diff --git a/test/test_traversal.py b/test/test_traversal.py
index d48606e99c..52ea19fab3 100644
--- a/test/test_traversal.py
+++ b/test/test_traversal.py
@@ -525,7 +525,7 @@ def test_trim_str(self):
     def test_unpack(self):
         assert unpack(lambda *x: ''.join(map(str, x)))([1, 2, 3]) == '123'
         assert unpack(join_nonempty)([1, 2, 3]) == '1-2-3'
-        assert unpack(join_nonempty(delim=' '))([1, 2, 3]) == '1 2 3'
+        assert unpack(join_nonempty, delim=' ')([1, 2, 3]) == '1 2 3'
         with pytest.raises(TypeError):
             unpack(join_nonempty)()
         with pytest.raises(TypeError):
diff --git a/test/test_utils.py b/test/test_utils.py
index b5f35736b6..835774a912 100644
--- a/test/test_utils.py
+++ b/test/test_utils.py
@@ -72,7 +72,6 @@
     intlist_to_bytes,
     iri_to_uri,
     is_html,
-    join_nonempty,
     js_to_json,
     limit_length,
     locked_file,
@@ -2158,10 +2157,6 @@ def test_partial_application(self):
         assert int_or_none(v=10) == 10, 'keyword passed positional should call function'
         assert int_or_none(scale=0.1)(10) == 100, 'call after partial application should call the function'
 
-        assert callable(join_nonempty(delim=', ')), 'varargs positional should apply partially'
-        assert callable(join_nonempty()), 'varargs positional should apply partially'
-        assert join_nonempty(None, delim=', ') == '', 'passed varargs should call the function'
-
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     unittest.main()
diff --git a/yt_dlp/utils/_utils.py b/yt_dlp/utils/_utils.py
index b28bb555e1..89c53c39e7 100644
--- a/yt_dlp/utils/_utils.py
+++ b/yt_dlp/utils/_utils.py
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ def partial_application(func):
     sig = inspect.signature(func)
     required_args = [
         param.name for param in sig.parameters.values()
-        if param.kind in (inspect.Parameter.POSITIONAL_ONLY, inspect.Parameter.POSITIONAL_OR_KEYWORD, inspect.Parameter.VAR_POSITIONAL)
+        if param.kind in (inspect.Parameter.POSITIONAL_ONLY, inspect.Parameter.POSITIONAL_OR_KEYWORD)
         if param.default is inspect.Parameter.empty
     ]
 
@@ -4837,7 +4837,6 @@ def number_of_digits(number):
     return len('%d' % number)
 
 
-@partial_application
 def join_nonempty(*values, delim='-', from_dict=None):
     if from_dict is not None:
         values = (traversal.traverse_obj(from_dict, variadic(v)) for v in values)
diff --git a/yt_dlp/utils/traversal.py b/yt_dlp/utils/traversal.py
index 361f239ba6..6bb52050f2 100644
--- a/yt_dlp/utils/traversal.py
+++ b/yt_dlp/utils/traversal.py
@@ -452,9 +452,9 @@ def trim(s):
     return trim
 
 
-def unpack(func):
+def unpack(func, **kwargs):
     @functools.wraps(func)
-    def inner(items, **kwargs):
+    def inner(items):
         return func(*items, **kwargs)
 
     return inner