diff --git a/flax/linen/module.py b/flax/linen/module.py
index 88692a807e..8fb4497d9c 100644
--- a/flax/linen/module.py
+++ b/flax/linen/module.py
@@ -2585,68 +2585,6 @@ def tabulate(
     )
     return tabulate_fn(*args, **kwargs)
 
-  def module_paths(
-    self,
-    rngs: Union[KeyArray, RNGSequences],
-    *args,
-    show_repeated: bool = False,
-    mutable: CollectionFilter = DenyList('intermediates'),
-    **kwargs,
-  ) -> dict[str, 'Module']:
-    """Returns a dictionary mapping module paths to module instances.
-
-    This method has the same signature and internally calls ``Module.init``,
-    but instead of returning the variables, it returns a dictionary mapping
-    module paths to unbounded copies of module instances that were used
-    at runtime. ``module_paths`` uses ``jax.eval_shape`` to run the forward
-    computation without consuming any FLOPs or allocating memory.
-
-    Example::
-
-      >>> import flax.linen as nn
-      >>> import jax, jax.numpy as jnp
-
-      >>> class Foo(nn.Module):
-      ...   @nn.compact
-      ...   def __call__(self, x):
-      ...     h = nn.Dense(4)(x)
-      ...     return nn.Dense(2)(h)
-
-      >>> x = jnp.ones((16, 9))
-      >>> modules = Foo().module_paths(jax.random.key(0), x)
-      >>> print({
-      ...     p: type(m).__name__ for p, m in modules.items()
-      ... })
-      {'': 'Foo', 'Dense_0': 'Dense', 'Dense_1': 'Dense'}
-
-    `Args:
-      rngs: The rngs for the variable collections as passed to ``Module.init``.
-      *args: The arguments to the forward computation.
-      show_repeated: If ``True``, repeated calls to the same module will be
-        shown in the table, otherwise only the first call will be shown.
-        Default is ``False``.
-      mutable: Can be bool, str, or list. Specifies which collections should
-        be treated as mutable: ``bool``: all/no collections are mutable.
-        ``str``: The name of a single mutable collection. ``list``: A list of
-        names of mutable collections. By default, all collections except
-        'intermediates' are mutable.
-      **kwargs: keyword arguments to pass to the forward computation.
-
-    Returns:
-      A dict`ionary mapping module paths to module instances.
-    """
-    from flax.linen import summary
-
-    table = summary._get_module_table(
-      module=self,
-      depth=None,
-      show_repeated=show_repeated,
-      compute_flops=False,
-      compute_vjp_flops=False,
-    )(rngs, *args, **kwargs, mutable=mutable)
-
-    return {'/'.join(row.path): row.module_copy for row in table}
-
 
 _ParentType = Union[Type[Module], Scope, Type[_Sentinel], None]
 
diff --git a/flax/linen/summary.py b/flax/linen/summary.py
index 5692c7e9a8..fd90d3dcd4 100644
--- a/flax/linen/summary.py
+++ b/flax/linen/summary.py
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
   Sequence,
   Set,
   Tuple,
+  Type,
   Union,
 )
 
@@ -129,7 +130,7 @@ class Row:
   """
 
   path: Tuple[str, ...]
-  module_copy: 'module_lib.Module'
+  module_type: Type[module_lib.Module]
   method: str
   inputs: Any
   outputs: Any
@@ -477,7 +478,7 @@ def _get_variables():
       rows.append(
         Row(
           c.path,
-          c.module.copy(),
+          type(c.module),
           c.method,
           inputs,
           c.outputs,
@@ -611,7 +612,7 @@ def _render_table(
     )
     rich_table.add_row(
       path_repr,
-      type(row.module_copy).__name__ + method_repr,
+      row.module_type.__name__ + method_repr,
       *(
         _as_yaml_str(
           _summary_tree_map(
diff --git a/tests/linen/linen_module_test.py b/tests/linen/linen_module_test.py
index 9150a93718..a5d0416ada 100644
--- a/tests/linen/linen_module_test.py
+++ b/tests/linen/linen_module_test.py
@@ -2487,41 +2487,6 @@ def my_property(self):
     self.assertEqual(obj_loaded.b, 'ok')
     self.assertEqual(obj_loaded.my_property, 'okok')
 
-  def test_module_paths(self):
-    class Bar(nn.Module):
-      @nn.compact
-      def __call__(self, x):
-        x = nn.Dense(3)(x)
-        x = nn.Dense(4)(x)
-        return x
-
-    class Foo(nn.Module):
-      @nn.compact
-      def __call__(self, x):
-        x = Bar()(x)
-        x = nn.Dense(5)(x)
-        return x
-
-    x = jnp.ones((1, 2))
-    m = Foo()
-    module_paths = m.module_paths(random.key(0), x)
-
-    # assert all module are unbounded
-    for module in module_paths.values():
-      self.assertIsNone(module.scope)
-
-    # test paths
-    self.assertIn('', module_paths)
-    self.assertEqual(type(module_paths['']), Foo)
-    self.assertIn('Dense_0', module_paths)
-    self.assertEqual(type(module_paths['Dense_0']), nn.Dense)
-    self.assertIn('Bar_0', module_paths)
-    self.assertEqual(type(module_paths['Bar_0']), Bar)
-    self.assertIn('Bar_0/Dense_0', module_paths)
-    self.assertEqual(type(module_paths['Bar_0/Dense_0']), nn.Dense)
-    self.assertIn('Bar_0/Dense_1', module_paths)
-    self.assertEqual(type(module_paths['Bar_0/Dense_1']), nn.Dense)
-
 
 class LeakTests(absltest.TestCase):
   def test_tracer_leaks(self):