diff --git a/include/libssh/sftp.h b/include/libssh/sftp.h
index 767cff76..e210a1be 100644
--- a/include/libssh/sftp.h
+++ b/include/libssh/sftp.h
@@ -883,7 +883,7 @@ LIBSSH_API sftp_session sftp_server_new(ssh_session session, ssh_channel chan);
  *
  * @return             0 on success, < 0 on error.
  */
-LIBSSH_API int sftp_server_init(sftp_session sftp);
+SSH_DEPRECATED LIBSSH_API int sftp_server_init(sftp_session sftp);
 
 /**
  * @brief Close and deallocate a sftp server session.
diff --git a/src/sftp.c b/src/sftp.c
index 90aa8033..ba19f562 100644
--- a/src/sftp.c
+++ b/src/sftp.c
@@ -266,13 +266,14 @@ error:
     return NULL;
 }
 
-/* FIXME Untested. To be @deprecated */
+/* @deprecated in favor of sftp_server_new() and callbacks based sftp server */
 int sftp_server_init(sftp_session sftp)
 {
     ssh_session session = sftp->session;
     sftp_client_message msg = NULL;
     int rc;
 
+    /* handles setting the sftp->client_version */
     msg = sftp_get_client_message(sftp);
     if (msg == NULL) {
         return -1;