diff --git a/tiledb/common/exception/status.h b/tiledb/common/exception/status.h
index f9c267f3fb3..e513705e557 100644
--- a/tiledb/common/exception/status.h
+++ b/tiledb/common/exception/status.h
@@ -308,10 +308,6 @@ inline Status Status_BufferError(const std::string& msg) {
 inline Status Status_QueryError(const std::string& msg) {
   return {"[TileDB::Query] Error", msg};
 }
-/** Return a ValidityVector error class Status with a given message **/
-inline Status Status_ValidityVectorError(const std::string& msg) {
-  return {"[TileDB::ValidityVector] Error", msg};
-}
 /** Return a Status_VFSError error class Status with a given message **/
 inline Status Status_VFSError(const std::string& msg) {
   return {"[TileDB::VFS] Error", msg};
diff --git a/tiledb/sm/query/query.cc b/tiledb/sm/query/query.cc
index 97b5edefb55..2dbcfdaaa42 100644
--- a/tiledb/sm/query/query.cc
+++ b/tiledb/sm/query/query.cc
@@ -1516,17 +1516,14 @@ Status Query::set_validity_buffer(
     const bool serialization_allow_new_attr) {
   RETURN_NOT_OK(check_set_fixed_buffer(name));
 
-  ValidityVector validity_vector;
-  RETURN_NOT_OK(validity_vector.init_bytemap(
-      buffer_validity_bytemap, buffer_validity_bytemap_size));
   // Check validity buffer
-  if (check_null_buffers && validity_vector.buffer() == nullptr) {
+  if (check_null_buffers && buffer_validity_bytemap == nullptr) {
     return logger_->status(Status_QueryError(
         "Cannot set buffer; " + name + " validity buffer is null"));
   }
 
   // Check validity buffer size
-  if (check_null_buffers && validity_vector.buffer_size() == nullptr) {
+  if (check_null_buffers && buffer_validity_bytemap_size == nullptr) {
     return logger_->status(Status_QueryError(
         "Cannot set buffer; " + name + " validity buffer size is null"));
   }
@@ -1561,7 +1558,8 @@ Status Query::set_validity_buffer(
   }
 
   // Set attribute/dimension buffer
-  buffers_[name].set_validity_buffer(std::move(validity_vector));
+  buffers_[name].set_validity_buffer(
+      {buffer_validity_bytemap, buffer_validity_bytemap_size});
 
   return Status::Ok();
 }
diff --git a/tiledb/sm/query/validity_vector.h b/tiledb/sm/query/validity_vector.h
index 6b2ecfde064..a6a5256f902 100644
--- a/tiledb/sm/query/validity_vector.h
+++ b/tiledb/sm/query/validity_vector.h
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@
 #include <vector>
 
 #include "tiledb/common/macros.h"
-#include "tiledb/common/status.h"
 
 using namespace tiledb::common;
 
@@ -97,26 +96,6 @@ class ValidityVector {
   /*                API                */
   /* ********************************* */
 
-  /**
-   * Initializes the validity vector with a bytemap. This does
-   * not take ownership of the bytemap. Each non-zero byte represents
-   * a valid attribute value.
-   *
-   * @param bytemap The byte map.
-   * @param bytemap_size The byte size of `bytemap`.
-   * @return Status
-   */
-  Status init_bytemap(uint8_t* const bytemap, uint64_t* bytemap_size) {
-    if (buffer_ != nullptr)
-      return Status_ValidityVectorError(
-          "ValidityVector instance already initialized");
-
-    buffer_ = bytemap;
-    buffer_size_ = bytemap_size;
-
-    return Status::Ok();
-  }
-
   /** Returns the bytemap that this instance was initialized with. */
   uint8_t* bytemap() const {
     return buffer_;