diff --git a/include/git2/remote.h b/include/git2/remote.h
index 0d4ee99a0..9f37dc2f3 100644
--- a/include/git2/remote.h
+++ b/include/git2/remote.h
@@ -600,16 +600,6 @@ GIT_EXTERN(void) git_remote_set_autotag(
  */
 GIT_EXTERN(int) git_remote_prune_refs(const git_remote *remote);
 
-/**
- * Set the ref-prune setting
- *
- * @param remote the remote to configure
- * @param value a boolean value
- */
-GIT_EXTERN(void) git_remote_set_prune_refs(
-	git_remote *remote,
-	int value);
-
 /**
  * Give the remote a new name
  *
diff --git a/src/remote.c b/src/remote.c
index 28d7b55c2..f96aaa3c7 100644
--- a/src/remote.c
+++ b/src/remote.c
@@ -1632,11 +1632,6 @@ int git_remote_prune_refs(const git_remote *remote)
 	return remote->prune_refs;
 }
 
-void git_remote_set_prune_refs(git_remote *remote, int value)
-{
-	remote->prune_refs = value;
-}
-
 static int rename_remote_config_section(
 	git_repository *repo,
 	const char *old_name,
diff --git a/tests/network/fetchlocal.c b/tests/network/fetchlocal.c
index e2e6b5e52..88253391f 100644
--- a/tests/network/fetchlocal.c
+++ b/tests/network/fetchlocal.c
@@ -153,10 +153,10 @@ void test_network_fetchlocal__prune_overlapping(void)
 	git_remote_set_callbacks(origin, &callbacks);
 
 	cl_git_pass(git_repository_config(&config, repo));
+	cl_git_pass(git_config_set_bool(config, "remote.origin.prune", true));
 	cl_git_pass(git_config_set_multivar(config, "remote.origin.fetch", "^$", "refs/pull/*/head:refs/remotes/origin/pr/*"));
 
 	cl_git_pass(git_remote_lookup(&origin, repo, GIT_REMOTE_ORIGIN));
-	git_remote_set_prune_refs(origin, 1);
 	git_remote_set_callbacks(origin, &callbacks);
 	cl_git_pass(git_remote_fetch(origin, NULL, NULL, NULL));
 
@@ -170,7 +170,6 @@ void test_network_fetchlocal__prune_overlapping(void)
 	cl_git_pass(git_config_set_multivar(config, "remote.origin.fetch", "^$", "refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/origin/*"));
 
 	cl_git_pass(git_remote_lookup(&origin, repo, GIT_REMOTE_ORIGIN));
-	git_remote_set_prune_refs(origin, true);
 	callbacks.update_tips = update_tips_fail_on_call;
 	git_remote_set_callbacks(origin, &callbacks);
 	cl_git_pass(git_remote_fetch(origin, NULL, NULL, NULL));
@@ -184,7 +183,6 @@ void test_network_fetchlocal__prune_overlapping(void)
 	cl_git_pass(git_config_set_multivar(config, "remote.origin.fetch", "^$", "refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/origin/*"));
 	cl_git_pass(git_config_set_multivar(config, "remote.origin.fetch", "^$", "refs/pull/*/head:refs/remotes/origin/pr/*"));
 	cl_git_pass(git_remote_lookup(&origin, repo, GIT_REMOTE_ORIGIN));
-	git_remote_set_prune_refs(origin, true);
 	callbacks.update_tips = update_tips_fail_on_call;
 	git_remote_set_callbacks(origin, &callbacks);
 	cl_git_pass(git_remote_fetch(origin, NULL, NULL, NULL));
@@ -234,9 +232,9 @@ void test_network_fetchlocal__fetchprune(void)
 	git_reference_free(ref);
 
 	cl_git_pass(git_remote_lookup(&origin, repo, GIT_REMOTE_ORIGIN));
-	git_remote_set_prune_refs(origin, 1);
 	git_remote_set_callbacks(origin, &callbacks);
 	cl_git_pass(git_remote_fetch(origin, NULL, NULL, NULL));
+	cl_git_pass(git_remote_prune(origin));
 
 	cl_git_pass(git_reference_list(&refnames, repo));
 	cl_assert_equal_i(18, (int)refnames.count);