diff --git a/include/dwarfs/writer/internal/entry.h b/include/dwarfs/writer/internal/entry.h
index 622455d2..30f16dc3 100644
--- a/include/dwarfs/writer/internal/entry.h
+++ b/include/dwarfs/writer/internal/entry.h
@@ -79,7 +79,6 @@ class entry : public entry_interface {
 
   bool has_parent() const;
   std::shared_ptr<entry> parent() const;
-  void clear_name();
   std::filesystem::path fs_path() const;
   std::string path_as_string() const override;
   std::string dpath() const override;
diff --git a/include/dwarfs/writer/internal/progress.h b/include/dwarfs/writer/internal/progress.h
index 81de13f0..bcd4158a 100644
--- a/include/dwarfs/writer/internal/progress.h
+++ b/include/dwarfs/writer/internal/progress.h
@@ -81,12 +81,6 @@ class progress {
     return ctx;
   }
 
-  template <typename T>
-  void run_sync(T&& fun) const {
-    std::lock_guard lock{mx_};
-    std::forward<T>(fun)();
-  }
-
   std::vector<std::shared_ptr<context>> get_active_contexts() const;
 
   // NOLINTBEGIN(cppcoreguidelines-non-private-member-variables-in-classes)
diff --git a/src/writer/internal/entry.cpp b/src/writer/internal/entry.cpp
index 04497e37..bedfeaf9 100644
--- a/src/writer/internal/entry.cpp
+++ b/src/writer/internal/entry.cpp
@@ -80,8 +80,6 @@ bool entry::has_parent() const { return static_cast<bool>(parent_.lock()); }
 
 std::shared_ptr<entry> entry::parent() const { return parent_.lock(); }
 
-void entry::clear_name() { name_.clear(); }
-
 std::u8string entry::u8name() const { return string_to_u8string(name_); }
 
 fs::path entry::fs_path() const {
diff --git a/src/writer/scanner.cpp b/src/writer/scanner.cpp
index ce12dfca..1e7c711f 100644
--- a/src/writer/scanner.cpp
+++ b/src/writer/scanner.cpp
@@ -906,9 +906,6 @@ void scanner_<LoggerPolicy>::scan(
   });
   prog.current.store(nullptr);
 
-  // this is actually needed
-  prog.run_sync([&] { root->clear_name(); });
-
   LOG_INFO << "saving chunks...";
   mdb.gather_chunks(im, *blockmgr, prog.chunk_count);