diff --git a/src/clib/pioc.c b/src/clib/pioc.c
index d906fe6c5bc..ff67b6123e3 100644
--- a/src/clib/pioc.c
+++ b/src/clib/pioc.c
@@ -1142,22 +1142,6 @@ PIOc_set_hint(int iosysid, const char *hint, const char *hintval)
  */
 int
 PIOc_free_iosystem(int iosysid)
-{
-    return PIOc_finalize(iosysid);
-}
-
-/**
- * Clean up internal data structures, and free MPI resources,
- * associated with an IOSystem.
- *
- * @param iosysid: the io system ID provided by PIOc_Init_Intracomm()
- * or PIOc_init_async().
- * @returns 0 for success or non-zero for error.
- * @ingroup PIO_finalize_c
- * @author Jim Edwards, Ed Hartnett
- */
-int
-PIOc_finalize(int iosysid)
 {
     iosystem_desc_t *ios;
     int niosysid;          /* The number of currently open IO systems. */
@@ -1259,6 +1243,24 @@ PIOc_finalize(int iosysid)
     return PIO_NOERR;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Clean up internal data structures, and free MPI resources,
+ * associated with an IOSystem. This is the old name for
+ * PIOc_free_iosystem(). This function is maintained for backward
+ * compatibility. Use PIOc_free_iosystem() for new code.
+ *
+ * @param iosysid: the io system ID provided by PIOc_Init_Intracomm()
+ * or PIOc_init_async().
+ * @returns 0 for success or non-zero for error.
+ * @ingroup PIO_finalize_c
+ * @author Jim Edwards, Ed Hartnett
+ */
+int
+PIOc_finalize(int iosysid)
+{
+    return PIOc_free_iosystem(iosysid);
+}
+
 /**
  * Return a logical indicating whether this task is an IO task.
  *