diff --git a/lib/ns/Makefile.am b/lib/ns/Makefile.am
index cdfc6192bc..503b7283b0 100644
--- a/lib/ns/Makefile.am
+++ b/lib/ns/Makefile.am
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ libns_la_HEADERS =			\
 	include/ns/events.h		\
 	include/ns/hooks.h		\
 	include/ns/interfacemgr.h	\
-	include/ns/lib.h		\
 	include/ns/listenlist.h		\
 	include/ns/log.h		\
 	include/ns/notify.h		\
@@ -29,7 +28,6 @@ libns_la_SOURCES =		\
 	client.c		\
 	hooks.c			\
 	interfacemgr.c		\
-	lib.c			\
 	listenlist.c		\
 	log.c			\
 	notify.c		\
diff --git a/lib/ns/include/ns/lib.h b/lib/ns/include/ns/lib.h
deleted file mode 100644
index 9afadf1f49..0000000000
--- a/lib/ns/include/ns/lib.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,35 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * Copyright (C) Internet Systems Consortium, Inc. ("ISC")
- *
- * This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
- * License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
- * file, you can obtain one at https://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
- *
- * See the COPYRIGHT file distributed with this work for additional
- * information regarding copyright ownership.
- */
-
-#pragma once
-
-/*! \file include/ns/lib.h */
-
-#include <isc/lang.h>
-#include <isc/types.h>
-
-ISC_LANG_BEGINDECLS
-
-extern unsigned int ns_pps;
-
-isc_result_t
-ns_lib_init(void);
-/*%<
- * A set of initialization procedures used in the NS library.
- */
-
-void
-ns_lib_shutdown(void);
-/*%<
- * Free temporary resources allocated in ns_lib_init().
- */
-
-ISC_LANG_ENDDECLS
diff --git a/lib/ns/lib.c b/lib/ns/lib.c
deleted file mode 100644
index c2aa9de1c2..0000000000
--- a/lib/ns/lib.c
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,84 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * Copyright (C) Internet Systems Consortium, Inc. ("ISC")
- *
- * This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
- * License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
- * file, you can obtain one at https://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
- *
- * See the COPYRIGHT file distributed with this work for additional
- * information regarding copyright ownership.
- */
-
-/*! \file */
-
-#include <stdbool.h>
-#include <stddef.h>
-
-#include <isc/mem.h>
-#include <isc/mutex.h>
-#include <isc/once.h>
-#include <isc/refcount.h>
-#include <isc/util.h>
-
-#include <dns/name.h>
-
-#include <ns/lib.h>
-
-/***
- *** Globals
- ***/
-
-unsigned int ns_pps = 0U;
-
-/***
- *** Private
- ***/
-
-static isc_once_t init_once = ISC_ONCE_INIT;
-static isc_mem_t *ns_g_mctx = NULL;
-static bool initialize_done = false;
-static isc_refcount_t references;
-
-static void
-initialize(void) {
-	REQUIRE(!initialize_done);
-
-	isc_mem_create(&ns_g_mctx);
-
-	isc_refcount_init(&references, 0);
-	initialize_done = true;
-	return;
-}
-
-isc_result_t
-ns_lib_init(void) {
-	isc_result_t result;
-
-	/*
-	 * Since this routine is expected to be used by a normal application,
-	 * it should be better to return an error, instead of an emergency
-	 * abort, on any failure.
-	 */
-	result = isc_once_do(&init_once, initialize);
-	if (result != ISC_R_SUCCESS) {
-		return (result);
-	}
-
-	if (!initialize_done) {
-		return (ISC_R_FAILURE);
-	}
-
-	isc_refcount_increment0(&references);
-
-	return (ISC_R_SUCCESS);
-}
-
-void
-ns_lib_shutdown(void) {
-	if (isc_refcount_decrement(&references) == 1) {
-		isc_refcount_destroy(&references);
-		if (ns_g_mctx != NULL) {
-			isc_mem_detach(&ns_g_mctx);
-		}
-	}
-}
diff --git a/util/copyrights b/util/copyrights
index 13da1c2939..60f11ebd65 100644
--- a/util/copyrights
+++ b/util/copyrights
@@ -1862,7 +1862,6 @@
 ./lib/ns/include/ns/events.h			C	2020,2021
 ./lib/ns/include/ns/hooks.h			C	2017,2018,2019,2020,2021
 ./lib/ns/include/ns/interfacemgr.h		C	2017,2018,2019,2020,2021
-./lib/ns/include/ns/lib.h			C	2017,2018,2019,2020,2021
 ./lib/ns/include/ns/listenlist.h		C	2017,2018,2019,2020,2021
 ./lib/ns/include/ns/log.h			C	2017,2018,2019,2020,2021
 ./lib/ns/include/ns/notify.h			C	2017,2018,2019,2020,2021
@@ -1874,7 +1873,6 @@
 ./lib/ns/include/ns/update.h			C	2017,2018,2019,2020,2021
 ./lib/ns/include/ns/xfrout.h			C	2017,2018,2019,2020,2021
 ./lib/ns/interfacemgr.c				C	2017,2018,2019,2020,2021
-./lib/ns/lib.c					C	2017,2018,2019,2020,2021
 ./lib/ns/listenlist.c				C	2017,2018,2019,2020,2021
 ./lib/ns/log.c					C	2017,2018,2019,2020,2021
 ./lib/ns/notify.c				C	2017,2018,2019,2020,2021