diff --git a/lib/sendf.c b/lib/sendf.c
index 25ccb926d45578cec188f041569bf2f7f65197f6..4417a888c4daddf0efb7381cdc81c28ae90cc7a9 100644
--- a/lib/sendf.c
+++ b/lib/sendf.c
@@ -142,11 +142,6 @@ void Curl_failf(struct UrlData *data, char *fmt, ...)
   va_start(ap, fmt);
   if(data->errorbuffer)
     vsnprintf(data->errorbuffer, CURL_ERROR_SIZE, fmt, ap);
-  else if(!data->bits.mute) {
-    /* no errorbuffer receives this, write to data->err instead */
-    vfprintf(data->err, fmt, ap);
-    fprintf(data->err, "\n");
-  }
   va_end(ap);
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/url.c b/lib/url.c
index 8338af242e859767c084b4820ebd54cdc8bb6822..17e4549ffad6885d6d35a8ca35dd09f742dfdb2a 100644
--- a/lib/url.c
+++ b/lib/url.c
@@ -232,7 +232,6 @@ CURLcode Curl_open(CURL **curl, char *url)
     data->httpreq = HTTPREQ_GET; /* Default HTTP request */
 
     /* make libcurl quiet by default: */
-    data->bits.mute = TRUE; /* CURLOPT_MUTE changes this */
     data->bits.hide_progress = TRUE;  /* CURLOPT_NOPROGRESS changes these */
     data->progress.flags |= PGRS_HIDE;
 
@@ -439,12 +438,15 @@ CURLcode Curl_setopt(CURL *curl, CURLoption option, ...)
     if(data->bits.http_put)
       data->httpreq = HTTPREQ_PUT;
     break;
+#if 0
+    /* obsolete stuff, kept here a while for informational purposes */
   case CURLOPT_MUTE:
     /*
      * Stay absolutely quiet.
      */
     data->bits.mute = va_arg(param, long)?TRUE:FALSE;
     break;
+#endif
   case CURLOPT_TIMECONDITION:
     /*
      * Set HTTP time condition. This must be one of the defines in the
diff --git a/lib/urldata.h b/lib/urldata.h
index fa9eb793e436b2507a13f397f9c2eda0c46d28a1..18039f176f9b9fd05590a22d2e95f5e6b8416870 100644
--- a/lib/urldata.h
+++ b/lib/urldata.h
@@ -401,7 +401,6 @@ struct Configbits {
   bool http_set_referer;
   bool http_auto_referer; /* set "correct" referer when following location: */
   bool httpproxy;
-  bool mute;
   bool no_body;
   bool set_port;
   bool set_range;