diff --git a/include/qapi/error.h b/include/qapi/error.h
index 79958011db..d712089f1a 100644
--- a/include/qapi/error.h
+++ b/include/qapi/error.h
@@ -67,12 +67,6 @@ void error_set_win32(Error **errp, int win32_err, ErrorClass err_class,
  */
 void error_setg_file_open(Error **errp, int os_errno, const char *filename);
 
-/**
- * Returns true if an indirect pointer to an error is pointing to a valid
- * error object.
- */
-bool error_is_set(Error **errp);
-
 /*
  * Get the error class of an error object.
  */
diff --git a/util/error.c b/util/error.c
index 66245ccd1f..2ace0d8dd9 100644
--- a/util/error.c
+++ b/util/error.c
@@ -142,11 +142,6 @@ Error *error_copy(const Error *err)
     return err_new;
 }
 
-bool error_is_set(Error **errp)
-{
-    return (errp && *errp);
-}
-
 ErrorClass error_get_class(const Error *err)
 {
     return err->err_class;