diff --git a/hypervisor/arch/x86/guest/instr_emul.c b/hypervisor/arch/x86/guest/instr_emul.c
index d289dda36..f4eed0e01 100644
--- a/hypervisor/arch/x86/guest/instr_emul.c
+++ b/hypervisor/arch/x86/guest/instr_emul.c
@@ -759,7 +759,7 @@ emulate_movs(struct vcpu *vcpu, __unused uint64_t gpa, struct vie *vie,
 		 * Repeat the instruction if the count register is not zero.
 		 */
 		if ((rcx & vie_size2mask(vie->addrsize)) != 0)
-			vm_restart_instruction(vcpu);
+			VCPU_RETAIN_RIP(vcpu);
 	}
 done:
 	ASSERT(error == 0, "%s: unexpected error %d", __func__, error);
@@ -823,7 +823,7 @@ emulate_stos(struct vcpu *vcpu, uint64_t gpa, struct vie *vie,
 		 * Repeat the instruction if the count register is not zero.
 		 */
 		if ((rcx & vie_size2mask(vie->addrsize)) != 0)
-			vm_restart_instruction(vcpu);
+			VCPU_RETAIN_RIP(vcpu);
 	}
 
 	return 0;
diff --git a/hypervisor/arch/x86/guest/instr_emul_wrapper.c b/hypervisor/arch/x86/guest/instr_emul_wrapper.c
index 1061017a2..d7d114cca 100644
--- a/hypervisor/arch/x86/guest/instr_emul_wrapper.c
+++ b/hypervisor/arch/x86/guest/instr_emul_wrapper.c
@@ -115,15 +115,6 @@ int vm_get_seg_desc(struct vcpu *vcpu, int seg, struct seg_desc *desc)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int vm_restart_instruction(struct vcpu *vcpu)
-{
-	if (!vcpu)
-		return -EINVAL;
-
-	VCPU_RETAIN_RIP(vcpu);
-	return 0;
-}
-
 static bool is_descriptor_table(int reg)
 {
 	switch (reg) {
diff --git a/hypervisor/arch/x86/guest/instr_emul_wrapper.h b/hypervisor/arch/x86/guest/instr_emul_wrapper.h
index 371d29822..647a8d8c6 100644
--- a/hypervisor/arch/x86/guest/instr_emul_wrapper.h
+++ b/hypervisor/arch/x86/guest/instr_emul_wrapper.h
@@ -193,5 +193,4 @@ int vm_get_seg_desc(struct vcpu *vcpu, int reg,
 		struct seg_desc *ret_desc);
 int vm_set_seg_desc(struct vcpu *vcpu, int reg,
 		struct seg_desc *desc);
-int vm_restart_instruction(struct vcpu *vcpu);
 #endif