diff --git a/libnm-util/crypto.h b/libnm-util/crypto.h
index edb79007f1..315d8fec83 100644
--- a/libnm-util/crypto.h
+++ b/libnm-util/crypto.h
@@ -70,8 +70,6 @@ GQuark _nm_crypto_error_quark (void);
 
 gboolean crypto_init (GError **error);
 
-void crypto_deinit (void);
-
 GByteArray *crypto_decrypt_private_key_data (const GByteArray *contents,
                                              const char *password,
                                              NMCryptoKeyType *out_key_type,
diff --git a/libnm-util/crypto_gnutls.c b/libnm-util/crypto_gnutls.c
index 03cb1b4761..3bec24ad67 100644
--- a/libnm-util/crypto_gnutls.c
+++ b/libnm-util/crypto_gnutls.c
@@ -56,11 +56,6 @@ crypto_init (GError **error)
 	return TRUE;
 }
 
-void
-crypto_deinit (void)
-{
-}
-
 gboolean
 crypto_md5_hash (const char *salt,
                  const gsize salt_len,
diff --git a/libnm-util/crypto_nss.c b/libnm-util/crypto_nss.c
index 52ee261d4a..edd19b54fe 100644
--- a/libnm-util/crypto_nss.c
+++ b/libnm-util/crypto_nss.c
@@ -71,11 +71,6 @@ crypto_init (GError **error)
 	return TRUE;
 }
 
-void
-crypto_deinit (void)
-{
-}
-
 gboolean
 crypto_md5_hash (const char *salt,
                  const gsize salt_len,
diff --git a/libnm-util/nm-utils.c b/libnm-util/nm-utils.c
index 371bb49ca8..9735394275 100644
--- a/libnm-util/nm-utils.c
+++ b/libnm-util/nm-utils.c
@@ -222,10 +222,8 @@ static gboolean initialized = FALSE;
  * nm_utils_init:
  * @error: location to store error, or %NULL
  *
- * Initializes libnm-util; should be called when starting and program that
- * uses libnm-util.  Sets up an atexit() handler to ensure de-initialization
- * is performed, but calling nm_utils_deinit() to explicitly deinitialize
- * libnm-util can also be done.  This function can be called more than once.
+ * Initializes libnm-util; should be called when starting any program that
+ * uses libnm-util.  This function can be called more than once.
  *
  * Returns: %TRUE if the initialization was successful, %FALSE on failure.
  **/
@@ -249,18 +247,12 @@ nm_utils_init (GError **error)
 /**
  * nm_utils_deinit:
  *
- * Frees all resources used internally by libnm-util.  This function is called
- * from an atexit() handler, set up by nm_utils_init(), but is safe to be called
- * more than once.  Subsequent calls have no effect until nm_utils_init() is
- * called again.
+ * No-op. Although this function still exists for ABI compatibility reasons, it
+ * does not have any effect, and does not ever need to be called.
  **/
 void
 nm_utils_deinit (void)
 {
-	if (initialized) {
-		crypto_deinit ();
-		initialized = FALSE;
-	}
 }
 
 /* ssid helpers */
diff --git a/libnm-util/tests/test-crypto.c b/libnm-util/tests/test-crypto.c
index 9be9f2ae56..4bf2b3be74 100644
--- a/libnm-util/tests/test-crypto.c
+++ b/libnm-util/tests/test-crypto.c
@@ -412,7 +412,6 @@ int
 main (int argc, char **argv)
 {
 	GError *error = NULL;
-	int ret;
 
 	nmtst_init (&argc, &argv, TRUE);
 
@@ -462,10 +461,6 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
 	                      "pkcs8-enc-key.pem, 1234567890",
 	                      test_pkcs8);
 
-	ret = g_test_run ();
-
-	crypto_deinit ();
-
-	return ret;
+	return g_test_run ();
 }