diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-renderer-private.h b/cogl/cogl/cogl-renderer-private.h
index 8fd915527..d3a362fa2 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-renderer-private.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-renderer-private.h
@@ -51,7 +51,6 @@ struct _CoglRenderer
   void *custom_winsys_user_data;
   CoglCustomWinsysVtableGetter custom_winsys_vtable_getter;
   CoglWinsysID winsys_id_override;
-  GList *constraints;
 
   GArray *poll_fds;
   int poll_fds_age;
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-renderer.c b/cogl/cogl/cogl-renderer.c
index ee8d9ac27..1fec8693c 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-renderer.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-renderer.c
@@ -521,8 +521,6 @@ cogl_renderer_connect (CoglRenderer *renderer, GError **error)
     {
       const CoglWinsysVtable *winsys = _cogl_winsys_vtable_getters[i]();
       GError *tmp_error = NULL;
-      GList *l;
-      gboolean skip_due_to_constraints = FALSE;
 
       if (renderer->winsys_id_override != COGL_WINSYS_ID_ANY)
         {
@@ -530,21 +528,6 @@ cogl_renderer_connect (CoglRenderer *renderer, GError **error)
             continue;
         }
 
-      for (l = renderer->constraints; l; l = l->next)
-        {
-          CoglRendererConstraint constraint = GPOINTER_TO_UINT (l->data);
-          if (!(winsys->constraints & constraint))
-            {
-              skip_due_to_constraints = TRUE;
-              break;
-            }
-        }
-      if (skip_due_to_constraints)
-        {
-          constraints_failed |= TRUE;
-          continue;
-        }
-
       /* At least temporarily we will associate this winsys with
        * the renderer in-case ->renderer_connect calls API that
        * wants to query the current winsys... */
@@ -672,24 +655,6 @@ _cogl_renderer_get_proc_address (CoglRenderer *renderer,
   return winsys->renderer_get_proc_address (renderer, name);
 }
 
-void
-cogl_renderer_add_constraint (CoglRenderer *renderer,
-                              CoglRendererConstraint constraint)
-{
-  g_return_if_fail (!renderer->connected);
-  renderer->constraints = g_list_prepend (renderer->constraints,
-                                          GUINT_TO_POINTER (constraint));
-}
-
-void
-cogl_renderer_remove_constraint (CoglRenderer *renderer,
-                                 CoglRendererConstraint constraint)
-{
-  g_return_if_fail (!renderer->connected);
-  renderer->constraints = g_list_remove (renderer->constraints,
-                                         GUINT_TO_POINTER (constraint));
-}
-
 void
 cogl_renderer_set_driver (CoglRenderer *renderer,
                           CoglDriver driver)
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-renderer.h b/cogl/cogl/cogl-renderer.h
index d1b4789ea..60fa06923 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-renderer.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-renderer.h
@@ -98,10 +98,6 @@ G_DECLARE_FINAL_TYPE (CoglRenderer,
  * selection of an underlying driver, such as OpenGL or OpenGL-ES and
  * a selection of a window system binding API such as GLX or EGL.
  *
- * While the renderer is unconnected it can be configured so that
- * applications may specify backend constraints, such as "must use
- * x11" for example via cogl_renderer_add_constraint().
- *
  * There are also some platform specific configuration apis such
  * as cogl_xlib_renderer_set_foreign_display() that may also be
  * used while the renderer is unconnected.
@@ -239,35 +235,6 @@ typedef enum
   COGL_RENDERER_CONSTRAINT_USES_EGL = (1 << 2),
 } CoglRendererConstraint;
 
-
-/**
- * cogl_renderer_add_constraint:
- * @renderer: An unconnected #CoglRenderer
- * @constraint: A #CoglRendererConstraint to add
- *
- * This adds a renderer selection @constraint.
- *
- * Applications should ideally minimize how many of these constraints they
- * depend on to ensure maximum portability.
- */
-COGL_EXPORT void
-cogl_renderer_add_constraint (CoglRenderer *renderer,
-                              CoglRendererConstraint constraint);
-
-/**
- * cogl_renderer_remove_constraint:
- * @renderer: An unconnected #CoglRenderer
- * @constraint: A #CoglRendererConstraint to remove
- *
- * This removes a renderer selection @constraint.
- *
- * Applications should ideally minimize how many of these constraints they
- * depend on to ensure maximum portability.
- */
-COGL_EXPORT void
-cogl_renderer_remove_constraint (CoglRenderer *renderer,
-                                 CoglRendererConstraint constraint);
-
 /**
  * CoglDriver:
  * @COGL_DRIVER_ANY: Implies no preference for which driver is used