diff --git a/hw/block/dataplane/virtio-blk.c b/hw/block/dataplane/virtio-blk.c
index fdf5fd1..2041b04 100644
--- a/hw/block/dataplane/virtio-blk.c
+++ b/hw/block/dataplane/virtio-blk.c
@@ -79,8 +79,7 @@ void virtio_blk_data_plane_create(VirtIODevice *vdev, VirtIOBlkConf *conf,
     }
 
     /* Don't try if transport does not support notifiers. */
-    if (!k->set_guest_notifiers ||
-        (!k->set_host_notifier && !k->ioeventfd_started)) {
+    if (!k->set_guest_notifiers || !k->ioeventfd_started) {
         error_setg(errp,
                    "device is incompatible with dataplane "
                    "(transport does not support notifiers)");
@@ -159,9 +158,6 @@ void virtio_blk_data_plane_start(VirtIOBlockDataPlane *s)
 
     /* Set up virtqueue notify */
     r = virtio_bus_set_host_notifier(VIRTIO_BUS(qbus), 0, true);
-    if (r == -ENOSYS) {
-        r = k->set_host_notifier(qbus->parent, 0, true);
-    }
     if (r != 0) {
         fprintf(stderr, "virtio-blk failed to set host notifier (%d)\n", r);
         goto fail_host_notifier;
@@ -197,7 +193,6 @@ void virtio_blk_data_plane_stop(VirtIOBlockDataPlane *s)
     BusState *qbus = BUS(qdev_get_parent_bus(DEVICE(s->vdev)));
     VirtioBusClass *k = VIRTIO_BUS_GET_CLASS(qbus);
     VirtIOBlock *vblk = VIRTIO_BLK(s->vdev);
-    int r;
 
     if (!vblk->dataplane_started || s->stopping) {
         return;
@@ -222,10 +217,7 @@ void virtio_blk_data_plane_stop(VirtIOBlockDataPlane *s)
 
     aio_context_release(s->ctx);
 
-    r = virtio_bus_set_host_notifier(VIRTIO_BUS(qbus), 0, false);
-    if (r == -ENOSYS) {
-        k->set_host_notifier(qbus->parent, 0, false);
-    }
+    virtio_bus_set_host_notifier(VIRTIO_BUS(qbus), 0, false);
 
     /* Clean up guest notifier (irq) */
     k->set_guest_notifiers(qbus->parent, 1, false);
diff --git a/hw/scsi/virtio-scsi-dataplane.c b/hw/scsi/virtio-scsi-dataplane.c
index b9a5716..18ced31 100644
--- a/hw/scsi/virtio-scsi-dataplane.c
+++ b/hw/scsi/virtio-scsi-dataplane.c
@@ -31,8 +31,7 @@ void virtio_scsi_set_iothread(VirtIOSCSI *s, IOThread *iothread)
     s->ctx = iothread_get_aio_context(vs->conf.iothread);
 
     /* Don't try if transport does not support notifiers. */
-    if (!k->set_guest_notifiers ||
-        (!k->set_host_notifier && !k->ioeventfd_started)) {
+    if (!k->set_guest_notifiers || !k->ioeventfd_started) {
         fprintf(stderr, "virtio-scsi: Failed to set iothread "
                    "(transport does not support notifiers)");
         exit(1);
@@ -70,14 +69,10 @@ static int virtio_scsi_vring_init(VirtIOSCSI *s, VirtQueue *vq, int n,
                                   void (*fn)(VirtIODevice *vdev, VirtQueue *vq))
 {
     BusState *qbus = BUS(qdev_get_parent_bus(DEVICE(s)));
-    VirtioBusClass *k = VIRTIO_BUS_GET_CLASS(qbus);
     int rc;
 
     /* Set up virtqueue notify */
     rc = virtio_bus_set_host_notifier(VIRTIO_BUS(qbus), n, true);
-    if (rc == -ENOSYS) {
-        rc = k->set_host_notifier(qbus->parent, n, true);
-    }
     if (rc != 0) {
         fprintf(stderr, "virtio-scsi: Failed to set host notifier (%d)\n",
                 rc);
@@ -163,10 +158,7 @@ fail_vrings:
     virtio_scsi_clear_aio(s);
     aio_context_release(s->ctx);
     for (i = 0; i < vs->conf.num_queues + 2; i++) {
-        rc = virtio_bus_set_host_notifier(VIRTIO_BUS(qbus), i, false);
-        if (rc == -ENOSYS) {
-            k->set_host_notifier(qbus->parent, i, false);
-        }
+        virtio_bus_set_host_notifier(VIRTIO_BUS(qbus), i, false);
     }
     k->set_guest_notifiers(qbus->parent, vs->conf.num_queues + 2, false);
 fail_guest_notifiers:
@@ -181,7 +173,7 @@ void virtio_scsi_dataplane_stop(VirtIOSCSI *s)
     BusState *qbus = BUS(qdev_get_parent_bus(DEVICE(s)));
     VirtioBusClass *k = VIRTIO_BUS_GET_CLASS(qbus);
     VirtIOSCSICommon *vs = VIRTIO_SCSI_COMMON(s);
-    int i, rc;
+    int i;
 
