diff --git a/userspace/libsinsp/container_engine/container_engine_base.cpp b/userspace/libsinsp/container_engine/container_engine_base.cpp
index d174b94066..66c39a4968 100644
--- a/userspace/libsinsp/container_engine/container_engine_base.cpp
+++ b/userspace/libsinsp/container_engine/container_engine_base.cpp
@@ -25,10 +25,6 @@ namespace container_engine {
 
 container_engine_base::container_engine_base(container_cache_interface &cache): m_cache(cache) {}
 
-void container_engine_base::update_with_size(const std::string &container_id) {
-	SINSP_DEBUG("Updating container size not supported for this container type.");
-}
-
 void container_engine_base::cleanup() {}
 
 }  // namespace container_engine
diff --git a/userspace/libsinsp/container_engine/container_engine_base.h b/userspace/libsinsp/container_engine/container_engine_base.h
index 5c5fea1919..a0b0084cb4 100644
--- a/userspace/libsinsp/container_engine/container_engine_base.h
+++ b/userspace/libsinsp/container_engine/container_engine_base.h
@@ -43,13 +43,6 @@ class container_engine_base {
 	 */
 	virtual bool resolve(sinsp_threadinfo* tinfo, bool query_os_for_missing_info) = 0;
 
-	/**
-	 * Update an existing container with the size of the container layer.
-	 * The size is not requested as the part of the initial request (in resolve)
-	 * because determining the size can take seconds.
-	 */
-	virtual void update_with_size(const std::string& container_id);
-
 	virtual void cleanup();
 
 protected:
diff --git a/userspace/libsinsp/container_engine/cri.cpp b/userspace/libsinsp/container_engine/cri.cpp
index 6a85d2d398..1a01d1b008 100644
--- a/userspace/libsinsp/container_engine/cri.cpp
+++ b/userspace/libsinsp/container_engine/cri.cpp
@@ -272,34 +272,6 @@ bool cri::resolve(sinsp_threadinfo *tinfo, bool query_os_for_missing_info) {
 	return true;
 }
 
-void cri::update_with_size(const std::string &container_id) {
-	sinsp_container_info::ptr_t existing = container_cache().get_container(container_id);
-	if(!existing) {
-		libsinsp_logger()->format(sinsp_logger::SEV_ERROR,
-		                          "cri (%s): Failed to locate existing container data",
-		                          container_id.c_str());
-		ASSERT(false);
-		return;
-	}
-
-	std::optional<int64_t> writable_layer_size = get_writable_layer_size(existing->m_full_id);
-
-	if(!writable_layer_size.has_value()) {
-		return;
-	}
-
-	// Make a mutable copy of the existing container_info
-	shared_ptr<sinsp_container_info> updated(std::make_shared<sinsp_container_info>(*existing));
-	updated->m_size_rw_bytes = *writable_layer_size;
-
-	if(existing->m_size_rw_bytes == updated->m_size_rw_bytes) {
-		// no data has changed
-		return;
-	}
-
-	container_cache().replace_container(updated);
-}
-
 sinsp_container_type cri::get_cri_runtime_type() const {
 	if(m_cri_v1) {
 		return m_cri_v1->get_cri_runtime_type();
diff --git a/userspace/libsinsp/container_engine/cri.h b/userspace/libsinsp/container_engine/cri.h
index e00af883ad..987f3fdd6f 100644
--- a/userspace/libsinsp/container_engine/cri.h
+++ b/userspace/libsinsp/container_engine/cri.h
@@ -80,7 +80,6 @@ class cri : public container_engine_base {
 public:
 	cri(container_cache_interface& cache);
 	bool resolve(sinsp_threadinfo* tinfo, bool query_os_for_missing_info) override;
-	void update_with_size(const std::string& container_id) override;
 	void cleanup() override;
 	static void set_cri_socket_path(const std::string& path);
 	static void add_cri_socket_path(const std::string& path);
diff --git a/userspace/libsinsp/container_engine/docker/docker_linux.cpp b/userspace/libsinsp/container_engine/docker/docker_linux.cpp
index 34e2f8ba1d..460dbede39 100644
--- a/userspace/libsinsp/container_engine/docker/docker_linux.cpp
+++ b/userspace/libsinsp/container_engine/docker/docker_linux.cpp
@@ -43,27 +43,3 @@ bool docker_linux::resolve(sinsp_threadinfo* tinfo, bool query_os_for_missing_in
 	                    docker_lookup_request(container_id, s_docker_sock, CT_DOCKER, 0, false),
 	                    query_os_for_missing_info);
 }
-
-void docker_linux::update_with_size(const std::string& container_id) {
-	auto cb = [this](const docker_lookup_request& instruction, const sinsp_container_info& res) {
-		libsinsp_logger()->format(sinsp_logger::SEV_DEBUG,
-		                          "docker_async (%s): with size callback result=%d",
-		                          instruction.container_id.c_str(),
-		                          res.get_lookup_status());
-
-		sinsp_container_info::ptr_t updated = std::make_shared<sinsp_container_info>(res);
-		container_cache().replace_container(updated);
-	};
-
-	libsinsp_logger()->format(sinsp_logger::SEV_DEBUG,
-	                          "docker_async size request (%s)",
-	                          container_id.c_str());
-
-	sinsp_container_info result;
-	docker_lookup_request instruction(container_id,
-	                                  s_docker_sock,
-	                                  CT_DOCKER,
-	                                  0,
-	                                  true /*request rw size*/);
-	(void)m_docker_info_source->lookup(instruction, result, cb);
-}
diff --git a/userspace/libsinsp/container_engine/docker/docker_linux.h b/userspace/libsinsp/container_engine/docker/docker_linux.h
index 393f488db5..6f62aedeca 100644
--- a/userspace/libsinsp/container_engine/docker/docker_linux.h
+++ b/userspace/libsinsp/container_engine/docker/docker_linux.h
@@ -15,8 +15,6 @@ class docker_linux : public docker_base {
 	// implement container_engine_base
 	bool resolve(sinsp_threadinfo* tinfo, bool query_os_for_missing_info) override;
 
-	void update_with_size(const std::string& container_id) override;
-
 private:
 	static std::string s_docker_sock;
 };