diff --git a/crypto/provider_child.c b/crypto/provider_child.c
index 0ca61c0686..2487d43fd7 100644
--- a/crypto/provider_child.c
+++ b/crypto/provider_child.c
@@ -198,44 +198,6 @@ static int provider_remove_child_cb(const OSSL_CORE_HANDLE *prov, void *cbdata)
     return 1;
 }
 
-int ossl_provider_init_child_providers(OSSL_LIB_CTX *ctx)
-{
-    struct child_prov_globals *gbl;
-
-    /* Should never happen */
-    if (ctx == NULL)
-        return 0;
-
-    gbl = ossl_lib_ctx_get_data(ctx, OSSL_LIB_CTX_CHILD_PROVIDER_INDEX,
-                                &child_prov_ossl_ctx_method);
-    if (gbl == NULL)
-        return 0;
-
-    if (!CRYPTO_THREAD_read_lock(gbl->lock))
-        return 0;
-    if (gbl->isinited) {
-        CRYPTO_THREAD_unlock(gbl->lock);
-        return 1;
-    }
-    CRYPTO_THREAD_unlock(gbl->lock);
-
-    if (!CRYPTO_THREAD_write_lock(gbl->lock))
-        return 0;
-    if (!gbl->isinited) {
-        if (!gbl->c_provider_register_child_cb(gbl->handle,
-                                               provider_create_child_cb,
-                                               provider_remove_child_cb,
-                                               ctx)) {
-            CRYPTO_THREAD_unlock(gbl->lock);
-            return 0;
-        }
-        gbl->isinited = 1;
-    }
-    CRYPTO_THREAD_unlock(gbl->lock);
-
-    return 1;
-}
-
 int ossl_provider_init_as_child(OSSL_LIB_CTX *ctx,
                                 const OSSL_CORE_HANDLE *handle,
                                 const OSSL_DISPATCH *in)
@@ -300,6 +262,14 @@ int ossl_provider_init_as_child(OSSL_LIB_CTX *ctx,
     if (gbl->lock == NULL)
         return 0;
 
+    if (!gbl->c_provider_register_child_cb(gbl->handle,
+                                           provider_create_child_cb,
+                                           provider_remove_child_cb,
+                                           ctx))
+        return 0;
+
+    gbl->isinited = 1;
+
     return 1;
 }
 
diff --git a/crypto/provider_core.c b/crypto/provider_core.c
index f0b429d986..b384f74fd2 100644
--- a/crypto/provider_core.c
+++ b/crypto/provider_core.c
@@ -276,9 +276,6 @@ OSSL_PROVIDER *ossl_provider_find(OSSL_LIB_CTX *libctx, const char *name,
         if (!noconfig) {
             if (ossl_lib_ctx_is_default(libctx))
                 OPENSSL_init_crypto(OPENSSL_INIT_LOAD_CONFIG, NULL);
-            if (ossl_lib_ctx_is_child(libctx)
-                    && !ossl_provider_init_child_providers(libctx))
-                return NULL;
         }
 #endif
 
@@ -1007,9 +1004,6 @@ int ossl_provider_doall_activated(OSSL_LIB_CTX *ctx,
      */
     if (ossl_lib_ctx_is_default(ctx))
         OPENSSL_init_crypto(OPENSSL_INIT_LOAD_CONFIG, NULL);
-    if (ossl_lib_ctx_is_child(ctx)
-            && !ossl_provider_init_child_providers(ctx))
-        return 0;
 #endif
 
     if (store == NULL)
diff --git a/doc/internal/man3/ossl_provider_new.pod b/doc/internal/man3/ossl_provider_new.pod
index ff347bad3f..7ab60eb3a5 100644
--- a/doc/internal/man3/ossl_provider_new.pod
+++ b/doc/internal/man3/ossl_provider_new.pod
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ ossl_provider_free,
 ossl_provider_set_fallback, ossl_provider_set_module_path,
 ossl_provider_add_parameter, ossl_provider_set_child, ossl_provider_get_parent,
 ossl_provider_up_ref_parent, ossl_provider_free_parent,
-ossl_provider_get0_dispatch, ossl_provider_init_child_providers,
+ossl_provider_get0_dispatch,
 ossl_provider_init_as_child,
 ossl_provider_activate, ossl_provider_deactivate, ossl_provider_available,
 ossl_provider_ctx,
@@ -95,7 +95,6 @@ ossl_provider_get_capabilities
                                       int *result);
  int ossl_provider_clear_all_operation_bits(OSSL_LIB_CTX *libctx);
 
- int ossl_provider_init_child_providers(OSSL_LIB_CTX *ctx);
  int ossl_provider_init_as_child(OSSL_LIB_CTX *ctx,
                                  const OSSL_CORE_HANDLE *handle,
                                  const OSSL_DISPATCH *in);
@@ -291,10 +290,6 @@ I<*result> to 1 or 0 accorddingly.
 ossl_provider_clear_all_operation_bits() clears all of the operation bits
 to (0) for all providers in the library context I<libctx>.
 
-ossl_provider_init_child_providers() registers the callbacks required to
-receive notifications about loading and unloading of providers in the parent
-library context.
-
 ossl_provider_init_as_child() stores in the library context I<ctx> references to
 the necessary upcalls for managing child providers. The I<handle> and I<in>
 parameters are the B<OSSL_CORE_HANDLE> and B<OSSL_DISPATCH> pointers that were
diff --git a/include/internal/provider.h b/include/internal/provider.h
index 5b0af7a335..020cbc8a9e 100644
--- a/include/internal/provider.h
+++ b/include/internal/provider.h
@@ -108,7 +108,6 @@ int ossl_provider_clear_all_operation_bits(OSSL_LIB_CTX *libctx);
 void ossl_provider_add_conf_module(void);
 
 /* Child providers */
-int ossl_provider_init_child_providers(OSSL_LIB_CTX *ctx);
 int ossl_provider_init_as_child(OSSL_LIB_CTX *ctx,
                                 const OSSL_CORE_HANDLE *handle,
                                 const OSSL_DISPATCH *in);