diff --git a/src/runtime/env_plan9.go b/src/runtime/env_plan9.go
index ec50cac484..b988020d9c 100644
--- a/src/runtime/env_plan9.go
+++ b/src/runtime/env_plan9.go
@@ -6,15 +6,6 @@ package runtime
 
 import "unsafe"
 
-func getenv(s *byte) *byte {
-	val := gogetenv(gostringnocopy(s))
-	if val == "" {
-		return nil
-	}
-	// Strings found in environment are NUL-terminated.
-	return &bytes(val)[0]
-}
-
 var tracebackbuf [128]byte
 
 func gogetenv(key string) string {
diff --git a/src/runtime/env_posix.go b/src/runtime/env_posix.go
index b6567d39f4..5e49287421 100644
--- a/src/runtime/env_posix.go
+++ b/src/runtime/env_posix.go
@@ -8,15 +8,6 @@ package runtime
 
 import "unsafe"
 
-func getenv(s *byte) *byte {
-	val := gogetenv(gostringnocopy(s))
-	if val == "" {
-		return nil
-	}
-	// Strings found in environment are NUL-terminated.
-	return &bytes(val)[0]
-}
-
 func gogetenv(key string) string {
 	env := environ()
 	if env == nil {