diff --git a/libs/ardour/ardour/midi_playlist.h b/libs/ardour/ardour/midi_playlist.h
index 19e99cf4c6..e1d50616fe 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/ardour/midi_playlist.h
+++ b/libs/ardour/ardour/midi_playlist.h
@@ -87,10 +87,6 @@ public:
 	std::shared_ptr<Region> combine (const RegionList&, std::shared_ptr<Track>);
 	void uncombine (std::shared_ptr<Region>);
 
-  protected:
-	void remove_dependents (std::shared_ptr<Region> region);
-	void region_going_away (std::weak_ptr<Region> region);
-
   private:
 	void dump () const;
 
diff --git a/libs/ardour/ardour/playlist.h b/libs/ardour/ardour/playlist.h
index 4e912bd83f..40753d12b3 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/ardour/playlist.h
+++ b/libs/ardour/ardour/playlist.h
@@ -426,7 +426,6 @@ protected:
 	void ripple_locked (timepos_t const & at, timecnt_t const & distance, RegionList *exclude);
 	void ripple_unlocked (timepos_t const & at, timecnt_t const & distance, RegionList *exclude, ThawList& thawlist, bool notify = true);
 
-	virtual void remove_dependents (std::shared_ptr<Region> /*region*/) {}
 	virtual void region_going_away (std::weak_ptr<Region> /*region*/) {}
 
 	virtual XMLNode& state (bool) const;
diff --git a/libs/ardour/midi_playlist.cc b/libs/ardour/midi_playlist.cc
index 79dbe195e9..65b35f5861 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/midi_playlist.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/midi_playlist.cc
@@ -108,20 +108,6 @@ struct EventsSortByTimeAndType {
 	}
 };
 
-void
-MidiPlaylist::remove_dependents (std::shared_ptr<Region> region)
-{
-}
-
-void
-MidiPlaylist::region_going_away (std::weak_ptr<Region> region)
-{
-	std::shared_ptr<Region> r = region.lock();
-	if (r) {
-		remove_dependents(r);
-	}
-}
-
 int
 MidiPlaylist::set_state (const XMLNode& node, int version)
 {
diff --git a/libs/ardour/playlist.cc b/libs/ardour/playlist.cc
index ebed4a77f6..b9076afe0a 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/playlist.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/playlist.cc
@@ -598,7 +598,6 @@ Playlist::flush_notifications (bool from_undo)
 	std::shared_ptr<RegionList> rl (new RegionList);
 	for (s = pending_removes.begin (); s != pending_removes.end (); ++s) {
 		crossfade_ranges.push_back ((*s)->range ());
-		remove_dependents (*s);
 		RegionRemoved (std::weak_ptr<Region> (*s)); /* EMIT SIGNAL */
 		rl->push_back (*s);
 	}
@@ -824,7 +823,6 @@ Playlist::remove_region_internal (std::shared_ptr<Region> region, ThawList& thaw
 
 			if (!holding_state ()) {
 				relayer ();
-				remove_dependents (region);
 			}
 
 			notify_region_removed (region);
@@ -1711,10 +1709,6 @@ Playlist::clear (bool with_signals)
 		}
 
 		regions.clear ();
-
-		for (auto & r : pending_removes) {
-			remove_dependents (r);
-		}
 	}
 
 	if (with_signals) {