diff --git a/t/test-lib-functions.sh b/t/test-lib-functions.sh
index 0f439c99d61091..2501fc5706f88a 100644
--- a/t/test-lib-functions.sh
+++ b/t/test-lib-functions.sh
@@ -1788,40 +1788,6 @@ test_subcommand () {
 	fi
 }
 
-# Check that the given command was invoked as part of the
-# trace2-format trace on stdin, but without an exact set of
-# arguments.
-#
-#	test_subcommand [!] <command> <args>... < <trace>
-#
-# For example, to look for an invocation of "git pack-objects"
-# with the "--honor-pack-keep" argument, use
-#
-#	GIT_TRACE2_EVENT=event.log git repack ... &&
-#	test_subcommand git pack-objects --honor-pack-keep <event.log
-#
-# If the first parameter passed is !, this instead checks that
-# the given command was not called.
-#
-test_subcommand_inexact () {
-	local negate=
-	if test "$1" = "!"
-	then
-		negate=t
-		shift
-	fi
-
-	local expr=$(printf '"%s".*' "$@")
-	expr="${expr%,}"
-
-	if test -n "$negate"
-	then
-		! grep "\"event\":\"child_start\".*\[$expr\]"
-	else
-		grep "\"event\":\"child_start\".*\[$expr\]"
-	fi
-}
-
 # Check that the given command was invoked as part of the
 # trace2-format trace on stdin.
 #