diff --git a/libnetwork/controller.go b/libnetwork/controller.go
index 8c66cd27cd..ead654ceac 100644
--- a/libnetwork/controller.go
+++ b/libnetwork/controller.go
@@ -406,11 +406,12 @@ func (c *controller) makeDriverConfig(ntype string) map[string]interface{} {
 
 	cfg := map[string]interface{}{}
 	for _, label := range c.cfg.Labels {
-		if !strings.HasPrefix(netlabel.Key(label), netlabel.DriverPrefix+"."+ntype) {
+		key, val, _ := strings.Cut(label, "=")
+		if !strings.HasPrefix(key, netlabel.DriverPrefix+"."+ntype) {
 			continue
 		}
 
-		cfg[netlabel.Key(label)] = netlabel.Value(label)
+		cfg[key] = val
 	}
 
 	drvCfg, ok := c.cfg.DriverCfg[ntype]
diff --git a/libnetwork/netlabel/labels.go b/libnetwork/netlabel/labels.go
index 3d472a3a7c..c002a4ef22 100644
--- a/libnetwork/netlabel/labels.go
+++ b/libnetwork/netlabel/labels.go
@@ -1,9 +1,5 @@
 package netlabel
 
-import (
-	"strings"
-)
-
 const (
 	// Prefix constant marks the reserved label space for libnetwork
 	Prefix = "com.docker.network"
@@ -101,21 +97,3 @@ func MakeKVProviderConfig(scope string) string {
 func MakeKVClient(scope string) string {
 	return DriverPrivatePrefix + scope + "kv_client"
 }
-
-// Key extracts the key portion of the label
-func Key(label string) (key string) {
-	key, _, _ = strings.Cut(label, "=")
-	return key
-}
-
-// Value extracts the value portion of the label
-func Value(label string) (value string) {
-	_, value, _ = strings.Cut(label, "=")
-	return value
-}
-
-// KeyValue decomposes the label in the (key,value) pair
-func KeyValue(label string) (key string, value string) {
-	key, value, _ = strings.Cut(label, "=")
-	return key, value
-}
diff --git a/libnetwork/netlabel/labels_test.go b/libnetwork/netlabel/labels_test.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 01a660bc73..0000000000
--- a/libnetwork/netlabel/labels_test.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,28 +0,0 @@
-package netlabel
-
-import (
-	"testing"
-)
-
-var input = []struct {
-	label string
-	key   string
-	value string
-}{
-	{"com.directory.person.name=joe", "com.directory.person.name", "joe"},
-	{"com.directory.person.age=24", "com.directory.person.age", "24"},
-	{"com.directory.person.address=1234 First st.", "com.directory.person.address", "1234 First st."},
-	{"com.directory.person.friends=", "com.directory.person.friends", ""},
-	{"com.directory.person.nickname=o=u=8", "com.directory.person.nickname", "o=u=8"},
-	{"", "", ""},
-	{"com.directory.person.student", "com.directory.person.student", ""},
-}
-
-func TestKeyValue(t *testing.T) {
-	for _, i := range input {
-		k, v := KeyValue(i.label)
-		if k != i.key || v != i.value {
-			t.Fatalf("unexpected: %s, %s", k, v)
-		}
-	}
-}