diff --git a/src/core/border_router/routing_manager.cpp b/src/core/border_router/routing_manager.cpp
index 91b8a6d4a..0d99264c9 100644
--- a/src/core/border_router/routing_manager.cpp
+++ b/src/core/border_router/routing_manager.cpp
@@ -383,7 +383,7 @@ void RoutingManager::HandleNotifierEvents(Events aEvents)
     {
         if (mIsAdvertisingLocalOnLinkPrefix)
         {
-            RemoveExternalRoute(mLocalOnLinkPrefix);
+            UnpublishExternalRoute(mLocalOnLinkPrefix);
             // TODO: consider deprecating/invalidating existing
             // on-link prefix
             mIsAdvertisingLocalOnLinkPrefix = false;