diff --git a/src/eapol.c b/src/eapol.c
index 8a5b7a84..c7c9074f 100644
--- a/src/eapol.c
+++ b/src/eapol.c
@@ -1732,7 +1732,7 @@ static bool eapol_get_nonce(uint8_t nonce[])
 	return l_getrandom(nonce, 32);
 }
 
-void eapol_start(uint32_t ifindex, struct l_io *io, struct eapol_sm *sm)
+void eapol_start(uint32_t ifindex, struct eapol_sm *sm)
 {
 	sm->ifindex = ifindex;
 	sm->timeout = l_timeout_create(2, eapol_timeout, sm, NULL);
diff --git a/src/eapol.h b/src/eapol.h
index 20197e59..425050a1 100644
--- a/src/eapol.h
+++ b/src/eapol.h
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ uint32_t eapol_sm_get_pairwise_cipher(struct eapol_sm *sm);
 uint32_t eapol_sm_get_group_cipher(struct eapol_sm *sm);
 const uint8_t *eapol_sm_get_own_ie(struct eapol_sm *sm, size_t *out_ie_len);
 
-void eapol_start(uint32_t ifindex, struct l_io *io, struct eapol_sm *sm);
+void eapol_start(uint32_t ifindex, struct eapol_sm *sm);
 void eapol_cancel(uint32_t ifindex);
 
 void eapol_pae_open();
diff --git a/src/netdev.c b/src/netdev.c
index fba14b4c..0a848a36 100644
--- a/src/netdev.c
+++ b/src/netdev.c
@@ -62,7 +62,6 @@ struct netdev {
 	netdev_disconnect_cb_t disconnect_cb;
 	void *user_data;
 	struct eapol_sm *sm;
-	struct l_io *eapol_io;
 	uint8_t remote_addr[ETH_ALEN];
 	uint32_t pairwise_new_key_cmd_id;
 	uint32_t pairwise_set_key_cmd_id;
@@ -271,9 +270,6 @@ static void netdev_connect_free(struct netdev *netdev)
 	if (netdev->sm) {
 		eapol_sm_free(netdev->sm);
 		netdev->sm = NULL;
-
-		l_io_destroy(netdev->eapol_io);
-		netdev->eapol_io = NULL;
 	}
 
 	if (netdev->eapol_active) {
@@ -993,11 +989,10 @@ static void netdev_connect_event(struct l_genl_msg *msg,
 		goto error;
 
 	if (netdev->sm) {
-		eapol_start(netdev->index, netdev->eapol_io, netdev->sm);
+		eapol_start(netdev->index, netdev->sm);
 		netdev->eapol_active = true;
 
 		netdev->sm = NULL;
-		netdev->eapol_io = NULL;
 
 		if (netdev->event_filter)
 			netdev->event_filter(netdev,