diff --git a/src/conf/numa_conf.c b/src/conf/numa_conf.c
index cc6c77f105..b5ddf2c134 100644
--- a/src/conf/numa_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/numa_conf.c
@@ -1374,7 +1374,7 @@ virDomainNumaDefValidate(const virDomainNuma *def)
 
     for (i = 0; i < def->nmem_nodes; i++) {
         const virDomainNumaNode *node = &def->mem_nodes[i];
-        g_autoptr(virBitmap) levelsSeen = virBitmapNewEmpty();
+        g_autoptr(virBitmap) levelsSeen = virBitmapNew(0);
 
         for (j = 0; j < node->ncaches; j++) {
             const virDomainNumaCache *cache = &node->caches[j];
diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index 185f120f6b..01ae3cad93 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -1683,7 +1683,6 @@ virBitmapLastSetBit;
 virBitmapNew;
 virBitmapNewCopy;
 virBitmapNewData;
-virBitmapNewEmpty;
 virBitmapNewString;
 virBitmapNextClearBit;
 virBitmapNextSetBit;
diff --git a/src/util/virbitmap.c b/src/util/virbitmap.c
index 3545160957..79e9ca9683 100644
--- a/src/util/virbitmap.c
+++ b/src/util/virbitmap.c
@@ -84,20 +84,6 @@ virBitmapNew(size_t size)
 }
 
 
-/**
- * virBitmapNewEmpty:
- *
- * Allocate an empty bitmap. It can be used with self-expanding APIs.
- *
- * Returns a pointer to the allocated bitmap.
- */
-virBitmapPtr
-virBitmapNewEmpty(void)
-{
-    return g_new0(virBitmap, 1);
-}
-
-
 /**
  * virBitmapFree:
  * @bitmap: previously allocated bitmap
@@ -576,7 +562,7 @@ virBitmapParse(const char *str,
 virBitmapPtr
 virBitmapParseUnlimited(const char *str)
 {
-    virBitmapPtr bitmap = virBitmapNewEmpty();
+    virBitmapPtr bitmap = virBitmapNew(0);
     bool neg = false;
     const char *cur = str;
     char *tmp;
diff --git a/src/util/virbitmap.h b/src/util/virbitmap.h
index 88af3bbadc..cd5caa6f61 100644
--- a/src/util/virbitmap.h
+++ b/src/util/virbitmap.h
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ typedef virBitmap *virBitmapPtr;
  * Allocate a bitmap capable of containing @size bits.
  */
 virBitmapPtr virBitmapNew(size_t size);
-virBitmapPtr virBitmapNewEmpty(void) G_GNUC_WARN_UNUSED_RESULT;
 
 /*
  * Free previously allocated bitmap
diff --git a/src/util/virhostcpu.c b/src/util/virhostcpu.c
index f7e92cd924..c00a393def 100644
--- a/src/util/virhostcpu.c
+++ b/src/util/virhostcpu.c
@@ -336,7 +336,7 @@ virHostCPUParseNode(const char *node,
         goto cleanup;
 
     /* enumerate sockets in the node */
-    sockets_map = virBitmapNewEmpty();
+    sockets_map = virBitmapNew(0);
 
     while ((direrr = virDirRead(cpudir, &cpudirent, node)) > 0) {
         if (sscanf(cpudirent->d_name, "cpu%u", &cpu) != 1)
@@ -372,7 +372,7 @@ virHostCPUParseNode(const char *node,
         goto cleanup;
 
     for (i = 0; i < sock_max; i++)
-        cores_maps[i] = virBitmapNewEmpty();
+        cores_maps[i] = virBitmapNew(0);
 
     /* Iterate over all CPUs in the node, in ascending order */
     for (cpu = 0; cpu < npresent_cpus; cpu++) {
diff --git a/src/util/virnuma.c b/src/util/virnuma.c
index 39f0f30917..5a1218cdf2 100644
--- a/src/util/virnuma.c
+++ b/src/util/virnuma.c
@@ -311,7 +311,7 @@ virNumaNodesetToCPUset(virBitmapPtr nodeset,
     if (!nodeset)
         return 0;
 
-    allNodesCPUs = virBitmapNewEmpty();
+    allNodesCPUs = virBitmapNew(0);
     nodesetSize = virBitmapSize(nodeset);
 
     for (i = 0; i < nodesetSize; i++) {
diff --git a/src/util/virtpm.c b/src/util/virtpm.c
index 1a3b5a05aa..0e11674a3c 100644
--- a/src/util/virtpm.c
+++ b/src/util/virtpm.c
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ virTPMExecGetCaps(virCommandPtr cmd,
     if (virCommandRun(cmd, &exitstatus) < 0)
         return NULL;
 
-    bitmap = virBitmapNewEmpty();
+    bitmap = virBitmapNew(0);
 
     /* older version does not support --print-capabilties -- that's fine */
     if (exitstatus != 0) {
diff --git a/tests/virbitmaptest.c b/tests/virbitmaptest.c
index 3559e61be7..efdce51c3b 100644
--- a/tests/virbitmaptest.c
+++ b/tests/virbitmaptest.c
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ test4a(const void *data G_GNUC_UNUSED)
 
     /* 0. empty set */
 
-    bitmap = virBitmapNewEmpty();
+    bitmap = virBitmapNew(0);
 
     if (virBitmapNextSetBit(bitmap, -1) != -1)
         return -1;
@@ -561,7 +561,7 @@ test11(const void *opaque)
 static int
 test12a(const void *opaque G_GNUC_UNUSED)
 {
-    g_autoptr(virBitmap) map = virBitmapNewEmpty();
+    g_autoptr(virBitmap) map = virBitmapNew(0);
 
     if (checkBitmap(map, "", 0) < 0)
         return -1;
@@ -687,11 +687,11 @@ test15(const void *opaque)
 }
 
 
-/* virBitmapNewEmpty + virBitmapToString */
+/* virBitmapNew(0) + virBitmapToString */
 static int
 test16(const void *opaque G_GNUC_UNUSED)
 {
-    g_autoptr(virBitmap) map = virBitmapNewEmpty();
+    g_autoptr(virBitmap) map = virBitmapNew(0);
     g_autofree char *res_empty = NULL;
     g_autofree char *res_set = NULL;