diff --git a/src/common/secret.c b/src/common/secret.c
index 9b821cb297a..fe34efdff83 100644
--- a/src/common/secret.c
+++ b/src/common/secret.c
@@ -84,53 +84,3 @@ int is_kernel_secret(const char *key_name)
   serial = request_key("ceph", key_name, NULL, KEY_SPEC_USER_KEYRING);
   return serial != -1;
 }
-
-int get_secret_option(const char *secret, const char *key_name,
-		      char *secret_option, size_t max_len)
-{
-  if (!key_name) {
-    return -EINVAL;
-  }
-
-  int ret = 0;
-  int olen = strlen(key_name) + 7;
-  if (secret) {
-    olen += strlen(secret);
-  }
-  char option[olen+1];
-  int use_key = 1;
-
-  option[olen] = '\0';
-
-  /* when parsing kernel options (-o remount) we get '<hidden>' as the secret */
-  if (secret && (strcmp(secret, "<hidden>") != 0)) {
-    ret = set_kernel_secret(secret, key_name);
-    if (ret < 0) {
-      if (ret == -ENODEV || ret == -ENOSYS) {
-	/* running against older kernel; fall back to secret= in options */
-	snprintf(option, olen, "secret=%s", secret);
-	ret = 0;
-	use_key = 0;
-      } else {
-        char error_buf[80];
-	fprintf(stderr, "adding ceph secret key to kernel failed: %s.\n",
-		ceph_strerror_r(-ret, error_buf, sizeof(error_buf)));
-	return ret;
-      }
-    }
-  }
-
-  if (use_key) {
-    /* add key= option to identify key to use */
-    snprintf(option, olen, "key=%s", key_name);
-  }
-
-  if (strlen(option) + 1 > max_len) {
-    ret = -ERANGE;
-  } else {
-    secret_option[max_len-1] = '\0';
-    strncpy(secret_option, option, max_len-1);
-  }
-
-  return ret;
-}
diff --git a/src/common/secret.h b/src/common/secret.h
index b681fa1ec7f..5d2ad179dd0 100644
--- a/src/common/secret.h
+++ b/src/common/secret.h
@@ -7,13 +7,6 @@ extern "C" {
 
 int read_secret_from_file(const char *filename, char *secret, size_t max_len);
 
-/*
- * Attempts to add the secret to the kernel, but falls back to
- * the old secret= option if the kernel is too old.
- */
-int get_secret_option(const char *secret, const char *key_name,
-		      char *secret_option, size_t secret_option_len);
-
 int set_kernel_secret(const char *secret, const char *key_name);
 
 int is_kernel_secret(const char *key_name);
diff --git a/src/mount/mount.ceph.c b/src/mount/mount.ceph.c
index e970648c59d..133bc554f50 100644
--- a/src/mount/mount.ceph.c
+++ b/src/mount/mount.ceph.c
@@ -425,24 +425,39 @@ static void ceph_mount_info_free(struct ceph_mount_info *cmi)
 	free(cmi->cmi_conf);
 }
 
-static int finalize_options(struct ceph_mount_info *cmi)
+static int append_key_or_secret_option(struct ceph_mount_info *cmi)
 {
-	int pos;
+	int pos = strlen(cmi->cmi_opts);
 
-	if (cmi->cmi_secret[0] || is_kernel_secret(cmi->cmi_name)) {
-		int ret;
-		char secret_option[SECRET_OPTION_BUFSIZE];
+	if (!cmi->cmi_secret[0] && !is_kernel_secret(cmi->cmi_name))
+		return 0;
 
-		ret = get_secret_option(cmi->cmi_secret, cmi->cmi_name,
-					secret_option, sizeof(secret_option));
-		if (ret < 0)
+	if (pos)
+		pos = safe_cat(&cmi->cmi_opts, &cmi->cmi_opts_len, pos, ",");
+
+	/* when parsing kernel options (-o remount) we get '<hidden>' as the secret */
+	if (cmi->cmi_secret[0] && (strcmp(cmi->cmi_secret, "<hidden>") != 0)) {
+		int ret = set_kernel_secret(cmi->cmi_secret, cmi->cmi_name);
+		if (ret < 0) {
+			if (ret == -ENODEV || ret == -ENOSYS) {
+				/* old kernel; fall back to secret= in options */
+				pos = safe_cat(&cmi->cmi_opts,
+					       &cmi->cmi_opts_len, pos,
+					       "secret=");
+				pos = safe_cat(&cmi->cmi_opts,
+					       &cmi->cmi_opts_len, pos,
+					       cmi->cmi_secret);
+				return 0;
+			}
+			fprintf(stderr, "adding ceph secret key to kernel failed: %s\n",
+				strerror(-ret));
 			return ret;
-
-		pos = strlen(cmi->cmi_opts);
-		if (pos)
-			pos = safe_cat(&cmi->cmi_opts, &cmi->cmi_opts_len, pos, ",");
-		pos = safe_cat(&cmi->cmi_opts, &cmi->cmi_opts_len, pos, secret_option);
+		}
 	}
+
+	pos = safe_cat(&cmi->cmi_opts, &cmi->cmi_opts_len, pos, "key=");
+	pos = safe_cat(&cmi->cmi_opts, &cmi->cmi_opts_len, pos, cmi->cmi_name);
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -493,9 +508,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	/* Ensure the ceph key_type is available */
 	modprobe();
 
-	retval = finalize_options(&cmi);
+	retval = append_key_or_secret_option(&cmi);
 	if (retval) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "couldn't finalize options: %d\n", retval);
+		fprintf(stderr, "couldn't append secret option: %d\n", retval);
 		retval = EX_USAGE;
 		goto out;
 	}
diff --git a/src/mount/mount.ceph.h b/src/mount/mount.ceph.h
index c563597c438..b61176923d8 100644
--- a/src/mount/mount.ceph.h
+++ b/src/mount/mount.ceph.h
@@ -21,9 +21,6 @@ extern "C" {
 /* Max Including null terminator */
 #define SECRET_BUFSIZE (MAX_SECRET_LEN + 1)
 
-/* Buffer size for secret= option */
-#define SECRET_OPTION_BUFSIZE (sizeof("secret=") + MAX_SECRET_LEN + 1)
-
 /* 2k should be enough for anyone? */
 #define MON_LIST_BUFSIZE	2048