diff --git a/block.c b/block.c
index 67844ad5ac..1a27205252 100644
--- a/block.c
+++ b/block.c
@@ -6179,39 +6179,6 @@ int bdrv_amend_options(BlockDriverState *bs, QemuOpts *opts,
     return bs->drv->bdrv_amend_options(bs, opts, status_cb, cb_opaque, errp);
 }
 
-/* This function will be called by the bdrv_recurse_is_first_non_filter method
- * of block filter and by bdrv_is_first_non_filter.
- * It is used to test if the given bs is the candidate or recurse more in the
- * node graph.
- */
-bool bdrv_recurse_is_first_non_filter(BlockDriverState *bs,
-                                      BlockDriverState *candidate)
-{
-    /* return false if basic checks fails */
-    if (!bs || !bs->drv) {
-        return false;
-    }
-
-    /* the code reached a non block filter driver -> check if the bs is
-     * the same as the candidate. It's the recursion termination condition.
-     */
-    if (!bs->drv->is_filter) {
-        return bs == candidate;
-    }
-    /* Down this path the driver is a block filter driver */
-
-    /* If the block filter recursion method is defined use it to recurse down
-     * the node graph.
-     */
-    if (bs->drv->bdrv_recurse_is_first_non_filter) {
-        return bs->drv->bdrv_recurse_is_first_non_filter(bs, candidate);
-    }
-
-    /* the driver is a block filter but don't allow to recurse -> return false
-     */
-    return false;
-}
-
 /*
  * This function checks whether the given @to_replace is allowed to be
  * replaced by a node that always shows the same data as @bs.  This is
diff --git a/block/blkverify.c b/block/blkverify.c
index 0add3ab483..ba6b1853ae 100644
--- a/block/blkverify.c
+++ b/block/blkverify.c
@@ -268,20 +268,6 @@ static int blkverify_co_flush(BlockDriverState *bs)
     return bdrv_co_flush(s->test_file->bs);
 }
 
-static bool blkverify_recurse_is_first_non_filter(BlockDriverState *bs,
-                                                  BlockDriverState *candidate)
-{
-    BDRVBlkverifyState *s = bs->opaque;
-
-    bool perm = bdrv_recurse_is_first_non_filter(bs->file->bs, candidate);
-
-    if (perm) {
-        return true;
-    }
-
-    return bdrv_recurse_is_first_non_filter(s->test_file->bs, candidate);
-}
-
 static bool blkverify_recurse_can_replace(BlockDriverState *bs,
                                           BlockDriverState *to_replace)
 {
@@ -341,7 +327,6 @@ static BlockDriver bdrv_blkverify = {
     .bdrv_co_flush                    = blkverify_co_flush,
 
     .is_filter                        = true,
-    .bdrv_recurse_is_first_non_filter = blkverify_recurse_is_first_non_filter,
     .bdrv_recurse_can_replace         = blkverify_recurse_can_replace,
 };
 
diff --git a/block/copy-on-read.c b/block/copy-on-read.c
index e95223d3cb..242d3ff055 100644
--- a/block/copy-on-read.c
+++ b/block/copy-on-read.c
@@ -118,13 +118,6 @@ static void cor_lock_medium(BlockDriverState *bs, bool locked)
 }
 
 
-static bool cor_recurse_is_first_non_filter(BlockDriverState *bs,
-                                            BlockDriverState *candidate)
-{
-    return bdrv_recurse_is_first_non_filter(bs->file->bs, candidate);
-}
-
-
 static BlockDriver bdrv_copy_on_read = {
     .format_name                        = "copy-on-read",
 
@@ -143,8 +136,6 @@ static BlockDriver bdrv_copy_on_read = {
 
     .bdrv_co_block_status               = bdrv_co_block_status_from_file,
 
-    .bdrv_recurse_is_first_non_filter   = cor_recurse_is_first_non_filter,
-
     .has_variable_length                = true,
     .is_filter                          = true,
 };
diff --git a/block/filter-compress.c b/block/filter-compress.c
index 60137fb680..82c315b298 100644
--- a/block/filter-compress.c
+++ b/block/filter-compress.c
@@ -128,13 +128,6 @@ static void compress_lock_medium(BlockDriverState *bs, bool locked)
 }
 
 
-static bool compress_recurse_is_first_non_filter(BlockDriverState *bs,
-                                                 BlockDriverState *candidate)
-{
-    return bdrv_recurse_is_first_non_filter(bs->file->bs, candidate);
-}
-
-
 static BlockDriver bdrv_compress = {
     .format_name                        = "compress",
 
@@ -154,8 +147,6 @@ static BlockDriver bdrv_compress = {
 
     .bdrv_co_block_status               = bdrv_co_block_status_from_file,
 
-    .bdrv_recurse_is_first_non_filter   = compress_recurse_is_first_non_filter,
-
     .has_variable_length                = true,
     .is_filter                          = true,
 };
diff --git a/block/quorum.c b/block/quorum.c
index 22c1060b42..476def878d 100644
--- a/block/quorum.c
+++ b/block/quorum.c
@@ -808,23 +808,6 @@ static coroutine_fn int quorum_co_flush(BlockDriverState *bs)
     return result;
 }
 
