diff --git a/storage/innobase/srv/srv0srv.c b/storage/innobase/srv/srv0srv.c
index b1f3a543b07..5bdeca7b01d 100644
--- a/storage/innobase/srv/srv0srv.c
+++ b/storage/innobase/srv/srv0srv.c
@@ -2371,30 +2371,6 @@ loop:
 	OS_THREAD_DUMMY_RETURN;
 }
 
-/******************************************************************//**
-Increment the server activity count. */
-UNIV_INLINE
-void
-srv_inc_activity_count_low(void)
-/*============================*/
-{
-	mutex_enter(&kernel_mutex);
-
-	++srv_activity_count;
-
-	mutex_exit(&kernel_mutex);
-}
-
-/******************************************************************//**
-Increment the server activity count. */
-UNIV_INTERN
-void
-srv_inc_activity_count(void)
-/*========================*/
-{
-	srv_inc_activity_count_low();
-}
-
 /**********************************************************************//**
 Check whether any background thread is active.
 @return FALSE if all are are suspended or have exited. */
@@ -2431,9 +2407,7 @@ void
 srv_active_wake_master_thread(void)
 /*===============================*/
 {
-	ut_ad(!mutex_own(&kernel_mutex));
-
-	srv_inc_activity_count_low();
+	srv_activity_count++;
 
 	if (srv_n_threads_active[SRV_MASTER] == 0) {