diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index 5b9968438c..310376b039 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -180,7 +180,6 @@ ebtablesAddForwardAllowIn;
 ebtablesAddForwardPolicyReject;
 ebtablesContextNew;
 ebtablesRemoveForwardAllowIn;
-ebtablesSaveRules;
 
 
 # event.h
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_bridge_filter.c b/src/qemu/qemu_bridge_filter.c
index 862099507c..f591917e63 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_bridge_filter.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_bridge_filter.c
@@ -44,7 +44,6 @@ networkAddEbtablesRules(struct qemud_driver *driver) {
                              __FILE__);
         return err;
     }
-    ebtablesSaveRules(driver->ebtables);
 
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/util/ebtables.c b/src/util/ebtables.c
index 20f33425be..4244adc775 100644
--- a/src/util/ebtables.c
+++ b/src/util/ebtables.c
@@ -64,12 +64,6 @@ enum {
     INSERT
 };
 
-static void
-ebtRulesSave(ebtRules *rules)
-{
-    (void) rules;
-}
-
 static void
 ebtRuleFree(ebtRule *rule)
 {
@@ -315,22 +309,6 @@ ebtablesContextFree(ebtablesContext *ctx)
     VIR_FREE(ctx);
 }
 
-/**
- * ebtablesSaveRules:
- * @ctx: pointer to the EB table context
- *
- * Saves all the EB table rules associated with a context
- * to disk so that if ebtables is restarted, the rules
- * will automatically be reload.
- */
-void
-ebtablesSaveRules(ebtablesContext *ctx)
-{
-    ebtRulesSave(ctx->input_filter);
-    ebtRulesSave(ctx->forward_filter);
-    ebtRulesSave(ctx->nat_postrouting);
-}
-
 int
 ebtablesAddForwardPolicyReject(ebtablesContext *ctx)
 {