diff --git a/lib/ns/include/ns/client.h b/lib/ns/include/ns/client.h
index d456bc83af..a5c1f0072e 100644
--- a/lib/ns/include/ns/client.h
+++ b/lib/ns/include/ns/client.h
@@ -198,8 +198,6 @@ struct ns_client {
 	int16_t		ednsversion; /* -1 noedns */
 	uint16_t	additionaldepth;
 	void (*cleanup)(ns_client_t *);
-	void (*shutdown)(void *arg, isc_result_t result);
-	void	     *shutdown_arg;
 	ns_query_t    query;
 	isc_time_t    requesttime;
 	isc_stdtime_t now;
diff --git a/lib/ns/xfrout.c b/lib/ns/xfrout.c
index fdbd4029b7..8e901d5bf1 100644
--- a/lib/ns/xfrout.c
+++ b/lib/ns/xfrout.c
@@ -695,9 +695,6 @@ xfrout_maybe_destroy(xfrout_ctx_t *xfr);
 static void
 xfrout_ctx_destroy(xfrout_ctx_t **xfrp);
 
-static void
-xfrout_client_shutdown(void *arg, isc_result_t result);
-
 static void
 xfrout_log1(ns_client_t *client, dns_name_t *zonename, dns_rdataclass_t rdclass,
 	    int level, const char *fmt, ...) ISC_FORMAT_PRINTF(5, 6);
@@ -1276,13 +1273,6 @@ xfrout_ctx_create(isc_mem_t *mctx, ns_client_t *client, unsigned int id,
 	xfr->txmem = mem;
 	xfr->txmemlen = len;
 
-	/*
-	 * Register a shutdown callback with the client, so that we
-	 * can stop the transfer immediately when the client task
-	 * gets a shutdown event.
-	 */
-	xfr->client->shutdown = xfrout_client_shutdown;
-	xfr->client->shutdown_arg = xfr;
 	/*
 	 * These MUST be after the last "goto failure;" / CHECK to
 	 * prevent a double free by the caller.
@@ -1632,9 +1622,6 @@ xfrout_ctx_destroy(xfrout_ctx_t **xfrp) {
 
 	INSIST(xfr->sends == 0);
 
-	xfr->client->shutdown = NULL;
-	xfr->client->shutdown_arg = NULL;
-
 	if (xfr->stream != NULL) {
 		xfr->stream->methods->destroy(&xfr->stream);
 	}
@@ -1739,12 +1726,6 @@ xfrout_maybe_destroy(xfrout_ctx_t *xfr) {
 	xfrout_ctx_destroy(&xfr);
 }
 
-static void
-xfrout_client_shutdown(void *arg, isc_result_t result) {
-	xfrout_ctx_t *xfr = (xfrout_ctx_t *)arg;
-	xfrout_fail(xfr, result, "aborted");
-}
-
 /*
  * Log outgoing zone transfer messages in a format like
  * <client>: transfer of <zone>: <message>