diff --git a/daemon/container/container.go b/daemon/container/container.go
index 349bab718d..c178fb8f33 100644
--- a/daemon/container/container.go
+++ b/daemon/container/container.go
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ type localLogCacheMeta struct {
 func NewBaseContainer(id, root string) *Container {
 	return &Container{
 		ID:            id,
-		State:         NewState(),
+		State:         &State{},
 		ExecCommands:  NewExecStore(),
 		Root:          root,
 		MountPoints:   make(map[string]*volumemounts.MountPoint),
diff --git a/daemon/container/state.go b/daemon/container/state.go
index 02df3329b9..3825062c7f 100644
--- a/daemon/container/state.go
+++ b/daemon/container/state.go
@@ -78,11 +78,6 @@ func (s StateStatus) Err() error {
 	return s.err
 }
 
-// NewState creates a default state object.
-func NewState() *State {
-	return &State{}
-}
-
 // String returns a human-readable description of the state
 func (s *State) String() string {
 	if s.Running {
diff --git a/daemon/container/state_test.go b/daemon/container/state_test.go
index d06cc91708..9c1887f346 100644
--- a/daemon/container/state_test.go
+++ b/daemon/container/state_test.go
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ type mockTask struct {
 func (t *mockTask) Pid() uint32 { return t.pid }
 
 func TestStateRunStop(t *testing.T) {
-	s := NewState()
+	s := &State{}
 
 	// Begin another wait with WaitConditionRemoved. It should complete
 	// within 200 milliseconds.
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ func TestStateRunStop(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestStateTimeoutWait(t *testing.T) {
-	s := NewState()
+	s := &State{}
 
 	s.Lock()
 	s.SetRunning(nil, nil, time.Now())
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ func TestStateTimeoutWait(t *testing.T) {
 
 // Related issue: #39352
 func TestCorrectStateWaitResultAfterRestart(t *testing.T) {
-	s := NewState()
+	s := &State{}
 
 	s.Lock()
 	s.SetRunning(nil, nil, time.Now())
diff --git a/daemon/delete_test.go b/daemon/delete_test.go
index 70d83181dd..21974a0544 100644
--- a/daemon/delete_test.go
+++ b/daemon/delete_test.go
@@ -52,8 +52,7 @@ func TestContainerDelete(t *testing.T) {
 			doc:    "restarting container",
 			errMsg: "container is restarting: stop the container before removing or force remove",
 			initContainer: func() *container.Container {
-				c := newContainerWithState(container.NewState())
-				c.State.SetRunning(nil, nil, time.Now())
+				c := newContainerWithState(&container.State{Running: true, StartedAt: time.Now()})
 				c.State.SetRestarting(&container.ExitStatus{})
 				return c
 			},
@@ -82,7 +81,7 @@ func TestContainerDelete(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestContainerDoubleDelete(t *testing.T) {
-	c := newContainerWithState(container.NewState())
+	c := newContainerWithState(&container.State{})
 
 	// Mark the container as having a delete in progress
 	c.State.SetRemovalInProgress()
diff --git a/daemon/inspect_test.go b/daemon/inspect_test.go
index 188b76278a..924c05179b 100644
--- a/daemon/inspect_test.go
+++ b/daemon/inspect_test.go
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ func TestGetInspectData(t *testing.T) {
 	c := &container.Container{
 		ID:           "inspect-me",
 		HostConfig:   &containertypes.HostConfig{},
-		State:        container.NewState(),
+		State:        &container.State{},
 		ExecCommands: container.NewExecStore(),
 	}
 
diff --git a/internal/testutil/daemon/daemon.go b/internal/testutil/daemon/daemon.go
index 2009c26ebe..19e6a98970 100644
--- a/internal/testutil/daemon/daemon.go
+++ b/internal/testutil/daemon/daemon.go
@@ -1029,7 +1029,7 @@ func (d *Daemon) TamperWithContainerConfig(t testing.TB, containerID string, tam
 	assert.NilError(t, json.Unmarshal(configBytes, &c))
 	assert.NilError(t, json.Unmarshal(hostConfigBytes, &c.HostConfig))
 
-	c.State = container.NewState()
+	c.State = &container.State{}
 	tamper(&c)
 
 	configBytes, err = json.Marshal(&c)