diff --git a/subsys/net/ip/connection.c b/subsys/net/ip/connection.c
index 267521e168..c1521a938f 100644
--- a/subsys/net/ip/connection.c
+++ b/subsys/net/ip/connection.c
@@ -268,6 +268,16 @@ static struct net_conn *conn_find_handler(struct net_if *iface,
 	return NULL;
 }
 
+static void net_conn_change_callback(struct net_conn *conn,
+				     net_conn_cb_t cb, void *user_data)
+{
+	NET_DBG("[%zu] connection handler %p changed callback",
+		conn - conns, conn);
+
+	conn->cb = cb;
+	conn->user_data = user_data;
+}
+
 int net_conn_register(uint16_t proto, uint8_t family,
 		      const struct sockaddr *remote_addr,
 		      const struct sockaddr *local_addr,
@@ -376,8 +386,8 @@ int net_conn_register(uint16_t proto, uint8_t family,
 		net_sin(&conn->local_addr)->sin_port = htons(local_port);
 	}
 
-	conn->cb = cb;
-	conn->user_data = user_data;
+	net_conn_change_callback(conn, cb, user_data);
+
 	conn->flags = flags;
 	conn->proto = proto;
 	conn->family = family;
@@ -422,28 +432,6 @@ int net_conn_unregister(struct net_conn_handle *handle)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int net_conn_change_callback(struct net_conn_handle *handle,
-			     net_conn_cb_t cb, void *user_data)
-{
-	struct net_conn *conn = (struct net_conn *)handle;
-
-	if (conn < &conns[0] || conn > &conns[CONFIG_NET_MAX_CONN]) {
-		return -EINVAL;
-	}
-
-	if (!(conn->flags & NET_CONN_IN_USE)) {
-		return -ENOENT;
-	}
-
-	NET_DBG("[%zu] connection handler %p changed callback",
-		conn - conns, conn);
-
-	conn->cb = cb;
-	conn->user_data = user_data;
-
-	return 0;
-}
-
 static bool conn_addr_cmp(struct net_pkt *pkt,
 			  union net_ip_header *ip_hdr,
 			  struct sockaddr *addr,
diff --git a/subsys/net/ip/connection.h b/subsys/net/ip/connection.h
index ee7ee0efc7..9fb40acd18 100644
--- a/subsys/net/ip/connection.h
+++ b/subsys/net/ip/connection.h
@@ -156,19 +156,6 @@ static inline int net_conn_unregister(struct net_conn_handle *handle)
 }
 #endif
 
-/**
- * @brief Change the callback and user_data for a registered connection
- * handle.
- *
- * @param handle A handle registered with net_conn_register()
- * @param cb Callback to be called
- * @param user_data User data supplied by caller.
- *
- * @return Return 0 if the the change succeed, <0 otherwise.
- */
-int net_conn_change_callback(struct net_conn_handle *handle,
-			     net_conn_cb_t cb, void *user_data);
-
 /**
  * @brief Called by net_core.c when a network packet is received.
  *