diff --git a/sql/sql_base.cc b/sql/sql_base.cc
index 18e7ee950e6..08a9647cf56 100644
--- a/sql/sql_base.cc
+++ b/sql/sql_base.cc
@@ -792,23 +792,6 @@ static void mark_used_tables_as_free_for_reuse(THD *thd, TABLE *table)
 }
 
 
-/**
-  Auxiliary function to close all tables in the open_tables list.
-
-  @param thd Thread context.
-
-  @remark It should not ordinarily be called directly.
-*/
-
-static void close_open_tables(THD *thd)
-{
-  DBUG_PRINT("info", ("thd->open_tables: 0x%lx", (long) thd->open_tables));
-
-  while (thd->open_tables)
-    (void) close_thread_table(thd, &thd->open_tables);
-}
-
-
 /**
   Close all open instances of the table but keep the MDL lock.
 
@@ -1028,8 +1011,8 @@ void close_thread_tables(THD *thd)
     Closing a MERGE child before the parent would be fatal if the
     other thread tries to abort the MERGE lock in between.
   */
-  if (thd->open_tables)
-    close_open_tables(thd);
+  while (thd->open_tables)
+    (void) close_thread_table(thd, &thd->open_tables);
 
   DBUG_VOID_RETURN;
 }