     if (!s->dataplane_started || s->dataplane_stopping) {
         return;
@@ -205,10 +197,7 @@ void virtio_scsi_dataplane_stop(VirtIOSCSI *s)
     aio_context_release(s->ctx);
 
     for (i = 0; i < vs->conf.num_queues + 2; i++) {
-        rc = virtio_bus_set_host_notifier(VIRTIO_BUS(qbus), i, false);
-        if (rc == -ENOSYS) {
-            k->set_host_notifier(qbus->parent, i, false);
-        }
+        virtio_bus_set_host_notifier(VIRTIO_BUS(qbus), i, false);
     }
 
     /* Clean up guest notifier (irq) */
diff --git a/hw/virtio/vhost.c b/hw/virtio/vhost.c
index bce1b6e..a01394d 100644
--- a/hw/virtio/vhost.c
+++ b/hw/virtio/vhost.c
@@ -1110,7 +1110,7 @@ int vhost_dev_enable_notifiers(struct vhost_dev *hdev, VirtIODevice *vdev)
     VirtioBusState *vbus = VIRTIO_BUS(qbus);
     VirtioBusClass *k = VIRTIO_BUS_GET_CLASS(vbus);
     int i, r, e;
-    if (!k->set_host_notifier || !k->ioeventfd_started) {
+    if (!k->ioeventfd_started) {
         fprintf(stderr, "binding does not support host notifiers\n");
         r = -ENOSYS;
         goto fail;
@@ -1119,9 +1119,6 @@ int vhost_dev_enable_notifiers(struct vhost_dev *hdev, VirtIODevice *vdev)
     for (i = 0; i < hdev->nvqs; ++i) {
         r = virtio_bus_set_host_notifier(VIRTIO_BUS(qbus), hdev->vq_index + i,
                                          true);
-        if (r == -ENOSYS) {
-            r = k->set_host_notifier(qbus->parent, hdev->vq_index + i, true);
-        }
         if (r < 0) {
             fprintf(stderr, "vhost VQ %d notifier binding failed: %d\n", i, -r);
             goto fail_vq;
@@ -1133,9 +1130,6 @@ fail_vq:
     while (--i >= 0) {
         e = virtio_bus_set_host_notifier(VIRTIO_BUS(qbus), hdev->vq_index + i,
                                          false);
-        if (e == -ENOSYS) {
-            e = k->set_host_notifier(qbus->parent, hdev->vq_index + i, false);
-        }
         if (e < 0) {
             fprintf(stderr, "vhost VQ %d notifier cleanup error: %d\n", i, -r);
             fflush(stderr);
@@ -1154,16 +1148,11 @@ fail:
 void vhost_dev_disable_notifiers(struct vhost_dev *hdev, VirtIODevice *vdev)
 {
     BusState *qbus = BUS(qdev_get_parent_bus(DEVICE(vdev)));
-    VirtioBusState *vbus = VIRTIO_BUS(qbus);
-    VirtioBusClass *k = VIRTIO_BUS_GET_CLASS(vbus);
     int i, r;
 
     for (i = 0; i < hdev->nvqs; ++i) {
         r = virtio_bus_set_host_notifier(VIRTIO_BUS(qbus), hdev->vq_index + i,
                                          false);
-        if (r == -ENOSYS) {
-            r = k->set_host_notifier(qbus->parent, hdev->vq_index + i, false);
-        }
         if (r < 0) {
             fprintf(stderr, "vhost VQ %d notifier cleanup failed: %d\n", i, -r);
             fflush(stderr);
diff --git a/include/hw/virtio/virtio-bus.h b/include/hw/virtio/virtio-bus.h
index 9637f80..f3e5ef3 100644
--- a/include/hw/virtio/virtio-bus.h
+++ b/include/hw/virtio/virtio-bus.h
@@ -52,7 +52,6 @@ typedef struct VirtioBusClass {
     bool (*has_extra_state)(DeviceState *d);
     bool (*query_guest_notifiers)(DeviceState *d);
     int (*set_guest_notifiers)(DeviceState *d, int nvqs, bool assign);
-    int (*set_host_notifier)(DeviceState *d, int n, bool assigned);
     void (*vmstate_change)(DeviceState *d, bool running);
     /*
      * transport independent init function.
