diff --git a/crypto/algapi.c b/crypto/algapi.c
index d1f76b415643..60b98d2c400e 100644
--- a/crypto/algapi.c
+++ b/crypto/algapi.c
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@
 #include <linux/rtnetlink.h>
 #include <linux/slab.h>
 #include <linux/string.h>
-#include <linux/workqueue.h>
 
 #include "internal.h"
 
@@ -75,26 +74,15 @@ static void crypto_free_instance(struct crypto_instance *inst)
 	inst->alg.cra_type->free(inst);
 }
 
-static void crypto_destroy_instance_workfn(struct work_struct *w)
+static void crypto_destroy_instance(struct crypto_alg *alg)
 {
-	struct crypto_instance *inst = container_of(w, struct crypto_instance,
-						    free_work);
+	struct crypto_instance *inst = (void *)alg;
 	struct crypto_template *tmpl = inst->tmpl;
 
 	crypto_free_instance(inst);
 	crypto_tmpl_put(tmpl);
 }
 
-static void crypto_destroy_instance(struct crypto_alg *alg)
-{
-	struct crypto_instance *inst = container_of(alg,
-						    struct crypto_instance,
-						    alg);
-
-	INIT_WORK(&inst->free_work, crypto_destroy_instance_workfn);
-	schedule_work(&inst->free_work);
-}
-
 /*
  * This function adds a spawn to the list secondary_spawns which
  * will be used at the end of crypto_remove_spawns to unregister
diff --git a/include/crypto/algapi.h b/include/crypto/algapi.h
index 939a3196bf00..224b86064708 100644
--- a/include/crypto/algapi.h
+++ b/include/crypto/algapi.h
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@
 #include <linux/kconfig.h>
 #include <linux/list.h>
 #include <linux/types.h>
-#include <linux/workqueue.h>
 
 #include <asm/unaligned.h>
 
@@ -61,8 +60,6 @@ struct crypto_instance {
 		struct crypto_spawn *spawns;
 	};
 
-	struct work_struct free_work;
-
 	void *__ctx[] CRYPTO_MINALIGN_ATTR;
 };