diff --git a/net/rxrpc/ar-internal.h b/net/rxrpc/ar-internal.h
index 37f3aec784cc..5b732a4af009 100644
--- a/net/rxrpc/ar-internal.h
+++ b/net/rxrpc/ar-internal.h
@@ -1073,7 +1073,6 @@ void rxrpc_destroy_all_peers(struct rxrpc_net *);
 struct rxrpc_peer *rxrpc_get_peer(struct rxrpc_peer *, enum rxrpc_peer_trace);
 struct rxrpc_peer *rxrpc_get_peer_maybe(struct rxrpc_peer *, enum rxrpc_peer_trace);
 void rxrpc_put_peer(struct rxrpc_peer *, enum rxrpc_peer_trace);
-void rxrpc_put_peer_locked(struct rxrpc_peer *, enum rxrpc_peer_trace);
 
 /*
  * proc.c
diff --git a/net/rxrpc/peer_event.c b/net/rxrpc/peer_event.c
index 6685bf917aa6..552ba84a255c 100644
--- a/net/rxrpc/peer_event.c
+++ b/net/rxrpc/peer_event.c
@@ -235,6 +235,7 @@ static void rxrpc_peer_keepalive_dispatch(struct rxrpc_net *rxnet,
 	struct rxrpc_peer *peer;
 	const u8 mask = ARRAY_SIZE(rxnet->peer_keepalive) - 1;
 	time64_t keepalive_at;
+	bool use;
 	int slot;
 
 	spin_lock(&rxnet->peer_hash_lock);
@@ -247,9 +248,10 @@ static void rxrpc_peer_keepalive_dispatch(struct rxrpc_net *rxnet,
 		if (!rxrpc_get_peer_maybe(peer, rxrpc_peer_get_keepalive))
 			continue;
 
-		if (__rxrpc_use_local(peer->local, rxrpc_local_use_peer_keepalive)) {
-			spin_unlock(&rxnet->peer_hash_lock);
+		use = __rxrpc_use_local(peer->local, rxrpc_local_use_peer_keepalive);
+		spin_unlock(&rxnet->peer_hash_lock);
 
+		if (use) {
 			keepalive_at = peer->last_tx_at + RXRPC_KEEPALIVE_TIME;
 			slot = keepalive_at - base;
 			_debug("%02x peer %u t=%d {%pISp}",
@@ -270,9 +272,11 @@ static void rxrpc_peer_keepalive_dispatch(struct rxrpc_net *rxnet,
 			spin_lock(&rxnet->peer_hash_lock);
 			list_add_tail(&peer->keepalive_link,
 				      &rxnet->peer_keepalive[slot & mask]);
+			spin_unlock(&rxnet->peer_hash_lock);
 			rxrpc_unuse_local(peer->local, rxrpc_local_unuse_peer_keepalive);
 		}
-		rxrpc_put_peer_locked(peer, rxrpc_peer_put_keepalive);
+		rxrpc_put_peer(peer, rxrpc_peer_put_keepalive);
+		spin_lock(&rxnet->peer_hash_lock);
 	}
 
 	spin_unlock(&rxnet->peer_hash_lock);
diff --git a/net/rxrpc/peer_object.c b/net/rxrpc/peer_object.c
index 608946dcc505..82de295393a0 100644
--- a/net/rxrpc/peer_object.c
+++ b/net/rxrpc/peer_object.c
@@ -438,25 +438,6 @@ void rxrpc_put_peer(struct rxrpc_peer *peer, enum rxrpc_peer_trace why)
 	}
 }
 
-/*
- * Drop a ref on a peer record where the caller already holds the
- * peer_hash_lock.
- */
-void rxrpc_put_peer_locked(struct rxrpc_peer *peer, enum rxrpc_peer_trace why)
-{
-	unsigned int debug_id = peer->debug_id;
-	bool dead;
-	int r;
-
-	dead = __refcount_dec_and_test(&peer->ref, &r);
-	trace_rxrpc_peer(debug_id, r - 1, why);
-	if (dead) {
-		hash_del_rcu(&peer->hash_link);
-		list_del_init(&peer->keepalive_link);
-		rxrpc_free_peer(peer);
-	}
-}
-
 /*
  * Make sure all peer records have been discarded.
  */