diff --git a/block/block-backend.c b/block/block-backend.c
index 0056b526b8..fdd6b01ecf 100644
--- a/block/block-backend.c
+++ b/block/block-backend.c
@@ -1237,22 +1237,6 @@ static int blk_prw(BlockBackend *blk, int64_t offset, uint8_t *buf,
     return rwco.ret;
 }
 
-int blk_pread_unthrottled(BlockBackend *blk, int64_t offset, uint8_t *buf,
-                          int count)
-{
-    int ret;
-
-    ret = blk_check_byte_request(blk, offset, count);
-    if (ret < 0) {
-        return ret;
-    }
-
-    blk_root_drained_begin(blk->root);
-    ret = blk_pread(blk, offset, buf, count);
-    blk_root_drained_end(blk->root, NULL);
-    return ret;
-}
-
 int blk_pwrite_zeroes(BlockBackend *blk, int64_t offset,
                       int bytes, BdrvRequestFlags flags)
 {
diff --git a/hw/block/hd-geometry.c b/hw/block/hd-geometry.c
index 79384a2b0a..dcbccee294 100644
--- a/hw/block/hd-geometry.c
+++ b/hw/block/hd-geometry.c
@@ -63,12 +63,7 @@ static int guess_disk_lchs(BlockBackend *blk,
 
     blk_get_geometry(blk, &nb_sectors);
 
-    /**
-     * The function will be invoked during startup not only in sync I/O mode,
-     * but also in async I/O mode. So the I/O throttling function has to
-     * be disabled temporarily here, not permanently.
-     */
-    if (blk_pread_unthrottled(blk, 0, buf, BDRV_SECTOR_SIZE) < 0) {
+    if (blk_pread(blk, 0, buf, BDRV_SECTOR_SIZE) < 0) {
         return -1;
     }
     /* test msdos magic */
diff --git a/include/sysemu/block-backend.h b/include/sysemu/block-backend.h
index 733c4957eb..7320b58467 100644
--- a/include/sysemu/block-backend.h
+++ b/include/sysemu/block-backend.h
@@ -117,8 +117,6 @@ char *blk_get_attached_dev_id(BlockBackend *blk);
 BlockBackend *blk_by_dev(void *dev);
 BlockBackend *blk_by_qdev_id(const char *id, Error **errp);
 void blk_set_dev_ops(BlockBackend *blk, const BlockDevOps *ops, void *opaque);
-int blk_pread_unthrottled(BlockBackend *blk, int64_t offset, uint8_t *buf,
-                          int bytes);
 int coroutine_fn blk_co_preadv(BlockBackend *blk, int64_t offset,
                                unsigned int bytes, QEMUIOVector *qiov,
                                BdrvRequestFlags flags);