diff --git a/src/clib/lib/include/ert/job_queue/job_queue.hpp b/src/clib/lib/include/ert/job_queue/job_queue.hpp
index f5ba0bf7941..57142ff8b5d 100644
--- a/src/clib/lib/include/ert/job_queue/job_queue.hpp
+++ b/src/clib/lib/include/ert/job_queue/job_queue.hpp
@@ -8,9 +8,7 @@
 #include <ert/job_queue/queue_driver.hpp>
 
 typedef struct job_queue_struct job_queue_type;
-extern "C" void job_queue_set_driver(job_queue_type *queue,
-                                     queue_driver_type *driver);
-extern "C" job_queue_type *job_queue_alloc();
+extern "C" job_queue_type *job_queue_alloc(queue_driver_type *driver);
 extern "C" void job_queue_free(job_queue_type *);
 extern "C" PY_USED int job_queue_add_job_node(job_queue_type *queue,
                                               job_queue_node_type *node);
diff --git a/src/clib/lib/job_queue/job_queue.cpp b/src/clib/lib/job_queue/job_queue.cpp
index 2ce5d6a2148..a9256ce3ba6 100644
--- a/src/clib/lib/job_queue/job_queue.cpp
+++ b/src/clib/lib/job_queue/job_queue.cpp
@@ -10,21 +10,12 @@ struct job_queue_struct {
     queue_driver_type *driver = nullptr;
 };
 
-/**
-   Observe that the job_queue returned by this function is NOT ready
-   for use; a driver must be set explicitly with a call to
-   job_queue_set_driver() first.
-*/
-job_queue_type *job_queue_alloc() {
+job_queue_type *job_queue_alloc(queue_driver_type *driver) {
     auto queue = new job_queue_type;
-    queue->driver = NULL;
     queue->job_list = job_list_alloc();
     queue->status = job_queue_status_alloc();
-    return queue;
-}
-
-void job_queue_set_driver(job_queue_type *queue, queue_driver_type *driver) {
     queue->driver = driver;
+    return queue;
 }
 
 void job_queue_free(job_queue_type *queue) {
diff --git a/src/clib/old_tests/job_queue/test_job_queue_driver.cpp b/src/clib/old_tests/job_queue/test_job_queue_driver.cpp
index faad47ac342..1bf4ec5a1d9 100644
--- a/src/clib/old_tests/job_queue/test_job_queue_driver.cpp
+++ b/src/clib/old_tests/job_queue/test_job_queue_driver.cpp
@@ -11,11 +11,8 @@
 #include <ert/job_queue/torque_driver.hpp>
 
 void job_queue_set_driver_(job_driver_type driver_type) {
-    job_queue_type *queue = job_queue_alloc();
     queue_driver_type *driver = queue_driver_alloc(driver_type);
-
-    job_queue_set_driver(queue, driver);
-
+    job_queue_type *queue = job_queue_alloc(driver);
     job_queue_free(queue);
     queue_driver_free(driver);
 }