diff --git a/Documentation/feature-removal-schedule.txt b/Documentation/feature-removal-schedule.txt
index 498ff31f3aa1d57053f71c9ad8f91a4d67ddf16c..5c8695a3d1399d57ed984472674667a063767613 100644
--- a/Documentation/feature-removal-schedule.txt
+++ b/Documentation/feature-removal-schedule.txt
@@ -328,21 +328,20 @@ Who:   Adrian Bunk <bunk@stusta.de>
 
 ---------------------------
 
-What: libata.spindown_compat module parameter
+What: libata spindown skipping and warning
 When: Dec 2008
-Why:  halt(8) synchronizes caches for and spins down libata disks
-      because libata didn't use to spin down disk on system halt
-      (only synchronized caches).
-      Spin down on system halt is now implemented and can be tested
-      using sysfs node /sys/class/scsi_disk/h:c:i:l/manage_start_stop.
+Why:  Some halt(8) implementations synchronize caches for and spin
+      down libata disks because libata didn't use to spin down disk on
+      system halt (only synchronized caches).
+      Spin down on system halt is now implemented.  sysfs node
+      /sys/class/scsi_disk/h:c:i:l/manage_start_stop is present if
+      spin down support is available.
       Because issuing spin down command to an already spun down disk
-      makes some disks spin up just to spin down again, the old
-      behavior needs to be maintained till userspace tool is updated
-      to check the sysfs node and not to spin down disks with the
-      node set to one.
-      This module parameter is to give userspace tool the time to
-      get updated and should be removed after userspace is
-      reasonably updated.
+      makes some disks spin up just to spin down again, libata tracks
+      device spindown status to skip the extra spindown command and
+      warn about it.
+      This is to give userspace tools the time to get updated and will
+      be removed after userspace is reasonably updated.
 Who:  Tejun Heo <htejun@gmail.com>
 
 ---------------------------
diff --git a/drivers/ata/libata-core.c b/drivers/ata/libata-core.c
index d5939e659cbb0aa50b84c261f06119ffde63e22e..d3ea7f55283c596e4f897168a00a5d9d3d1ee59b 100644
--- a/drivers/ata/libata-core.c
+++ b/drivers/ata/libata-core.c
@@ -101,12 +101,6 @@ int libata_noacpi = 1;
 module_param_named(noacpi, libata_noacpi, int, 0444);
 MODULE_PARM_DESC(noacpi, "Disables the use of ACPI in suspend/resume when set");
 
-int ata_spindown_compat = 1;
-module_param_named(spindown_compat, ata_spindown_compat, int, 0644);
-MODULE_PARM_DESC(spindown_compat, "Enable backward compatible spindown "
-		 "behavior.  Will be removed.  More info can be found in "
-		 "Documentation/feature-removal-schedule.txt\n");
-
 MODULE_AUTHOR("Jeff Garzik");
 MODULE_DESCRIPTION("Library module for ATA devices");
 MODULE_LICENSE("GPL");
diff --git a/drivers/ata/libata-scsi.c b/drivers/ata/libata-scsi.c
index b6a1de8fad5be6685de93024b5cd6683a7d95bc9..242c43eef80773a29e08ab9b18587a7c9376e366 100644
--- a/drivers/ata/libata-scsi.c
+++ b/drivers/ata/libata-scsi.c
@@ -893,7 +893,7 @@ int ata_scsi_change_queue_depth(struct scsi_device *sdev, int queue_depth)
 	return queue_depth;
 }
 
-/* XXX: for ata_spindown_compat */
+/* XXX: for spindown warning */
 static void ata_delayed_done_timerfn(unsigned long arg)
 {
 	struct scsi_cmnd *scmd = (void *)arg;
@@ -901,7 +901,7 @@ static void ata_delayed_done_timerfn(unsigned long arg)
 	scmd->scsi_done(scmd);
 }
 
-/* XXX: for ata_spindown_compat */
+/* XXX: for spindown warning */
 static void ata_delayed_done(struct scsi_cmnd *scmd)
 {
 	static struct timer_list timer;
@@ -966,8 +966,7 @@ static unsigned int ata_scsi_start_stop_xlat(struct ata_queued_cmd *qc)
 		 * removed.  Read Documentation/feature-removal-schedule.txt
 		 * for more info.
 		 */
-		if (ata_spindown_compat &&
-		    (qc->dev->flags & ATA_DFLAG_SPUNDOWN) &&
+		if ((qc->dev->flags & ATA_DFLAG_SPUNDOWN) &&
 		    (system_state == SYSTEM_HALT ||
 		     system_state == SYSTEM_POWER_OFF)) {
 			static unsigned long warned = 0;
@@ -1395,7 +1394,7 @@ static void ata_scsi_qc_complete(struct ata_queued_cmd *qc)
 		}
 	}
 
-	/* XXX: track spindown state for spindown_compat */
+	/* XXX: track spindown state for spindown skipping and warning */
 	if (unlikely(qc->tf.command == ATA_CMD_STANDBY ||
 		     qc->tf.command == ATA_CMD_STANDBYNOW1))
 		qc->dev->flags |= ATA_DFLAG_SPUNDOWN;
diff --git a/drivers/ata/libata.h b/drivers/ata/libata.h
index 13cb0c9af68d797987a480f651e5998f5a19d914..5e246665842055e6b71b1dc023a21fcb6e623547 100644
--- a/drivers/ata/libata.h
+++ b/drivers/ata/libata.h
@@ -58,7 +58,6 @@ extern int atapi_enabled;
 extern int atapi_dmadir;
 extern int libata_fua;
 extern int libata_noacpi;
-extern int ata_spindown_compat;
 extern struct ata_queued_cmd *ata_qc_new_init(struct ata_device *dev);
 extern int ata_build_rw_tf(struct ata_taskfile *tf, struct ata_device *dev,
 			   u64 block, u32 n_block, unsigned int tf_flags,