diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/expr.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/expr.go
index 815e369ad83..3b650c07870 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/expr.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/expr.go
@@ -186,14 +186,6 @@ type ClosureExpr struct {
 	IsGoWrap bool // whether this is wrapper closure of a go statement
 }
 
-// Deprecated: Use NewClosureFunc instead.
-func NewClosureExpr(pos src.XPos, fn *Func) *ClosureExpr {
-	n := &ClosureExpr{Func: fn}
-	n.op = OCLOSURE
-	n.pos = pos
-	return n
-}
-
 // A CompLitExpr is a composite literal Type{Vals}.
 // Before type-checking, the type is Ntype.
 type CompLitExpr struct {
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/func.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/func.go
index 894fff23ffb..a9a7f19d3f6 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/func.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/func.go
@@ -368,7 +368,9 @@ func NewClosureFunc(pos src.XPos, hidden bool) *Func {
 	fn.Nname.Func = fn
 	fn.Nname.Defn = fn
 
-	fn.OClosure = NewClosureExpr(pos, fn)
+	fn.OClosure = &ClosureExpr{Func: fn}
+	fn.OClosure.op = OCLOSURE
+	fn.OClosure.pos = pos
 
 	return fn
 }