diff --git a/src/nm-l3-config-data.c b/src/nm-l3-config-data.c
index 16f922f8d0..e2bc28265a 100644
--- a/src/nm-l3-config-data.c
+++ b/src/nm-l3-config-data.c
@@ -2028,25 +2028,6 @@ nm_l3_config_data_merge (NML3ConfigData *self,
 			    && !hook_add_addr (src, obj, hook_user_data))
 				continue;
 
-			if (   NM_FLAGS_HAS (merge_flags, NM_L3_CONFIG_MERGE_FLAGS_EXTERNAL)
-			    && !NMP_OBJECT_CAST_IP_ADDRESS (obj)->external) {
-				NMPlatformIPXAddress a;
-
-				if (IS_IPv4)
-					a.a4 = *NMP_OBJECT_CAST_IP4_ADDRESS (obj);
-				else
-					a.a6 = *NMP_OBJECT_CAST_IP6_ADDRESS (obj);
-				a.ax.ifindex = self->ifindex;
-				a.ax.external = TRUE;
-				nm_l3_config_data_add_address_full (self,
-				                                    addr_family,
-				                                    NULL,
-				                                    &a.ax,
-				                                    NM_L3_CONFIG_ADD_FLAGS_EXCLUSIVE,
-				                                    NULL);
-				continue;
-			}
-
 			nm_l3_config_data_add_address_full (self,
 			                                    addr_family,
 			                                    obj,
diff --git a/src/nm-l3-config-data.h b/src/nm-l3-config-data.h
index 36f28f13ab..a084974dde 100644
--- a/src/nm-l3-config-data.h
+++ b/src/nm-l3-config-data.h
@@ -51,14 +51,12 @@ typedef enum {
  *   Note that if the respective NML3ConfigData has NM_L3_CONFIG_DAT_FLAGS_IGNORE_MERGE_NO_DEFAULT_ROUTES
  *   set, this flag gets ignored during merge.
  * @NM_L3_CONFIG_MERGE_FLAGS_NO_DNS: don't merge DNS information
- * @NM_L3_CONFIG_MERGE_FLAGS_EXTERNAL: mark new addresses as external
  */
 typedef enum {
 	NM_L3_CONFIG_MERGE_FLAGS_NONE              = 0,
 	NM_L3_CONFIG_MERGE_FLAGS_NO_ROUTES         = (1LL << 0),
 	NM_L3_CONFIG_MERGE_FLAGS_NO_DEFAULT_ROUTES = (1LL << 1),
 	NM_L3_CONFIG_MERGE_FLAGS_NO_DNS            = (1LL << 2),
-	NM_L3_CONFIG_MERGE_FLAGS_EXTERNAL          = (1LL << 3),
 } NML3ConfigMergeFlags;
 
 /*****************************************************************************/