diff --git a/drivers/staging/comedi/comedi_buf.c b/drivers/staging/comedi/comedi_buf.c
index 23e3bd175caa..6dd87cb2a8af 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/comedi/comedi_buf.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/comedi/comedi_buf.c
@@ -252,15 +252,15 @@ static unsigned int comedi_buf_write_n_available(struct comedi_subdevice *s)
 	return free_end - async->buf_write_alloc_count;
 }
 
-static unsigned int __comedi_buf_write_alloc(struct comedi_subdevice *s,
-					     unsigned int nbytes,
-					     int strict)
+/* allocates chunk for the writer from free buffer space */
+unsigned int comedi_buf_write_alloc(struct comedi_subdevice *s,
+				    unsigned int nbytes)
 {
 	struct comedi_async *async = s->async;
 	unsigned int available = comedi_buf_write_n_available(s);
 
 	if (nbytes > available)
-		nbytes = strict ? 0 : available;
+		nbytes = available;
 
 	async->buf_write_alloc_count += nbytes;
 
@@ -272,13 +272,6 @@ static unsigned int __comedi_buf_write_alloc(struct comedi_subdevice *s,
 
 	return nbytes;
 }
-
-/* allocates chunk for the writer from free buffer space */
-unsigned int comedi_buf_write_alloc(struct comedi_subdevice *s,
-				    unsigned int nbytes)
-{
-	return __comedi_buf_write_alloc(s, nbytes, 0);
-}
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(comedi_buf_write_alloc);
 
 /*