diff --git a/include/linux/kobject.h b/include/linux/kobject.h
index ad81e1c51487..fc615a97e2d3 100644
--- a/include/linux/kobject.h
+++ b/include/linux/kobject.h
@@ -191,8 +191,6 @@ static inline struct kobj_type *get_ktype(struct kobject *kobj)
 }
 
 extern struct kobject *kset_find_obj(struct kset *, const char *);
-extern struct kobject *kset_find_obj_hinted(struct kset *, const char *,
-						struct kobject *);
 
 /* The global /sys/kernel/ kobject for people to chain off of */
 extern struct kobject *kernel_kobj;
diff --git a/lib/kobject.c b/lib/kobject.c
index 640bd98a4c8a..c33d7a18d635 100644
--- a/lib/kobject.c
+++ b/lib/kobject.c
@@ -745,44 +745,12 @@ void kset_unregister(struct kset *k)
  * take a reference and return the object.
  */
 struct kobject *kset_find_obj(struct kset *kset, const char *name)
-{
-	return kset_find_obj_hinted(kset, name, NULL);
-}
-
-/**
- * kset_find_obj_hinted - search for object in kset given a predecessor hint.
- * @kset: kset we're looking in.
- * @name: object's name.
- * @hint: hint to possible object's predecessor.
- *
- * Check the hint's next object and if it is a match return it directly,
- * otherwise, fall back to the behavior of kset_find_obj().  Either way
- * a reference for the returned object is held and the reference on the
- * hinted object is released.
- */
-struct kobject *kset_find_obj_hinted(struct kset *kset, const char *name,
-				     struct kobject *hint)
 {
 	struct kobject *k;
 	struct kobject *ret = NULL;
 
 	spin_lock(&kset->list_lock);
 
-	if (!hint)
-		goto slow_search;
-
-	/* end of list detection */
-	if (hint->entry.next == kset->list.next)
-		goto slow_search;
-
-	k = container_of(hint->entry.next, struct kobject, entry);
-	if (!kobject_name(k) || strcmp(kobject_name(k), name))
-		goto slow_search;
-
-	ret = kobject_get(k);
-	goto unlock_exit;
-
-slow_search:
 	list_for_each_entry(k, &kset->list, entry) {
 		if (kobject_name(k) && !strcmp(kobject_name(k), name)) {
 			ret = kobject_get(k);
@@ -790,12 +758,7 @@ struct kobject *kset_find_obj_hinted(struct kset *kset, const char *name,
 		}
 	}
 
-unlock_exit:
 	spin_unlock(&kset->list_lock);
-
-	if (hint)
-		kobject_put(hint);
-
 	return ret;
 }