diff --git a/perception/autoware_lidar_centerpoint/include/autoware/lidar_centerpoint/postprocess/non_maximum_suppression.hpp b/perception/autoware_lidar_centerpoint/include/autoware/lidar_centerpoint/postprocess/non_maximum_suppression.hpp
index d435ac4dfcea8..60ebc6d1a89c6 100644
--- a/perception/autoware_lidar_centerpoint/include/autoware/lidar_centerpoint/postprocess/non_maximum_suppression.hpp
+++ b/perception/autoware_lidar_centerpoint/include/autoware/lidar_centerpoint/postprocess/non_maximum_suppression.hpp
@@ -45,18 +45,6 @@ struct NMSParams
   // double distance_threshold_{};
 };
 
-std::vector<bool> classNamesToBooleanMask(const std::vector<std::string> & class_names)
-{
-  std::vector<bool> mask;
-  constexpr std::size_t num_object_classification = 8;
-  mask.resize(num_object_classification);
-  for (const auto & class_name : class_names) {
-    const auto semantic_type = getSemanticType(class_name);
-    mask.at(semantic_type) = true;
-  }
-
-  return mask;
-}
 
 class NonMaximumSuppression
 {
@@ -66,14 +54,12 @@ class NonMaximumSuppression
   std::vector<DetectedObject> apply(const std::vector<DetectedObject> &);
 
 private:
-  bool isTargetLabel(const std::uint8_t);
 
   bool isTargetPairObject(const DetectedObject &, const DetectedObject &);
 
   Eigen::MatrixXd generateIoUMatrix(const std::vector<DetectedObject> &);
 
   NMSParams params_{};
-  std::vector<bool> target_class_mask_{};
 
   double search_distance_2d_sq_{};
 };
diff --git a/perception/autoware_lidar_centerpoint/lib/postprocess/non_maximum_suppression.cpp b/perception/autoware_lidar_centerpoint/lib/postprocess/non_maximum_suppression.cpp
index 2ba04753400f0..878ce8dad7475 100644
--- a/perception/autoware_lidar_centerpoint/lib/postprocess/non_maximum_suppression.cpp
+++ b/perception/autoware_lidar_centerpoint/lib/postprocess/non_maximum_suppression.cpp
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 
 namespace autoware::lidar_centerpoint
 {
+using Label = autoware_perception_msgs::msg::ObjectClassification;
 
 void NonMaximumSuppression::setParameters(const NMSParams & params)
 {
@@ -30,15 +31,6 @@ void NonMaximumSuppression::setParameters(const NMSParams & params)
 
   params_ = params;
   search_distance_2d_sq_ = params.search_distance_2d_ * params.search_distance_2d_;
-  target_class_mask_ = classNamesToBooleanMask(params.target_class_names_);
-}
-
-bool NonMaximumSuppression::isTargetLabel(const uint8_t label)
-{
-  if (label >= target_class_mask_.size()) {
-    return false;
-  }
-  return target_class_mask_.at(label);
 }
 
 bool NonMaximumSuppression::isTargetPairObject(
@@ -49,7 +41,8 @@ bool NonMaximumSuppression::isTargetPairObject(
   const auto label2 =
     autoware::object_recognition_utils::getHighestProbLabel(object2.classification);
 
-  if (!isTargetLabel(label1) || !isTargetLabel(label2)) {
+  // if labels are not the same, and one of them is pedestrian, do not suppress
+  if (label1 != label2 && (label1 == Label::PEDESTRIAN || label2 == Label::PEDESTRIAN)) {
     return false;
   }