diff --git a/kmod/src/buddy.c b/kmod/src/buddy.c
index 52ff738f..f2edb18b 100644
--- a/kmod/src/buddy.c
+++ b/kmod/src/buddy.c
@@ -594,89 +594,6 @@ int scoutfs_buddy_alloc(struct super_block *sb, u64 *blkno, int order)
 	return alloc_region(sb, blkno, order, 0, REGION_BUDDY);
 }
 
-static int bitmap_dirty(struct super_block *sb, u64 blkno)
-{
-	struct scoutfs_sb_info *sbi = SCOUTFS_SB(sb);
-	struct buffer_head *bh;
-
-	/* mkfs should have ensured that there's bitmap blocks */
-	/* XXX corruption */
-	if (sbi->super.buddy_bm_ref.blkno == 0)
-		return -EIO;
-
-	/* dirty the bitmap block */
-	bh = scoutfs_block_dirty_ref(sb, &sbi->super.buddy_bm_ref);
-	if (IS_ERR(bh))
-		return PTR_ERR(bh);
-
-	scoutfs_block_put(bh);
-	return 0;
-}
-
-static int buddy_dirty(struct super_block *sb, u64 blkno, int order)
-{
-	struct scoutfs_sb_info *sbi = SCOUTFS_SB(sb);
-	struct scoutfs_super_block *super = &sbi->super;
-	struct scoutfs_buddy_indirect *ind;
-	struct buffer_head *ind_bh = NULL;
-	struct buffer_head *bh = NULL;
-	int ret;
-	int sl;
-
-	mutex_lock(&sbi->buddy_mutex);
-
-	/* mkfs should have ensured that there's indirect blocks */
-	if (sbi->super.buddy_ind_ref.blkno == 0) {
-		ret = -EIO;
-		goto out;
-	}
-
-	/* get the dirty indirect block */
-	ind_bh = scoutfs_block_dirty_ref(sb, &sbi->super.buddy_ind_ref);
-	if (IS_ERR(ind_bh)) {
-		ret = PTR_ERR(ind_bh);
-		goto out;
-	}
-	ind = bh_data(ind_bh);
-
-	sl = indirect_slot(super, blkno);
-	bh = dirty_buddy_block(sb, sl, &ind->slots[sl]);
-	if (IS_ERR(bh))
-		ret = PTR_ERR(bh);
-	else
-		ret = 0;
-out:
-	mutex_unlock(&sbi->buddy_mutex);
-	scoutfs_block_put(ind_bh);
-	scoutfs_block_put(bh);
-
-	return ret;
-}
-
-
-/*
- * Create dirty cow copies of the bitmap, indirect, and buddy blocks
- * so that a free of the given extent in the current transaction is
- * guaranteed to succeed.
- *
- * This is only meant for buddy allocators who are complicated enough
- * to need help avoiding error conditions.
- */
-int scoutfs_buddy_dirty(struct super_block *sb, u64 blkno, int order)
-{
-	struct scoutfs_sb_info *sbi = SCOUTFS_SB(sb);
-	struct scoutfs_super_block *super = &sbi->super;
-
-	switch(blkno_region(super, blkno)) {
-		case REGION_BM:
-			return bitmap_dirty(sb, blkno);
-		case REGION_BUDDY:
-			return buddy_dirty(sb, blkno, order);
-	}
-
-	return 0;
-}
-
 /*
  * The block layer allocates from the same region as an existing blkno
  * when it's allocating for cow.
diff --git a/kmod/src/buddy.h b/kmod/src/buddy.h
index 8397aa12..b4e5b2f6 100644
--- a/kmod/src/buddy.h
+++ b/kmod/src/buddy.h
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 int scoutfs_buddy_alloc(struct super_block *sb, u64 *blkno, int order);
 int scoutfs_buddy_alloc_same(struct super_block *sb, u64 *blkno, int order,
 			     u64 existing);
-int scoutfs_buddy_dirty(struct super_block *sb, u64 blkno, int order);
 int scoutfs_buddy_free(struct super_block *sb, u64 blkno, int order);
 
 #endif