diff --git a/src/tar.c b/src/tar.c
index e096d156..fb1f6463 100644
--- a/src/tar.c
+++ b/src/tar.c
@@ -2940,10 +2940,7 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
   /* There is little point to freeing, as we are about to exit,
      and freeing is more likely to cause than cure trouble.  */
   if (false)
-    {
-      free (archive_name_array);
-      xattrs_clear_setup ();
-    }
+    free (archive_name_array);
 
   if (exit_status == TAREXIT_FAILURE)
     error (0, 0, _("Exiting with failure status due to previous errors"));
diff --git a/src/xattrs.c b/src/xattrs.c
index 1683a531..5558293d 100644
--- a/src/xattrs.c
+++ b/src/xattrs.c
@@ -520,20 +520,6 @@ xattrs_mask_add (const char *mask, bool incl)
   mask_map->masks[mask_map->used++] = mask;
 }
 
-static void
-clear_mask_map (struct xattrs_mask_map *mask_map)
-{
-  if (mask_map->size)
-    free (mask_map->masks);
-}
-
-void
-xattrs_clear_setup (void)
-{
-  clear_mask_map (&xattrs_setup.incl);
-  clear_mask_map (&xattrs_setup.excl);
-}
-
 static bool xattrs_masked_out (const char *kw, bool archiving);
 
 /* get xattrs from file given by FILE_NAME or FD (when non-zero)
diff --git a/src/xattrs.h b/src/xattrs.h
index 71c37635..8ce7b661 100644
--- a/src/xattrs.h
+++ b/src/xattrs.h
@@ -26,9 +26,6 @@
    to true/false if you want to add include/exclude pattern */
 extern void xattrs_mask_add (const char *mask, bool incl);
 
-/* clear helping structures when tar finishes */
-extern void xattrs_clear_setup (void);
-
 extern void xattrs_acls_get (int parentfd, char const *file_name,
 			     struct tar_stat_info *st, int xisfile);
 extern void xattrs_selinux_get (int parentfd, char const *file_name,