diff --git a/libnetwork/drivers/bridge/bridge.go b/libnetwork/drivers/bridge/bridge.go
index e0e50a907b..a9b010b69c 100644
--- a/libnetwork/drivers/bridge/bridge.go
+++ b/libnetwork/drivers/bridge/bridge.go
@@ -878,24 +878,13 @@ func (d *driver) deleteNetwork(nid string) error {
 }
 
 func addToBridge(nlh *netlink.Handle, ifaceName, bridgeName string) error {
-	link, err := nlh.LinkByName(ifaceName)
+	lnk, err := nlh.LinkByName(ifaceName)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("could not find interface %s: %v", ifaceName, err)
 	}
-	if err = nlh.LinkSetMaster(link,
-		&netlink.Bridge{LinkAttrs: netlink.LinkAttrs{Name: bridgeName}}); err != nil {
-		logrus.Debugf("Failed to add %s to bridge via netlink.Trying ioctl: %v", ifaceName, err)
-		iface, err := net.InterfaceByName(ifaceName)
-		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("could not find network interface %s: %v", ifaceName, err)
-		}
-
-		master, err := net.InterfaceByName(bridgeName)
-		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("could not find bridge %s: %v", bridgeName, err)
-		}
-
-		return ioctlAddToBridge(iface, master)
+	if err := nlh.LinkSetMaster(lnk, &netlink.Bridge{LinkAttrs: netlink.LinkAttrs{Name: bridgeName}}); err != nil {
+		logrus.WithError(err).Errorf("Failed to add %s to bridge via netlink", ifaceName)
+		return err
 	}
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/libnetwork/drivers/bridge/netlink_deprecated_linux.go b/libnetwork/drivers/bridge/netlink_deprecated_linux.go
deleted file mode 100644
index fd25c9f376..0000000000
--- a/libnetwork/drivers/bridge/netlink_deprecated_linux.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,122 +0,0 @@
-package bridge
-
-import (
-	"fmt"
-	"net"
-	"syscall"
-	"unsafe"
-)
-
-const (
-	ifNameSize   = 16
-	ioctlBrAdd   = 0x89a0
-	ioctlBrAddIf = 0x89a2
-)
-
-type ifreqIndex struct {
-	IfrnName  [ifNameSize]byte
-	IfruIndex int32
-}
-
-type ifreqHwaddr struct {
-	IfrnName   [ifNameSize]byte
-	IfruHwaddr syscall.RawSockaddr
-}
-
-// THIS CODE DOES NOT COMMUNICATE WITH KERNEL VIA RTNETLINK INTERFACE
-// IT IS HERE FOR BACKWARDS COMPATIBILITY WITH OLDER LINUX KERNELS
-// WHICH SHIP WITH OLDER NOT ENTIRELY FUNCTIONAL VERSION OF NETLINK
-func getIfSocket() (fd int, err error) {
-	for _, socket := range []int{
-		syscall.AF_INET,
-		syscall.AF_PACKET,
-		syscall.AF_INET6,
-	} {
-		if fd, err = syscall.Socket(socket, syscall.SOCK_DGRAM, 0); err == nil {
-			break
-		}
-	}
-	if err == nil {
-		return fd, nil
-	}
-	return -1, err
-}
-
-func ifIoctBridge(iface, master *net.Interface, op uintptr) error {
-	if len(master.Name) >= ifNameSize {
-		return fmt.Errorf("Interface name %s too long", master.Name)
-	}
-
-	s, err := getIfSocket()
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	defer syscall.Close(s)
-
-	ifr := ifreqIndex{}
-	copy(ifr.IfrnName[:len(ifr.IfrnName)-1], master.Name)
-	ifr.IfruIndex = int32(iface.Index)
-
-	if _, _, err := syscall.Syscall(syscall.SYS_IOCTL, uintptr(s), op, uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(&ifr))); err != 0 {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	return nil
-}
-
-// Add a slave to a bridge device.  This is more backward-compatible than
-// netlink.NetworkSetMaster and works on RHEL 6.
-func ioctlAddToBridge(iface, master *net.Interface) error {
-	return ifIoctBridge(iface, master, ioctlBrAddIf)
-}
-
-func ioctlSetMacAddress(name, addr string) error {
-	if len(name) >= ifNameSize {
-		return fmt.Errorf("Interface name %s too long", name)
-	}
-
-	hw, err := net.ParseMAC(addr)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	s, err := getIfSocket()
