diff --git a/glance/db/sqlalchemy/api.py b/glance/db/sqlalchemy/api.py
index ffe230578b..71a58c7ec0 100644
--- a/glance/db/sqlalchemy/api.py
+++ b/glance/db/sqlalchemy/api.py
@@ -640,8 +640,8 @@ def _set_properties_for_image(context, image_ref, properties,
                        'value': value}
         if name in orig_properties:
             prop_ref = orig_properties[name]
-            image_property_update(context, prop_ref, prop_values,
-                                  session=session)
+            _image_property_update(context, prop_ref, prop_values,
+                                   session=session)
         else:
             image_property_create(context, prop_values, session=session)
 
@@ -658,11 +658,6 @@ def image_property_create(context, values, session=None):
     return _image_property_update(context, prop_ref, values, session=session)
 
 
-def image_property_update(context, prop_ref, values, session=None):
-    """Update an ImageProperty object"""
-    return _image_property_update(context, prop_ref, values, session=session)
-
-
 def _image_property_update(context, prop_ref, values, session=None):
     """
     Used internally by image_property_create and image_property_update