diff --git a/pw_channel/public/pw_channel/rp2_stdio_channel.h b/pw_channel/public/pw_channel/rp2_stdio_channel.h
index 520e58148..d3ce82b63 100644
--- a/pw_channel/public/pw_channel/rp2_stdio_channel.h
+++ b/pw_channel/public/pw_channel/rp2_stdio_channel.h
@@ -29,22 +29,15 @@ namespace pw::channel {
 /// Initializes and returns a reference to a channel that speaks over rp2's
 /// stdio.
 ///
+/// The read and write allocators should be different to avoid deadlocks due to
+/// the read or write side of the API attempting to acquire more memory while
+/// the other holds it.
+///
 /// ***This must only be called at-most once.***
 ByteReaderWriter& Rp2StdioChannelInit(
     pw::multibuf::MultiBufAllocator& read_allocator,
     pw::multibuf::MultiBufAllocator& write_allocator);
 
-/// DEPRECATED: prefer the two-allocator version of this API to avoid
-/// deadlocks due to the read or write side of the API attempting to acquire
-/// more memory while the other holds it.
-///
-/// Initializes and returns a reference to a channel that speaks over rp2's
-/// stdio.
-///
-/// ***This must only be called at-most once.***
-[[deprecated]] ByteReaderWriter& Rp2StdioChannelInit(
-    pw::multibuf::MultiBufAllocator& allocator);
-
 /// @}
 
 }  // namespace pw::channel
diff --git a/pw_channel/rp2_stdio_channel.cc b/pw_channel/rp2_stdio_channel.cc
index 59e144864..cd2792cf1 100644
--- a/pw_channel/rp2_stdio_channel.cc
+++ b/pw_channel/rp2_stdio_channel.cc
@@ -187,8 +187,4 @@ ByteReaderWriter& Rp2StdioChannelInit(MultiBufAllocator& read_allocator,
   return channel.channel();
 }
 
-ByteReaderWriter& Rp2StdioChannelInit(MultiBufAllocator& allocator) {
-  return Rp2StdioChannelInit(allocator, allocator);
-}
-
 }  // namespace pw::channel
diff --git a/targets/rp2040/system_async_example.cc b/targets/rp2040/system_async_example.cc
index 24e2da091..298aa66e2 100644
--- a/targets/rp2040/system_async_example.cc
+++ b/targets/rp2040/system_async_example.cc
@@ -27,6 +27,6 @@ int main() {
   stdio_usb_init();
 
   static pw::multibuf::test::SimpleAllocatorForTest<4096, 4096> mb_alloc;
-  pw::SystemStart(pw::channel::Rp2StdioChannelInit(mb_alloc));
+  pw::SystemStart(pw::channel::Rp2StdioChannelInit(mb_alloc, mb_alloc));
   PW_UNREACHABLE;
 }