-static bool quorum_recurse_is_first_non_filter(BlockDriverState *bs,
-                                               BlockDriverState *candidate)
-{
-    BDRVQuorumState *s = bs->opaque;
-    int i;
-
-    for (i = 0; i < s->num_children; i++) {
-        bool perm = bdrv_recurse_is_first_non_filter(s->children[i].child->bs,
-                                                     candidate);
-        if (perm) {
-            return true;
-        }
-    }
-
-    return false;
-}
-
 static bool quorum_recurse_can_replace(BlockDriverState *bs,
                                        BlockDriverState *to_replace)
 {
@@ -1252,7 +1235,6 @@ static BlockDriver bdrv_quorum = {
     .bdrv_child_perm                    = quorum_child_perm,
 
     .is_filter                          = true,
-    .bdrv_recurse_is_first_non_filter   = quorum_recurse_is_first_non_filter,
     .bdrv_recurse_can_replace           = quorum_recurse_can_replace,
 
     .strong_runtime_opts                = quorum_strong_runtime_opts,
diff --git a/block/replication.c b/block/replication.c
index 99532ce521..d6681b6c84 100644
--- a/block/replication.c
+++ b/block/replication.c
@@ -306,12 +306,6 @@ out:
     return ret;
 }
 
-static bool replication_recurse_is_first_non_filter(BlockDriverState *bs,
-                                                    BlockDriverState *candidate)
-{
-    return bdrv_recurse_is_first_non_filter(bs->file->bs, candidate);
-}
-
 static void secondary_do_checkpoint(BDRVReplicationState *s, Error **errp)
 {
     Error *local_err = NULL;
@@ -699,7 +693,6 @@ static BlockDriver bdrv_replication = {
     .bdrv_co_writev             = replication_co_writev,
 
     .is_filter                  = true,
-    .bdrv_recurse_is_first_non_filter = replication_recurse_is_first_non_filter,
 
     .has_variable_length        = true,
     .strong_runtime_opts        = replication_strong_runtime_opts,
diff --git a/block/throttle.c b/block/throttle.c
index 0349f42257..71f4bb0ad1 100644
--- a/block/throttle.c
+++ b/block/throttle.c
@@ -207,12 +207,6 @@ static void throttle_reopen_abort(BDRVReopenState *reopen_state)
     reopen_state->opaque = NULL;
 }
 
-static bool throttle_recurse_is_first_non_filter(BlockDriverState *bs,
-                                                 BlockDriverState *candidate)
-{
-    return bdrv_recurse_is_first_non_filter(bs->file->bs, candidate);
-}
-
 static void coroutine_fn throttle_co_drain_begin(BlockDriverState *bs)
 {
     ThrottleGroupMember *tgm = bs->opaque;
@@ -252,8 +246,6 @@ static BlockDriver bdrv_throttle = {
     .bdrv_co_pwrite_zeroes              =   throttle_co_pwrite_zeroes,
     .bdrv_co_pdiscard                   =   throttle_co_pdiscard,
 
-    .bdrv_recurse_is_first_non_filter   =   throttle_recurse_is_first_non_filter,
-
     .bdrv_attach_aio_context            =   throttle_attach_aio_context,
     .bdrv_detach_aio_context            =   throttle_detach_aio_context,
 
diff --git a/include/block/block.h b/include/block/block.h
index 8f6a0cad9c..764a217de6 100644
--- a/include/block/block.h
+++ b/include/block/block.h
@@ -401,10 +401,6 @@ int bdrv_amend_options(BlockDriverState *bs_new, QemuOpts *opts,
                        BlockDriverAmendStatusCB *status_cb, void *cb_opaque,
                        Error **errp);
 
-/* external snapshots */
-bool bdrv_recurse_is_first_non_filter(BlockDriverState *bs,
-                                      BlockDriverState *candidate);
-
 /* check if a named node can be replaced when doing drive-mirror */
 BlockDriverState *check_to_replace_node(BlockDriverState *parent_bs,
                                         const char *node_name, Error **errp);
diff --git a/include/block/block_int.h b/include/block/block_int.h
index 75f03dcc38..589a797fab 100644
--- a/include/block/block_int.h
+++ b/include/block/block_int.h
@@ -94,14 +94,6 @@ struct BlockDriver {
      * must implement them and return -ENOTSUP.
      */
     bool is_filter;
-    /* for snapshots block filter like Quorum can implement the
-     * following recursive callback.
-     * It's purpose is to recurse on the filter children while calling
-     * bdrv_recurse_is_first_non_filter on them.
-     * For a sample implementation look in the future Quorum block filter.
-     */
-    bool (*bdrv_recurse_is_first_non_filter)(BlockDriverState *bs,
-                                             BlockDriverState *candidate);
     /*
      * Return true if @to_replace can be replaced by a BDS with the
      * same data as @bs without it affecting @bs's behavior (that is,
