diff --git a/src/librbd/operation/FlattenRequest.cc b/src/librbd/operation/FlattenRequest.cc
index 4df4094ab9c..defee1da67f 100644
--- a/src/librbd/operation/FlattenRequest.cc
+++ b/src/librbd/operation/FlattenRequest.cc
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 #include "librbd/ExclusiveLock.h"
 #include "librbd/ImageCtx.h"
 #include "librbd/image/DetachChildRequest.h"
+#include "librbd/Types.h"
 #include "librbd/io/ObjectRequest.h"
 #include "common/dout.h"
 #include "common/errno.h"
@@ -162,7 +163,6 @@ bool FlattenRequest<I>::send_update_header() {
       ldout(cct, 5) << "image already flattened" << dendl;
       return true;
     }
-    m_parent_spec = image_ctx.parent_md.spec;
   }
 
   // remove parent from this (base) image
diff --git a/src/librbd/operation/FlattenRequest.h b/src/librbd/operation/FlattenRequest.h
index 54638700e53..59494277d95 100644
--- a/src/librbd/operation/FlattenRequest.h
+++ b/src/librbd/operation/FlattenRequest.h
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 
 #include "librbd/operation/Request.h"
 #include "common/snap_types.h"
-#include "librbd/Types.h"
 
 namespace librbd {
 
@@ -72,8 +71,6 @@ private:
   ProgressContext &m_prog_ctx;
   State m_state = STATE_FLATTEN_OBJECTS;
 
-  ParentSpec m_parent_spec;
-
   bool send_detach_child();
   bool send_update_header();
 };