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	defer syscall.Close(s)
-
-	ifr := ifreqHwaddr{}
-	ifr.IfruHwaddr.Family = syscall.ARPHRD_ETHER
-	copy(ifr.IfrnName[:len(ifr.IfrnName)-1], name)
-
-	for i := 0; i < 6; i++ {
-		ifr.IfruHwaddr.Data[i] = ifrDataByte(hw[i])
-	}
-
-	if _, _, err := syscall.Syscall(syscall.SYS_IOCTL, uintptr(s), syscall.SIOCSIFHWADDR, uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(&ifr))); err != 0 {
-		return err
-	}
-	return nil
-}
-
-func ioctlCreateBridge(name, macAddr string) error {
-	if len(name) >= ifNameSize {
-		return fmt.Errorf("Interface name %s too long", name)
-	}
-
-	s, err := getIfSocket()
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	defer syscall.Close(s)
-
-	nameBytePtr, err := syscall.BytePtrFromString(name)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	if _, _, err := syscall.Syscall(syscall.SYS_IOCTL, uintptr(s), ioctlBrAdd, uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(nameBytePtr))); err != 0 {
-		return err
-	}
-	return ioctlSetMacAddress(name, macAddr)
-}
diff --git a/libnetwork/drivers/bridge/netlink_deprecated_linux_rawsockaddr_data_int8.go b/libnetwork/drivers/bridge/netlink_deprecated_linux_rawsockaddr_data_int8.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 5a0763efdf..0000000000
--- a/libnetwork/drivers/bridge/netlink_deprecated_linux_rawsockaddr_data_int8.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,8 +0,0 @@
-//go:build !arm && !ppc64 && !ppc64le && !riscv64
-// +build !arm,!ppc64,!ppc64le,!riscv64
-
-package bridge
-
-func ifrDataByte(b byte) int8 {
-	return int8(b)
-}
diff --git a/libnetwork/drivers/bridge/netlink_deprecated_linux_rawsockaddr_data_uint8.go b/libnetwork/drivers/bridge/netlink_deprecated_linux_rawsockaddr_data_uint8.go
deleted file mode 100644
index e177146077..0000000000
--- a/libnetwork/drivers/bridge/netlink_deprecated_linux_rawsockaddr_data_uint8.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,8 +0,0 @@
-//go:build arm || ppc64 || ppc64le || riscv64
-// +build arm ppc64 ppc64le riscv64
-
-package bridge
-
-func ifrDataByte(b byte) uint8 {
-	return uint8(b)
-}
diff --git a/libnetwork/drivers/bridge/netlink_deprecated_unsupported.go b/libnetwork/drivers/bridge/netlink_deprecated_unsupported.go
deleted file mode 100644
index d4d34bef44..0000000000
--- a/libnetwork/drivers/bridge/netlink_deprecated_unsupported.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,19 +0,0 @@
-//go:build !linux
-// +build !linux
-
-package bridge
-
-import (
-	"errors"
-	"net"
-)
-
-// Add a slave to a bridge device.  This is more backward-compatible than
-// netlink.NetworkSetMaster and works on RHEL 6.
-func ioctlAddToBridge(iface, master *net.Interface) error {
-	return errors.New("not implemented")
-}
-
-func ioctlCreateBridge(name string, setMacAddr bool) error {
-	return errors.New("not implemented")
-}
diff --git a/libnetwork/drivers/bridge/setup_device.go b/libnetwork/drivers/bridge/setup_device.go
index a9d9bc1fdf..73d8647b0e 100644
--- a/libnetwork/drivers/bridge/setup_device.go
+++ b/libnetwork/drivers/bridge/setup_device.go
@@ -34,8 +34,8 @@ func setupDevice(config *networkConfiguration, i *bridgeInterface) error {
 	logrus.Debugf("Setting bridge mac address to %s", hwAddr)
 
 	if err := i.nlh.LinkAdd(i.Link); err != nil {
-		logrus.Debugf("Failed to create bridge %s via netlink. Trying ioctl", config.BridgeName)
-		return ioctlCreateBridge(config.BridgeName, hwAddr.String())
+		logrus.WithError(err).Errorf("Failed to create bridge %s via netlink", config.BridgeName)
+		return err
 	}
 
 	return nil