diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-pipeline-private.h b/cogl/cogl/cogl-pipeline-private.h
index 79e41d676..93f31f406 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-pipeline-private.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-pipeline-private.h
@@ -436,7 +436,6 @@ typedef struct _CoglPipelineFragend
   void (*pipeline_pre_change_notify) (CoglPipeline *pipeline,
                                       CoglPipelineState change,
                                       const CoglColor *new_color);
-  void (*pipeline_set_parent_notify) (CoglPipeline *pipeline);
   void (*layer_pre_change_notify) (CoglPipeline *owner,
                                    CoglPipelineLayer *layer,
                                    CoglPipelineLayerState change);
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-pipeline.c b/cogl/cogl/cogl-pipeline.c
index b119a2c12..04a8a7cd2 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-pipeline.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-pipeline.c
@@ -227,23 +227,6 @@ _cogl_pipeline_set_parent (CoglPipeline *pipeline,
    * layers could now be invalid so free it... */
   if (pipeline->differences & COGL_PIPELINE_STATE_LAYERS)
     recursively_free_layer_caches (pipeline);
-
-  /* If the backends are also caching state along with the pipeline
-   * that depends on the pipeline's ancestry then it may be notified
-   * here...
-   */
-  if (pipeline->progend != COGL_PIPELINE_PROGEND_UNDEFINED)
-    {
-      const CoglPipelineProgend *progend =
-        _cogl_pipeline_progends[pipeline->progend];
-      const CoglPipelineFragend *fragend =
-        _cogl_pipeline_fragends[progend->fragend];
-
-      /* Currently only the fragends ever care about reparenting of
-       * pipelines... */
-      if (fragend->pipeline_set_parent_notify)
-        fragend->pipeline_set_parent_notify (pipeline);
-    }
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/cogl-pipeline-fragend-glsl.c b/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/cogl-pipeline-fragend-glsl.c
index e543498a2..6beed12eb 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/cogl-pipeline-fragend-glsl.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/cogl-pipeline-fragend-glsl.c
@@ -1122,7 +1122,6 @@ const CoglPipelineFragend _cogl_pipeline_glsl_fragend =
   NULL, /* passthrough */
   _cogl_pipeline_fragend_glsl_end,
   _cogl_pipeline_fragend_glsl_pre_change_notify,
-  NULL, /* pipeline_set_parent_notify */
   _cogl_pipeline_fragend_glsl_layer_pre_change_notify
 };