diff --git a/examples/bdev/fio_plugin/fio_plugin.c b/examples/bdev/fio_plugin/fio_plugin.c
index e7d48875e..f88709359 100644
--- a/examples/bdev/fio_plugin/fio_plugin.c
+++ b/examples/bdev/fio_plugin/fio_plugin.c
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ spdk_fio_init_thread(struct thread_data *td)
 	fio_thread->td = td;
 	td->io_ops_data = fio_thread;
 
-	fio_thread->thread = spdk_allocate_thread(NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, "fio_thread");
+	fio_thread->thread = spdk_allocate_thread("fio_thread");
 	if (!fio_thread->thread) {
 		free(fio_thread);
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("failed to allocate thread\n");
diff --git a/include/spdk/thread.h b/include/spdk/thread.h
index a9e5fd44c..a40146c0e 100644
--- a/include/spdk/thread.h
+++ b/include/spdk/thread.h
@@ -178,27 +178,13 @@ void spdk_thread_lib_fini(void);
 /**
  * Initializes the calling thread for I/O channel allocation.
  *
- * \param msg_fn A function that may be called from any thread and is passed a function
- * pointer (spdk_msg_fn) that must be called on the same thread that spdk_allocate_thread
- * was called from.
- * DEPRECATED. Only used in tests. Pass NULL for this parameter.
- * \param start_poller_fn Function to be called to start a poller for the thread.
- * DEPRECATED. Only used in tests. Pass NULL for this parameter.
- * \param stop_poller_fn Function to be called to stop a poller for the thread.
- * DEPRECATED. Only used in tests. Pass NULL for this parameter.
- * \param thread_ctx Context that will be passed to msg_fn, start_poller_fn, and stop_poller_fn.
- * DEPRECATED. Only used in tests. Pass NULL for this parameter.
  * \param name Human-readable name for the thread; can be retrieved with spdk_thread_get_name().
  * The string is copied, so the pointed-to data only needs to be valid during the
  * spdk_allocate_thread() call. May be NULL to specify no name.
  *
  * \return a pointer to the allocated thread on success or NULL on failure..
  */
-struct spdk_thread *spdk_allocate_thread(spdk_thread_pass_msg msg_fn,
-		spdk_start_poller start_poller_fn,
-		spdk_stop_poller stop_poller_fn,
-		void *thread_ctx,
-		const char *name);
+struct spdk_thread *spdk_allocate_thread(const char *name);
 
 /**
  * Release any resources related to the calling thread for I/O channel allocation.
diff --git a/lib/event/reactor.c b/lib/event/reactor.c
index 2da8301f6..b53a21a6f 100644
--- a/lib/event/reactor.c
+++ b/lib/event/reactor.c
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ _spdk_reactor_run(void *arg)
 	char			thread_name[32];
 
 	snprintf(thread_name, sizeof(thread_name), "reactor_%u", reactor->lcore);
-	thread = spdk_allocate_thread(NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, thread_name);
+	thread = spdk_allocate_thread(thread_name);
 	if (!thread) {
 		return -1;
 	}
diff --git a/lib/rocksdb/env_spdk.cc b/lib/rocksdb/env_spdk.cc
index 0da04ae79..5b0f6a59b 100644
--- a/lib/rocksdb/env_spdk.cc
+++ b/lib/rocksdb/env_spdk.cc
@@ -584,7 +584,7 @@ void SpdkInitializeThread(void)
 	struct spdk_thread *thread;
 
 	if (g_fs != NULL) {
-		thread = spdk_allocate_thread(NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, "spdk_rocksdb");
+		thread = spdk_allocate_thread("spdk_rocksdb");
 		spdk_set_thread(thread);
 		g_sync_args.channel = spdk_fs_alloc_io_channel_sync(g_fs);
 	}
diff --git a/lib/thread/thread.c b/lib/thread/thread.c
index 4dc980559..3f4f14146 100644
--- a/lib/thread/thread.c
+++ b/lib/thread/thread.c
@@ -103,10 +103,6 @@ struct spdk_poller {
 };
 
 struct spdk_thread {
-	spdk_thread_pass_msg		msg_fn;
-	spdk_start_poller		start_poller_fn;
-	spdk_stop_poller		stop_poller_fn;
-	void				*thread_ctx;
 	TAILQ_HEAD(, spdk_io_channel)	io_channels;
 	TAILQ_ENTRY(spdk_thread)	tailq;
 	char				*name;
@@ -184,10 +180,7 @@ spdk_thread_lib_fini(void)
 }
 
 struct spdk_thread *
-spdk_allocate_thread(spdk_thread_pass_msg msg_fn,
-		     spdk_start_poller start_poller_fn,
-		     spdk_stop_poller stop_poller_fn,
-		     void *thread_ctx, const char *name)
+spdk_allocate_thread(const char *name)
 {
 	struct spdk_thread *thread;
 
