diff --git a/src/kernel/race.c b/src/kernel/race.c
index f28c5ed2f..decc3b7bb 100644
--- a/src/kernel/race.c
+++ b/src/kernel/race.c
@@ -369,10 +369,3 @@ void register_race_description_function(race_desc_func func, const char *name) {
 void register_race_name_function(race_name_func func, const char *name) {
     register_function((pf_generic)func, name);
 }
-
-char * race_namegen(const struct race *rc, struct unit *u) {
-    if (rc->generate_name) {
-        rc->generate_name(u);
-    }
-    return NULL;
-}
diff --git a/src/kernel/race.h b/src/kernel/race.h
index 022d09c86..6673676bd 100644
--- a/src/kernel/race.h
+++ b/src/kernel/race.h
@@ -252,7 +252,6 @@ extern "C" {
     const char *raceprefix(const struct unit *u);
     void register_race_name_function(race_name_func, const char *);
     void register_race_description_function(race_desc_func, const char *);
-    char * race_namegen(const struct race *rc, struct unit *u);
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
diff --git a/src/kernel/unit.c b/src/kernel/unit.c
index 4aff7d118..f06c4c252 100644
--- a/src/kernel/unit.c
+++ b/src/kernel/unit.c
@@ -1480,15 +1480,9 @@ void default_name(const unit *u, char name[], int len) {
 
 void name_unit(unit * u)
 {
-    if (u_race(u)->generate_name) {
-        char *gen_name = race_namegen(u_race(u), u);
-        if (gen_name) {
-            free(u->_name);
-            u->_name = gen_name;
-        }
-        else {
-            unit_setname(u, racename(u->faction->locale, u, u_race(u)));
-        }
+    const race *rc = u_race(u);
+    if (rc->generate_name) {
+        rc->generate_name(u);
     }
     else {
         char name[32];
diff --git a/src/names.test.c b/src/names.test.c
index f50937f17..1fc41f340 100644
--- a/src/names.test.c
+++ b/src/names.test.c
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ static void test_names(CuTest * tc)
     locale_setstring(default_locale, "undead_postfix_0", "Kobolde");
     CuAssertPtrNotNull(tc, foo = (race_name_func)get_function("nameundead"));
     rc->generate_name = foo;
-    race_namegen(rc, u);
+    rc->generate_name(u);
     CuAssertStrEquals(tc, "Graue Kobolde", u->_name);
     CuAssertPtrNotNull(tc, get_function("nameskeleton"));
     CuAssertPtrNotNull(tc, get_function("namezombie"));