diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index f9834a36c2..22679db85d 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -1541,19 +1541,6 @@ void main(void) {
   elif get_option('driver_lxc').enabled()
     error('Required kernel features for LXC were not found')
   endif
-
-  lxc_get_free_code = '''
-#include <sched.h>
-#include <linux/loop.h>
-#include <sys/epoll.h>
-
-void main(void) {
-    unshare(!(LOOP_CTL_GET_FREE));
-}
-  '''
-  if cc.compiles(lxc_get_free_code)
-    conf.set('WITH_DECL_LOOP_CTL_GET_FREE', 1)
-  endif
 elif get_option('driver_lxc').enabled()
   error('linux and remote_driver are required for LXC')
 endif
diff --git a/src/util/virfile.c b/src/util/virfile.c
index ec40c04b1f..cef9f9979a 100644
--- a/src/util/virfile.c
+++ b/src/util/virfile.c
@@ -750,8 +750,6 @@ int virFileUpdatePerm(const char *path,
 
 #if defined(__linux__) && WITH_DECL_LO_FLAGS_AUTOCLEAR
 
-# if WITH_DECL_LOOP_CTL_GET_FREE
-
 /* virFileLoopDeviceOpenLoopCtl() returns -1 when a real failure has occurred
  * while in the process of allocating or opening the loop device.  On success
  * we return 0 and modify the fd to the appropriate file descriptor.
@@ -795,7 +793,6 @@ static int virFileLoopDeviceOpenLoopCtl(char **dev_name, int *fd)
     *dev_name = looppath;
     return 0;
 }
-# endif /* WITH_DECL_LOOP_CTL_GET_FREE */
 
 static int virFileLoopDeviceOpenSearch(char **dev_name)
 {
@@ -864,7 +861,6 @@ static int virFileLoopDeviceOpen(char **dev_name)
 {
     int loop_fd = -1;
 
-# if WITH_DECL_LOOP_CTL_GET_FREE
     if (virFileLoopDeviceOpenLoopCtl(dev_name, &loop_fd) < 0)
         return -1;
 
@@ -872,7 +868,6 @@ static int virFileLoopDeviceOpen(char **dev_name)
 
     if (loop_fd >= 0)
         return loop_fd;
-# endif /* WITH_DECL_LOOP_CTL_GET_FREE */
 
     /* Without the loop control device we just use the old technique. */
     loop_fd = virFileLoopDeviceOpenSearch(dev_name);