@@ -197,22 +190,12 @@ spdk_allocate_thread(spdk_thread_pass_msg msg_fn,
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
-	if ((start_poller_fn != NULL && stop_poller_fn == NULL) ||
-	    (start_poller_fn == NULL && stop_poller_fn != NULL)) {
-		SPDK_ERRLOG("start_poller_fn and stop_poller_fn must either both be NULL or both be non-NULL\n");
-		return NULL;
-	}
-
 	thread = calloc(1, sizeof(*thread));
 	if (!thread) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("Unable to allocate memory for thread\n");
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
-	thread->msg_fn = msg_fn;
-	thread->start_poller_fn = start_poller_fn;
-	thread->stop_poller_fn = stop_poller_fn;
-	thread->thread_ctx = thread_ctx;
 	TAILQ_INIT(&thread->io_channels);
 	TAILQ_INIT(&thread->active_pollers);
 	TAILQ_INIT(&thread->timer_pollers);
@@ -479,11 +462,6 @@ spdk_thread_send_msg(const struct spdk_thread *thread, spdk_msg_fn fn, void *ctx
 		return;
 	}
 
-	if (thread->msg_fn) {
-		thread->msg_fn(fn, ctx, thread->thread_ctx);
-		return;
-	}
-
 	msg = spdk_mempool_get(g_spdk_msg_mempool);
 	if (!msg) {
 		assert(false);
@@ -516,10 +494,6 @@ spdk_poller_register(spdk_poller_fn fn,
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
-	if (thread->start_poller_fn) {
-		return thread->start_poller_fn(thread->thread_ctx, fn, arg, period_microseconds);
-	}
-
 	poller = calloc(1, sizeof(*poller));
 	if (poller == NULL) {
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("Poller memory allocation failed\n");
@@ -568,11 +542,6 @@ spdk_poller_unregister(struct spdk_poller **ppoller)
 		return;
 	}
 
-	if (thread->stop_poller_fn) {
-		thread->stop_poller_fn(poller, thread->thread_ctx);
-		return;
-	}
-
 	if (poller->state == SPDK_POLLER_STATE_RUNNING) {
 		/*
 		 * We are being called from the poller_fn, so set the state to unregistered
diff --git a/test/common/lib/ut_multithread.c b/test/common/lib/ut_multithread.c
index 51420bba3..c559751ce 100644
--- a/test/common/lib/ut_multithread.c
+++ b/test/common/lib/ut_multithread.c
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ allocate_threads(int num_threads)
 
 	for (i = 0; i < g_ut_num_threads; i++) {
 		set_thread(i);
-		thread = spdk_allocate_thread(NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL);
+		thread = spdk_allocate_thread(NULL);
 		assert(thread != NULL);
 		g_ut_threads[i].thread = thread;
 	}
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/blobfs/blobfs_sync_ut/blobfs_sync_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/blobfs/blobfs_sync_ut/blobfs_sync_ut.c
index 34c5ca0bb..2caa65509 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/blobfs/blobfs_sync_ut/blobfs_sync_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/blobfs/blobfs_sync_ut/blobfs_sync_ut.c
@@ -374,7 +374,7 @@ spdk_thread(void *arg)
 	struct spdk_thread *thread;
 	struct ut_request *req;
 
-	thread = spdk_allocate_thread(NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, "thread1");
+	thread = spdk_allocate_thread("thread1");
 	spdk_set_thread(thread);
 
 	while (1) {
@@ -428,7 +428,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		return CU_get_error();
 	}
 
-	thread = spdk_allocate_thread(NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, "thread0");
+	thread = spdk_allocate_thread("thread0");
 	spdk_set_thread(thread);
 
 	pthread_create(&spdk_tid, NULL, spdk_thread, NULL);
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/nvmf/tcp.c/tcp_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/nvmf/tcp.c/tcp_ut.c
index 18037dc23..ed431bee8 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/nvmf/tcp.c/tcp_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/nvmf/tcp.c/tcp_ut.c
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ test_nvmf_tcp_create(void)
 	struct spdk_nvmf_tcp_transport *ttransport;
 	struct spdk_nvmf_transport_opts opts;
 
-	thread = spdk_allocate_thread(NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL);
+	thread = spdk_allocate_thread(NULL);
 	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(thread != NULL);
 	spdk_set_thread(thread);
 
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ test_nvmf_tcp_destroy(void)
 	struct spdk_nvmf_transport *transport;
 	struct spdk_nvmf_transport_opts opts;
 
-	thread = spdk_allocate_thread(NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL);
+	thread = spdk_allocate_thread(NULL);
 	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(thread != NULL);
 	spdk_set_thread(thread);
 
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ test_nvmf_tcp_poll_group_create(void)
 	struct spdk_nvmf_transport_poll_group *group;
 	struct spdk_thread *thread;
 
-	thread = spdk_allocate_thread(NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL);
+	thread = spdk_allocate_thread(NULL);
 	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(thread != NULL);
 	spdk_set_thread(thread);
 
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/thread/thread.c/thread_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/thread/thread.c/thread_ut.c
index 7b17737be..9d999a19b 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/thread/thread.c/thread_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/thread/thread.c/thread_ut.c
@@ -345,7 +345,7 @@ thread_name(void)
 	const char *name;
 
 	/* Create thread with no name, which automatically generates one */
-	thread = spdk_allocate_thread(NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL);
+	thread = spdk_allocate_thread(NULL);
 	spdk_set_thread(thread);
 	thread = spdk_get_thread();
 	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(thread != NULL);
@@ -354,7 +354,7 @@ thread_name(void)
 	spdk_free_thread();
 
 	/* Create thread named "test_thread" */
-	thread = spdk_allocate_thread(NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, "test_thread");
+	thread = spdk_allocate_thread("test_thread");
 	spdk_set_thread(thread);
 	thread = spdk_get_thread();
 	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(thread != NULL);