diff --git a/libs/backends/jack/jack_audiobackend.cc b/libs/backends/jack/jack_audiobackend.cc
index 62ed00952b..d7cca7ff9f 100644
--- a/libs/backends/jack/jack_audiobackend.cc
+++ b/libs/backends/jack/jack_audiobackend.cc
@@ -57,7 +57,6 @@ JACKAudioBackend::JACKAudioBackend (AudioEngine& e, boost::shared_ptr<JackConnec
 	, _freewheeling (false)
 	, _target_sample_rate (48000)
 	, _target_buffer_size (1024)
-	, _target_sample_format (FormatFloat)
 	, _target_interleaved (false)
 	, _target_input_channels (0)
 	, _target_output_channels (0)
@@ -267,18 +266,6 @@ JACKAudioBackend::set_buffer_size (uint32_t nframes)
 	return jack_set_buffer_size (_priv_jack, nframes);
 }
 
-int
-JACKAudioBackend::set_sample_format (SampleFormat sf)
-{
-	/* as far as JACK clients are concerned, the hardware is always
-	 * floating point format.
-	 */
-	if (sf == FormatFloat) {
-		return 0;
-	}
-	return -1;
-}
-
 int
 JACKAudioBackend::set_interleaved (bool yn)
 {
@@ -397,12 +384,6 @@ JACKAudioBackend::buffer_size () const
 	return _target_buffer_size;
 }
 
-SampleFormat
-JACKAudioBackend::sample_format () const
-{
-	return FormatFloat;
-}
-
 bool
 JACKAudioBackend::interleaved () const
 {
diff --git a/libs/backends/jack/jack_audiobackend.h b/libs/backends/jack/jack_audiobackend.h
index d5378247c3..bbf78895a8 100644
--- a/libs/backends/jack/jack_audiobackend.h
+++ b/libs/backends/jack/jack_audiobackend.h
@@ -68,7 +68,6 @@ class JACKAudioBackend : public AudioBackend {
     int set_device_name (const std::string&);
     int set_sample_rate (float);
     int set_buffer_size (uint32_t);
-    int set_sample_format (SampleFormat);
     int set_interleaved (bool yn);
     int set_input_channels (uint32_t);
     int set_output_channels (uint32_t);
@@ -78,7 +77,6 @@ class JACKAudioBackend : public AudioBackend {
     std::string  device_name () const;
     float        sample_rate () const;
     uint32_t     buffer_size () const;
-    SampleFormat sample_format () const;
     bool         interleaved () const;
     uint32_t     input_channels () const;
     uint32_t     output_channels () const;