(0);
-    }
-
-    i = qemu_find_nic_model(nd, (const char **)pci_nic_models->pdata,
-                            default_model);
-    if (i < 0) {
-        exit(1);
-    }
-
-    if (!rootbus) {
-        error_report("No primary PCI bus");
-        exit(1);
-    }
-
-    assert(!rootbus->parent_dev);
-
-    if (!devaddr) {
-        devfn = -1;
-        busnr = 0;
-    } else {
-        if (pci_parse_devaddr(devaddr, &dom, &busnr, &slot, NULL) < 0) {
-            error_report("Invalid PCI device address %s for device %s",
-                         devaddr, nd->model);
-            exit(1);
-        }
-
-        if (dom != 0) {
-            error_report("No support for non-zero PCI domains");
-            exit(1);
-        }
-
-        devfn = PCI_DEVFN(slot, 0);
-    }
-
-    bus = pci_find_bus_nr(rootbus, busnr);
-    if (!bus) {
-        error_report("Invalid PCI device address %s for device %s",
-                     devaddr, nd->model);
-        exit(1);
-    }
-
-    pci_dev = pci_new(devfn, nd->model);
-    dev = &pci_dev->qdev;
-    qdev_set_nic_properties(dev, nd);
-    pci_realize_and_unref(pci_dev, bus, &error_fatal);
-    g_ptr_array_free(pci_nic_models, true);
-    return pci_dev;
-}
-
 void pci_init_nic_devices(PCIBus *bus, const char *default_model)
 {
     qemu_create_nic_bus_devices(&bus->qbus, TYPE_PCI_DEVICE, default_model,
diff --git a/include/hw/pci/pci.h b/include/hw/pci/pci.h
index 6ff0b95a02..eaa3fc99d8 100644
--- a/include/hw/pci/pci.h
+++ b/include/hw/pci/pci.h
@@ -314,9 +314,6 @@ void pci_device_set_intx_routing_notifier(PCIDevice *dev,
                                           PCIINTxRoutingNotifier notifier);
 void pci_device_reset(PCIDevice *dev);
 
-PCIDevice *pci_nic_init_nofail(NICInfo *nd, PCIBus *rootbus,
-                               const char *default_model,
-                               const char *default_devaddr);
 void pci_init_nic_devices(PCIBus *bus, const char *default_model);
 bool pci_init_nic_in_slot(PCIBus *rootbus, const char *default_model,
                           const char *alias, const char *devaddr);