diff --git a/bgpd/bgp_updgrp.c b/bgpd/bgp_updgrp.c
index f36a7b6d0b6e..124e7a388b82 100644
--- a/bgpd/bgp_updgrp.c
+++ b/bgpd/bgp_updgrp.c
@@ -1732,18 +1732,6 @@ static int update_group_walkcb(struct hash_bucket *bucket, void *arg)
 	return ret;
 }
 
-static int update_group_periodic_merge_walkcb(struct update_group *updgrp,
-					      void *arg)
-{
-	struct update_subgroup *subgrp;
-	struct update_subgroup *tmp_subgrp;
-	const char *reason = arg;
-
-	UPDGRP_FOREACH_SUBGRP_SAFE (updgrp, subgrp, tmp_subgrp)
-		update_subgroup_check_merge(subgrp, reason);
-	return UPDWALK_CONTINUE;
-}
-
 /********************
  * PUBLIC FUNCTIONS
  ********************/
@@ -2082,14 +2070,6 @@ void update_group_walk(struct bgp *bgp, updgrp_walkcb cb, void *ctx)
 	}
 }
 
-void update_group_periodic_merge(struct bgp *bgp)
-{
-	char reason[] = "periodic merge check";
-
-	update_group_walk(bgp, update_group_periodic_merge_walkcb,
-			  (void *)reason);
-}
-
 static int
 update_group_default_originate_route_map_walkcb(struct update_group *updgrp,
 						void *arg)
diff --git a/bgpd/bgp_updgrp.h b/bgpd/bgp_updgrp.h
index 5e8b5374d651..d0fd226d9988 100644
--- a/bgpd/bgp_updgrp.h
+++ b/bgpd/bgp_updgrp.h
@@ -369,7 +369,6 @@ extern void update_group_policy_update(struct bgp *bgp,
 extern void update_group_af_walk(struct bgp *bgp, afi_t afi, safi_t safi,
 				 updgrp_walkcb cb, void *ctx);
 extern void update_group_walk(struct bgp *bgp, updgrp_walkcb cb, void *ctx);
-extern void update_group_periodic_merge(struct bgp *bgp);
 extern void
 update_group_refresh_default_originate_route_map(struct event *thread);
 extern void update_group_start_advtimer(struct bgp *bgp);