diff --git a/drivers/md/dm-zoned-metadata.c b/drivers/md/dm-zoned-metadata.c
index d8334cd45d7c..4cdde7a02e94 100644
--- a/drivers/md/dm-zoned-metadata.c
+++ b/drivers/md/dm-zoned-metadata.c
@@ -1593,30 +1593,6 @@ struct dm_zone *dmz_get_zone_for_reclaim(struct dmz_metadata *zmd)
 	return zone;
 }
 
-/*
- * Activate a zone (increment its reference count).
- */
-void dmz_activate_zone(struct dm_zone *zone)
-{
-	set_bit(DMZ_ACTIVE, &zone->flags);
-	atomic_inc(&zone->refcount);
-}
-
-/*
- * Deactivate a zone. This decrement the zone reference counter
- * and clears the active state of the zone once the count reaches 0,
- * indicating that all BIOs to the zone have completed. Returns
- * true if the zone was deactivated.
- */
-void dmz_deactivate_zone(struct dm_zone *zone)
-{
-	if (atomic_dec_and_test(&zone->refcount)) {
-		WARN_ON(!test_bit(DMZ_ACTIVE, &zone->flags));
-		clear_bit_unlock(DMZ_ACTIVE, &zone->flags);
-		smp_mb__after_atomic();
-	}
-}
-
 /*
  * Get the zone mapping a chunk, if the chunk is mapped already.
  * If no mapping exist and the operation is WRITE, a zone is
diff --git a/drivers/md/dm-zoned.h b/drivers/md/dm-zoned.h
index 12419f0bfe78..ed8de49c9a08 100644
--- a/drivers/md/dm-zoned.h
+++ b/drivers/md/dm-zoned.h
@@ -115,7 +115,6 @@ enum {
 	DMZ_BUF,
 
 	/* Zone internal state */
-	DMZ_ACTIVE,
 	DMZ_RECLAIM,
 	DMZ_SEQ_WRITE_ERR,
 };
@@ -128,7 +127,6 @@ enum {
 #define dmz_is_empty(z)		((z)->wp_block == 0)
 #define dmz_is_offline(z)	test_bit(DMZ_OFFLINE, &(z)->flags)
 #define dmz_is_readonly(z)	test_bit(DMZ_READ_ONLY, &(z)->flags)
-#define dmz_is_active(z)	test_bit(DMZ_ACTIVE, &(z)->flags)
 #define dmz_in_reclaim(z)	test_bit(DMZ_RECLAIM, &(z)->flags)
 #define dmz_seq_write_err(z)	test_bit(DMZ_SEQ_WRITE_ERR, &(z)->flags)
 
@@ -188,8 +186,30 @@ void dmz_unmap_zone(struct dmz_metadata *zmd, struct dm_zone *zone);
 unsigned int dmz_nr_rnd_zones(struct dmz_metadata *zmd);
 unsigned int dmz_nr_unmap_rnd_zones(struct dmz_metadata *zmd);
 
-void dmz_activate_zone(struct dm_zone *zone);
-void dmz_deactivate_zone(struct dm_zone *zone);
+/*
+ * Activate a zone (increment its reference count).
+ */
+static inline void dmz_activate_zone(struct dm_zone *zone)
+{
+	atomic_inc(&zone->refcount);
+}
+
+/*
+ * Deactivate a zone. This decrement the zone reference counter
+ * indicating that all BIOs to the zone have completed when the count is 0.
+ */
+static inline void dmz_deactivate_zone(struct dm_zone *zone)
+{
+	atomic_dec(&zone->refcount);
+}
+
+/*
+ * Test if a zone is active, that is, has a refcount > 0.
+ */
+static inline bool dmz_is_active(struct dm_zone *zone)
+{
+	return atomic_read(&zone->refcount);
+}
 
 int dmz_lock_zone_reclaim(struct dm_zone *zone);
 void dmz_unlock_zone_reclaim(struct dm_zone *zone);