diff --git a/include/linux/mm.h b/include/linux/mm.h
index e3b6112a8d79..8a0078a4dc78 100644
--- a/include/linux/mm.h
+++ b/include/linux/mm.h
@@ -4855,7 +4855,6 @@ static inline void print_vma_addr(char *prefix, unsigned long rip)
 }
 #endif
 
-void *sparse_buffer_alloc(unsigned long size);
 unsigned long section_map_size(void);
 struct page * __populate_section_memmap(unsigned long pfn,
 		unsigned long nr_pages, int nid, struct vmem_altmap *altmap,
diff --git a/mm/sparse-vmemmap.c b/mm/sparse-vmemmap.c
index 3c35d2303a61..43f82621dd92 100644
--- a/mm/sparse-vmemmap.c
+++ b/mm/sparse-vmemmap.c
@@ -87,15 +87,10 @@ static void * __meminit altmap_alloc_block_buf(unsigned long size,
 void * __meminit vmemmap_alloc_block_buf(unsigned long size, int node,
 					 struct vmem_altmap *altmap)
 {
-	void *ptr;
-
 	if (altmap)
 		return altmap_alloc_block_buf(size, altmap);
 
-	ptr = sparse_buffer_alloc(size);
-	if (!ptr)
-		ptr = vmemmap_alloc_block(size, node);
-	return ptr;
+	return vmemmap_alloc_block(size, node);
 }
 
 static unsigned long __meminit vmem_altmap_next_pfn(struct vmem_altmap *altmap)
diff --git a/mm/sparse.c b/mm/sparse.c
index e13f9f5fa090..16ac6df3c89f 100644
--- a/mm/sparse.c
+++ b/mm/sparse.c
@@ -239,12 +239,9 @@ struct page __init *__populate_section_memmap(unsigned long pfn,
 		struct dev_pagemap *pgmap)
 {
 	unsigned long size = section_map_size();
-	struct page *map = sparse_buffer_alloc(size);
+	struct page *map;
 	phys_addr_t addr = __pa(MAX_DMA_ADDRESS);
 
-	if (map)
-		return map;
-
 	map = memmap_alloc(size, size, addr, nid, false);
 	if (!map)
 		panic("%s: Failed to allocate %lu bytes align=0x%lx nid=%d from=%pa\n",
@@ -254,55 +251,6 @@ struct page __init *__populate_section_memmap(unsigned long pfn,
 }
 #endif /* !CONFIG_SPARSEMEM_VMEMMAP */
 
-static void *sparsemap_buf __meminitdata;
-static void *sparsemap_buf_end __meminitdata;
-
-static inline void __meminit sparse_buffer_free(unsigned long size)
-{
-	WARN_ON(!sparsemap_buf || size == 0);
-	memblock_free(sparsemap_buf, size);
-}
-
-static void __init sparse_buffer_init(unsigned long size, int nid)
-{
-	phys_addr_t addr = __pa(MAX_DMA_ADDRESS);
-	WARN_ON(sparsemap_buf);	/* forgot to call sparse_buffer_fini()? */
-	/*
-	 * Pre-allocated buffer is mainly used by __populate_section_memmap
-	 * and we want it to be properly aligned to the section size - this is
-	 * especially the case for VMEMMAP which maps memmap to PMDs
-	 */
-	sparsemap_buf = memmap_alloc(size, section_map_size(), addr, nid, true);
-	sparsemap_buf_end = sparsemap_buf + size;
-}
-
-static void __init sparse_buffer_fini(void)
-{
-	unsigned long size = sparsemap_buf_end - sparsemap_buf;
-
-	if (sparsemap_buf && size > 0)
-		sparse_buffer_free(size);
-	sparsemap_buf = NULL;
-}
-
-void * __meminit sparse_buffer_alloc(unsigned long size)
-{
-	void *ptr = NULL;
-
-	if (sparsemap_buf) {
-		ptr = (void *) roundup((unsigned long)sparsemap_buf, size);
-		if (ptr + size > sparsemap_buf_end)
-			ptr = NULL;
-		else {
-			/* Free redundant aligned space */
-			if ((unsigned long)(ptr - sparsemap_buf) > 0)
-				sparse_buffer_free((unsigned long)(ptr - sparsemap_buf));
-			sparsemap_buf = ptr + size;
-		}
-	}
-	return ptr;
-}
-
 void __weak __meminit vmemmap_populate_print_last(void)
 {
 }
@@ -360,8 +308,6 @@ static void __init sparse_init_nid(int nid, unsigned long pnum_begin,
 		goto failed;
 	}
 
-	sparse_buffer_init(map_count * section_map_size(), nid);
-
 	sparse_vmemmap_init_nid_early(nid);
 
 	for_each_present_section_nr(pnum_begin, pnum) {
@@ -379,7 +325,6 @@ static void __init sparse_init_nid(int nid, unsigned long pnum_begin,
 				       __func__, nid);
 				pnum_begin = pnum;
 				sparse_usage_fini();
-				sparse_buffer_fini();
 				goto failed;
 			}
 			memmap_boot_pages_add(DIV_ROUND_UP(PAGES_PER_SECTION * sizeof(struct page),
@@ -388,7 +333,6 @@ static void __init sparse_init_nid(int nid, unsigned long pnum_begin,
 		}
 	}
 	sparse_usage_fini();
-	sparse_buffer_fini();
 	return;
 failed:
 	/*