diff --git a/libfwupdplugin/README.md b/libfwupdplugin/README.md
index 19a5031c7..647bcde39 100644
--- a/libfwupdplugin/README.md
+++ b/libfwupdplugin/README.md
@@ -79,3 +79,4 @@ Remember: Plugins should be upstream!
 * `fu_common_set_firmware_search_path()`: Use `fu_kernel_set_firmware_search_path` instead.
 * `fu_common_reset_firmware_search_path()`: Use `fu_kernel_reset_firmware_search_path` instead.
 * `fu_common_firmware_builder()`: You should not be using this.
+* `fu_common_realpath()`: You should not be using this.
diff --git a/libfwupdplugin/fu-common.c b/libfwupdplugin/fu-common.c
index 50ead1d7b..380461e0c 100644
--- a/libfwupdplugin/fu-common.c
+++ b/libfwupdplugin/fu-common.c
@@ -663,48 +663,6 @@ fu_common_dump_bytes(const gchar *log_domain, const gchar *title, GBytes *bytes)
 	fu_common_dump_raw(log_domain, title, data, len);
 }
 
-/**
- * fu_common_realpath:
- * @filename: a filename
- * @error: (nullable): optional return location for an error
- *
- * Finds the canonicalized absolute filename for a path.
- *
- * Returns: a filename, or %NULL if invalid or not found
- *
- * Since: 1.2.6
- **/
-gchar *
-fu_common_realpath(const gchar *filename, GError **error)
-{
-	char full_tmp[PATH_MAX];
-
-	g_return_val_if_fail(filename != NULL, NULL);
-	g_return_val_if_fail(error == NULL || *error == NULL, NULL);
-
-#ifdef HAVE_REALPATH
-	if (realpath(filename, full_tmp) == NULL) {
-#else
-	if (_fullpath(full_tmp, filename, sizeof(full_tmp)) == NULL) {
-#endif
-		g_set_error(error,
-			    G_IO_ERROR,
-			    G_IO_ERROR_INVALID_DATA,
-			    "cannot resolve path: %s",
-			    strerror(errno));
-		return NULL;
-	}
-	if (!g_file_test(full_tmp, G_FILE_TEST_EXISTS)) {
-		g_set_error(error,
-			    G_IO_ERROR,
-			    G_IO_ERROR_INVALID_DATA,
-			    "cannot find path: %s",
-			    full_tmp);
-		return NULL;
-	}
-	return g_strdup(full_tmp);
-}
-
 /**
  * fu_common_fnmatch:
  * @pattern: a glob pattern, e.g. `*foo*`
diff --git a/libfwupdplugin/fu-common.h b/libfwupdplugin/fu-common.h
index dde7c932d..a68645bba 100644
--- a/libfwupdplugin/fu-common.h
+++ b/libfwupdplugin/fu-common.h
@@ -171,8 +171,6 @@ typedef enum {
 
 gchar *
 fu_common_get_path(FuPathKind path_kind);
-gchar *
-fu_common_realpath(const gchar *filename, GError **error) G_GNUC_WARN_UNUSED_RESULT;
 GPtrArray *
 fu_common_filename_glob(const gchar *directory,
 			const gchar *pattern,
diff --git a/libfwupdplugin/fwupdplugin.map b/libfwupdplugin/fwupdplugin.map
index 418a2830a..378b33b37 100644
--- a/libfwupdplugin/fwupdplugin.map
+++ b/libfwupdplugin/fwupdplugin.map
@@ -291,7 +291,6 @@ LIBFWUPDPLUGIN_1.2.5 {
 
 LIBFWUPDPLUGIN_1.2.6 {
   global:
-    fu_common_realpath;
     fu_device_activate;
     fu_device_get_firmware_size_max;
     fu_device_get_firmware_size_min;
diff --git a/src/fu-engine.c b/src/fu-engine.c
index 1d6c4de7d..e25dfbfa6 100644
--- a/src/fu-engine.c
+++ b/src/fu-engine.c
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 #include <gio/gunixinputstream.h>
 #endif
 #include <glib-object.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #ifdef HAVE_UTSNAME_H
 #include <sys/utsname.h>
@@ -2096,6 +2097,39 @@ fu_engine_is_running_offline(FuEngine *self)
 #endif
 }
 
+#ifdef HAVE_GIO_UNIX
+static gchar *
+fu_realpath(const gchar *filename, GError **error)
+{
+	char full_tmp[PATH_MAX];
+
+	g_return_val_if_fail(filename != NULL, NULL);
+	g_return_val_if_fail(error == NULL || *error == NULL, NULL);
+
+#ifdef HAVE_REALPATH
+	if (realpath(filename, full_tmp) == NULL) {
+#else
+	if (_fullpath(full_tmp, filename, sizeof(full_tmp)) == NULL) {
+#endif
+		g_set_error(error,
+			    G_IO_ERROR,
+			    G_IO_ERROR_INVALID_DATA,
+			    "cannot resolve path: %s",
+			    strerror(errno));
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	if (!g_file_test(full_tmp, G_FILE_TEST_EXISTS)) {
+		g_set_error(error,
+			    G_IO_ERROR,
+			    G_IO_ERROR_INVALID_DATA,
+			    "cannot find path: %s",
+			    full_tmp);
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	return g_strdup(full_tmp);
+}
+#endif
+
 static gboolean
 fu_engine_offline_setup(GError **error)
 {
@@ -2108,7 +2142,7 @@ fu_engine_offline_setup(GError **error)
 	g_return_val_if_fail(error == NULL || *error == NULL, FALSE);
 
 	/* does already exist */
-	filename = fu_common_realpath(trigger, NULL);
+	filename = fu_realpath(trigger, NULL);
 	if (g_strcmp0(filename, symlink_target) == 0) {
 		g_debug("%s already points to %s, skipping creation", trigger, symlink_target);
 		return TRUE;