diff --git a/arch/arm64/kvm/hyp/include/nvhe/mem_protect.h b/arch/arm64/kvm/hyp/include/nvhe/mem_protect.h
index b4050138ada9..ab36d866c11b 100644
--- a/arch/arm64/kvm/hyp/include/nvhe/mem_protect.h
+++ b/arch/arm64/kvm/hyp/include/nvhe/mem_protect.h
@@ -89,7 +89,6 @@ bool addr_is_memory(phys_addr_t phys);
 int host_stage2_idmap_locked(phys_addr_t addr, u64 size, enum kvm_pgtable_prot prot,
 			     bool update_iommu);
 int host_stage2_set_owner_locked(phys_addr_t addr, u64 size, enum pkvm_component_id owner_id);
-int host_stage2_protect_pages_locked(phys_addr_t addr, u64 size);
 int host_stage2_unmap_reg_locked(phys_addr_t start, u64 size);
 int kvm_host_prepare_stage2(void *pgt_pool_base);
 int kvm_guest_prepare_stage2(struct pkvm_hyp_vm *vm, void *pgd);
diff --git a/arch/arm64/kvm/hyp/nvhe/mem_protect.c b/arch/arm64/kvm/hyp/nvhe/mem_protect.c
index 5337bfaf8529..d2686855036c 100644
--- a/arch/arm64/kvm/hyp/nvhe/mem_protect.c
+++ b/arch/arm64/kvm/hyp/nvhe/mem_protect.c
@@ -2366,19 +2366,6 @@ bool __pkvm_check_ioguard_page(struct pkvm_hyp_vcpu *hyp_vcpu)
 	return ret;
 }
 
-int host_stage2_protect_pages_locked(phys_addr_t addr, u64 size)
-{
-	int ret;
-
-	hyp_assert_lock_held(&host_mmu.lock);
-
-	ret = __host_check_page_state_range(addr, size, PKVM_PAGE_OWNED);
-	if (!ret)
-		ret = host_stage2_set_owner_locked(addr, size, PKVM_ID_PROTECTED);
-
-	return ret;
-}
-
 int host_stage2_get_leaf(phys_addr_t phys, kvm_pte_t *ptep, u32 *level)
 {
 	int ret;
diff --git a/arch/arm64/kvm/hyp/nvhe/setup.c b/arch/arm64/kvm/hyp/nvhe/setup.c
index 4255846108e7..50d7c86037d9 100644
--- a/arch/arm64/kvm/hyp/nvhe/setup.c
+++ b/arch/arm64/kvm/hyp/nvhe/setup.c
@@ -318,7 +318,9 @@ static int unmap_protected_regions(void)
 		reg = &pkvm_moveable_regs[i];
 		if (reg->type != PKVM_MREG_PROTECTED_RANGE)
 			continue;
-		ret = host_stage2_protect_pages_locked(reg->start, reg->size);
+
+		ret = host_stage2_set_owner_locked(reg->start, reg->size,
+						   PKVM_ID_PROTECTED);
 		if (ret)
 			return ret;
 	}