diff --git a/spawn.c b/spawn.c
index 8be26fa3..2a588b6b 100644
--- a/spawn.c
+++ b/spawn.c
@@ -170,10 +170,8 @@ spawn_window(struct spawn_context *sc, char **cause)
 	/* Spawn the pane. */
 	wp = spawn_pane(sc, cause);
 	if (wp == NULL) {
-		if (~sc->flags & SPAWN_RESPAWN) {
-			window_destroy(w);
+		if (~sc->flags & SPAWN_RESPAWN)
 			winlink_remove(&s->windows, sc->wl);
-		}
 		return (NULL);
 	}
 
diff --git a/tmux.h b/tmux.h
index d34dcaea..35c2d1b9 100644
--- a/tmux.h
+++ b/tmux.h
@@ -2364,7 +2364,6 @@ struct window	*window_find_by_id_str(const char *);
 struct window	*window_find_by_id(u_int);
 void		 window_update_activity(struct window *);
 struct window	*window_create(u_int, u_int);
-void		 window_destroy(struct window *);
 void		 window_pane_set_event(struct window_pane *);
 struct window_pane *window_get_active_at(struct window *, u_int, u_int);
 struct window_pane *window_find_string(struct window *, const char *);
diff --git a/window.c b/window.c
index bf2ef78e..409f1df5 100644
--- a/window.c
+++ b/window.c
@@ -336,7 +336,7 @@ window_create(u_int sx, u_int sy)
 	return (w);
 }
 
-void
+static void
 window_destroy(struct window *w)
 {
 	log_debug("window @%u destroyed (%d references)", w->id, w->references);