diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost.h b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost.h
index c896f0836d..6294b8afee 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost.h
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost.h
@@ -96,8 +96,6 @@ enum vhost_user_request {
 #define VHOST_BACKEND_F_IOTLB_BATCH 2
 #endif
 
-extern const char * const vhost_msg_strings[VHOST_USER_MAX];
-
 struct vhost_memory_region {
 	uint64_t guest_phys_addr;
 	uint64_t memory_size; /* bytes */
@@ -123,16 +121,9 @@ struct virtio_user_backend_ops {
 	int (*set_vring_addr)(struct virtio_user_dev *dev, struct vhost_vring_addr *addr);
 	int (*get_status)(struct virtio_user_dev *dev, uint8_t *status);
 	int (*set_status)(struct virtio_user_dev *dev, uint8_t status);
-	int (*send_request)(struct virtio_user_dev *dev,
-			    enum vhost_user_request req,
-			    void *arg);
-	int (*enable_qp)(struct virtio_user_dev *dev,
-			 uint16_t pair_idx,
-			 int enable);
-	int (*dma_map)(struct virtio_user_dev *dev, void *addr,
-				  uint64_t iova, size_t len);
-	int (*dma_unmap)(struct virtio_user_dev *dev, void *addr,
-				  uint64_t iova, size_t len);
+	int (*enable_qp)(struct virtio_user_dev *dev, uint16_t pair_idx, int enable);
+	int (*dma_map)(struct virtio_user_dev *dev, void *addr, uint64_t iova, size_t len);
+	int (*dma_unmap)(struct virtio_user_dev *dev, void *addr, uint64_t iova, size_t len);
 };
 
 extern struct virtio_user_backend_ops virtio_ops_user;
diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost_kernel.c b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost_kernel.c
index d85358fc34..68f0c0b83d 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost_kernel.c
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost_kernel.c
@@ -328,48 +328,6 @@ vhost_kernel_set_status(struct virtio_user_dev *dev __rte_unused, uint8_t status
 	return -ENOTSUP;
 }
 
-static uint64_t vhost_req_user_to_kernel[] = {
-	[VHOST_USER_RESET_OWNER] = VHOST_RESET_OWNER,
-};
-
-static int
-vhost_kernel_send_request(struct virtio_user_dev *dev,
-		   enum vhost_user_request req,
-		   void *arg)
-{
-	int ret = -1;
-	unsigned int i;
-	uint64_t req_kernel;
-	int vhostfd;
-
-	PMD_DRV_LOG(INFO, "%s", vhost_msg_strings[req]);
-
-	req_kernel = vhost_req_user_to_kernel[req];
-
-	switch (req_kernel) {
-	default:
-		vhostfd = -1;
-	}
-	if (vhostfd == -1) {
-		for (i = 0; i < dev->max_queue_pairs; ++i) {
-			if (dev->vhostfds[i] < 0)
-				continue;
-
-			ret = ioctl(dev->vhostfds[i], req_kernel, arg);
-			if (ret < 0)
-				break;
-		}
-	} else {
-		ret = ioctl(vhostfd, req_kernel, arg);
-	}
-
-	if (ret < 0)
-		PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "%s failed: %s",
-			    vhost_msg_strings[req], strerror(errno));
-
-	return ret;
-}
-
 /**
  * Set up environment to talk with a vhost kernel backend.
  *
@@ -501,6 +459,5 @@ struct virtio_user_backend_ops virtio_ops_kernel = {
 	.set_vring_addr = vhost_kernel_set_vring_addr,
 	.get_status = vhost_kernel_get_status,
 	.set_status = vhost_kernel_set_status,
-	.send_request = vhost_kernel_send_request,
 	.enable_qp = vhost_kernel_enable_queue_pair
 };
diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost_user.c b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost_user.c
index cb0cd1cea8..d46e25b64b 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost_user.c
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost_user.c
@@ -649,107 +649,6 @@ vhost_user_set_status(struct virtio_user_dev *dev, uint8_t status)
 	return vhost_user_check_reply_ack(dev, &msg);
 }
 
