diff --git a/include/asterisk/optional_api.h b/include/asterisk/optional_api.h
index 7d66d2e476..394aed0e4c 100644
--- a/include/asterisk/optional_api.h
+++ b/include/asterisk/optional_api.h
@@ -176,14 +176,6 @@ void ast_optional_api_use(const char *symname, ast_optional_fn *optional_ref,
 void ast_optional_api_unuse(const char *symname, ast_optional_fn *optional_ref,
 	const char *module);
 
-/*!
- * \brief Call at exit to clean up optional_api internals.
- *
- * Since the optional_api code might run before main() starts, it can't safely
- * register its own cleanup handlers. That has to be done within main().
- */
-void optional_api_cleanup(void);
-
 #define AST_OPTIONAL_API_NAME(name) __##name
 
 #if defined(AST_API_MODULE)
diff --git a/main/asterisk.c b/main/asterisk.c
index 395d0cc18d..3b08d76c56 100644
--- a/main/asterisk.c
+++ b/main/asterisk.c
@@ -247,7 +247,6 @@ int daemon(int, int);  /* defined in libresolv of all places */
 #include "asterisk/stasis_endpoints.h"
 #include "asterisk/stasis_system.h"
 #include "asterisk/security_events.h"
-#include "asterisk/optional_api.h"
 
 #include "../defaults.h"
 
@@ -4169,10 +4168,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 			ast_el_read_history(filename);
 	}
 
-#if defined(OPTIONAL_API)
-	ast_register_cleanup(optional_api_cleanup);
-#endif
-
 	ast_json_init();
 	ast_ulaw_init();
 	ast_alaw_init();
diff --git a/main/optional_api.c b/main/optional_api.c
index f48fe11a11..9c96fa6466 100644
--- a/main/optional_api.c
+++ b/main/optional_api.c
@@ -158,18 +158,8 @@ struct {
 	size_t len;
 } apis;
 
-void optional_api_cleanup(void)
-{
-	while (apis.len--) {
-		optional_api_destroy(apis.list[apis.len]);
-	}
-	free(apis.list);
-	apis.list = NULL;
-	apis.maxlen = 0;
-}
-
 /*!
- * \brief Gets (or creates) the \ref optional_api for the give function.
+ * \brief Gets (or creates) the \ref optional_api for the given function.
  *
  * \param sysname Name of the function to look up.
  * \return Corresponding \ref optional_api.
@@ -181,9 +171,11 @@ static struct optional_api *get_api(const char *symname)
 	size_t i;
 
 	/* Find one, if we already have it */
-	for (i = 0; i < apis.len; ++i) {
-		if (strcmp(symname, apis.list[i]->symname) == 0) {
-			return apis.list[i];
+	if (apis.list) {
+		for (i = 0; i < apis.len; ++i) {
+			if (strcmp(symname, apis.list[i]->symname) == 0) {
+				return apis.list[i];
+			}
 		}
 	}