diff --git a/src/libnm-log-core/nm-logging.c b/src/libnm-log-core/nm-logging.c
index 0909e7992..a2bd2a272 100644
--- a/src/libnm-log-core/nm-logging.c
+++ b/src/libnm-log-core/nm-logging.c
@@ -92,7 +92,6 @@ typedef struct {
 typedef struct {
     NMLogLevel  log_level;
     bool        uses_syslog : 1;
-    bool        init_pre_done : 1;
     bool        init_done : 1;
     bool        debug_stderr : 1;
     const char *prefix;
@@ -926,40 +925,6 @@ nm_logging_syslog_enabled(void)
     return gl.imm.uses_syslog;
 }
 
-void
-nm_logging_init_pre(const char *syslog_identifier, char *prefix_take)
-{
-    /* this function may be called zero or one times, and only
-     * - on the main thread
-     * - not after nm_logging_init(). */
-
-    NM_ASSERT_ON_MAIN_THREAD();
-
-    if (gl.imm.init_pre_done)
-        g_return_if_reached();
-
-    if (gl.imm.init_done)
-        g_return_if_reached();
-
-    if (!_syslog_identifier_valid_domain(syslog_identifier))
-        g_return_if_reached();
-
-    if (!prefix_take || !prefix_take[0])
-        g_return_if_reached();
-
-    G_LOCK(log);
-
-    gl.mut.init_pre_done = TRUE;
-
-    gl.mut.syslog_identifier = g_strdup_printf("SYSLOG_IDENTIFIER=%s", syslog_identifier);
-    nm_assert(_syslog_identifier_assert(gl.imm.syslog_identifier));
-
-    /* we pass the allocated string on and never free it. */
-    gl.mut.prefix = prefix_take;
-
-    G_UNLOCK(log);
-}
-
 void
 nm_logging_init(const char *logging_backend, gboolean debug)
 {
diff --git a/src/libnm-log-core/nm-logging.h b/src/libnm-log-core/nm-logging.h
index 807196755..82d8fc2d9 100644
--- a/src/libnm-log-core/nm-logging.h
+++ b/src/libnm-log-core/nm-logging.h
@@ -145,8 +145,6 @@ const char *nm_logging_all_domains_to_string(void);
 gboolean
 nm_logging_setup(const char *level, const char *domains, char **bad_domains, GError **error);
 
-void nm_logging_init_pre(const char *syslog_identifier, char *prefix_take);
-
 void nm_logging_init(const char *logging_backend, gboolean debug);
 
 gboolean nm_logging_syslog_enabled(void);