-static struct vhost_user_msg m;
-
-const char * const vhost_msg_strings[] = {
-	[VHOST_USER_RESET_OWNER] = "VHOST_RESET_OWNER",
-};
-
-static int
-vhost_user_sock(struct virtio_user_dev *dev,
-		enum vhost_user_request req,
-		void *arg)
-{
-	struct vhost_user_msg msg;
-	struct vhost_vring_file *file = 0;
-	int need_reply = 0;
-	int fds[VHOST_MEMORY_MAX_NREGIONS];
-	int fd_num = 0;
-	int vhostfd = dev->vhostfd;
-
-	RTE_SET_USED(m);
-
-	PMD_DRV_LOG(INFO, "%s", vhost_msg_strings[req]);
-
-	if (dev->is_server && vhostfd < 0)
-		return -1;
-
-	msg.request = req;
-	msg.flags = VHOST_USER_VERSION;
-	msg.size = 0;
-
-	switch (req) {
-	case VHOST_USER_SET_LOG_BASE:
-		msg.payload.u64 = *((__u64 *)arg);
-		msg.size = sizeof(m.payload.u64);
-		break;
-
-	case VHOST_USER_SET_FEATURES:
-		msg.payload.u64 = *((__u64 *)arg) | (dev->device_features &
-			(1ULL << VHOST_USER_F_PROTOCOL_FEATURES));
-		msg.size = sizeof(m.payload.u64);
-		break;
-
-	case VHOST_USER_RESET_OWNER:
-		break;
-
-	case VHOST_USER_SET_LOG_FD:
-		fds[fd_num++] = *((int *)arg);
-		break;
-
-	case VHOST_USER_SET_VRING_ERR:
-		file = arg;
-		msg.payload.u64 = file->index & VHOST_USER_VRING_IDX_MASK;
-		msg.size = sizeof(m.payload.u64);
-		if (file->fd > 0)
-			fds[fd_num++] = file->fd;
-		else
-			msg.payload.u64 |= VHOST_USER_VRING_NOFD_MASK;
-		break;
-
-	default:
-		PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "trying to send unhandled msg type");
-		return -1;
-	}
-
-	if (vhost_user_write(vhostfd, &msg, fds, fd_num) < 0) {
-		PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "%s failed: %s",
-			    vhost_msg_strings[req], strerror(errno));
-		return -1;
-	}
-
-	if (need_reply || msg.flags & VHOST_USER_NEED_REPLY_MASK) {
-		if (vhost_user_read(vhostfd, &msg) < 0) {
-			PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "Received msg failed: %s",
-				    strerror(errno));
-			return -1;
-		}
-
-		if (req != msg.request) {
-			PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "Received unexpected msg type");
-			return -1;
-		}
-
-		switch (req) {
-		default:
-			/* Reply-ack handling */
-			if (msg.size != sizeof(m.payload.u64)) {
-				PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "Received bad msg size");
-				return -1;
-			}
-
-			if (msg.payload.u64 != 0) {
-				PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "Slave replied NACK");
-				return -1;
-			}
-
-			break;
-		}
-	}
-
-	return 0;
-}
-
 #define MAX_VIRTIO_USER_BACKLOG 1
 static int
 virtio_user_start_server(struct virtio_user_dev *dev, struct sockaddr_un *un)
@@ -865,6 +764,5 @@ struct virtio_user_backend_ops virtio_ops_user = {
 	.set_vring_addr = vhost_user_set_vring_addr,
 	.get_status = vhost_user_get_status,
 	.set_status = vhost_user_set_status,
-	.send_request = vhost_user_sock,
 	.enable_qp = vhost_user_enable_queue_pair
 };
diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost_vdpa.c b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost_vdpa.c
index 8ebc679f1b..7fb1249569 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost_vdpa.c
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user/vhost_vdpa.c
@@ -36,10 +36,6 @@
 #define VHOST_SET_BACKEND_FEATURES _IOW(VHOST_VIRTIO, 0x25, __u64)
 #define VHOST_GET_BACKEND_FEATURES _IOR(VHOST_VIRTIO, 0x26, __u64)
 
-static uint64_t vhost_req_user_to_vdpa[] = {
-	[VHOST_USER_RESET_OWNER] = VHOST_RESET_OWNER,
-};
-
 /* no alignment requirement */
 struct vhost_iotlb_msg {
 	uint64_t iova;
@@ -389,50 +385,6 @@ vhost_vdpa_set_status(struct virtio_user_dev *dev, uint8_t status)
 	return vhost_vdpa_ioctl(dev->vhostfd, VHOST_VDPA_SET_STATUS, &status);
 }
 
-/* with below features, vhost vdpa does not need to do the checksum and TSO,
- * these info will be passed to virtio_user through virtio net header.
- */
-#define VHOST_VDPA_GUEST_OFFLOADS_MASK	\
-	((1ULL << VIRTIO_NET_F_GUEST_CSUM) |	\
-	 (1ULL << VIRTIO_NET_F_GUEST_TSO4) |	\
-	 (1ULL << VIRTIO_NET_F_GUEST_TSO6) |	\
-	 (1ULL << VIRTIO_NET_F_GUEST_ECN)  |	\
-	 (1ULL << VIRTIO_NET_F_GUEST_UFO))
-
-#define VHOST_VDPA_HOST_OFFLOADS_MASK		\
-	((1ULL << VIRTIO_NET_F_HOST_TSO4) |	\
-	 (1ULL << VIRTIO_NET_F_HOST_TSO6) |	\
-	 (1ULL << VIRTIO_NET_F_CSUM))
-
-static int
-vhost_vdpa_send_request(struct virtio_user_dev *dev,
-		   enum vhost_user_request req,
-		   void *arg)
-{
-	int ret = -1;
-	uint64_t req_vdpa;
-
-	PMD_DRV_LOG(INFO, "%s", vhost_msg_strings[req]);
-
-	req_vdpa = vhost_req_user_to_vdpa[req];
-
-	switch (req_vdpa) {
-	case VHOST_SET_VRING_ADDR:
-		PMD_DRV_LOG(DEBUG, "vhostfd=%d, index=%u",
-			    dev->vhostfd, *(unsigned int *)arg);
-		break;
-	default:
-		break;
-	}
-
-	ret = ioctl(dev->vhostfd, req_vdpa, arg);
-	if (ret < 0)
-		PMD_DRV_LOG(ERR, "%s failed: %s",
-			    vhost_msg_strings[req], strerror(errno));
-
-	return ret;
-}
-
 /**
  * Set up environment to talk with a vhost vdpa backend.
  *
@@ -502,7 +454,6 @@ struct virtio_user_backend_ops virtio_ops_vdpa = {
 	.set_vring_addr = vhost_vdpa_set_vring_addr,
 	.get_status = vhost_vdpa_get_status,
 	.set_status = vhost_vdpa_set_status,
-	.send_request = vhost_vdpa_send_request,
 	.enable_qp = vhost_vdpa_enable_queue_pair,
 	.dma_map = vhost_vdpa_dma_map_batch,
 	.dma_unmap = vhost_vdpa_dma_unmap_batch,
