diff --git a/drivers/ide/ide-lib.c b/drivers/ide/ide-lib.c
index 7031a8dcf6921330ac890af8c23b36294793b08d..fa4c194b5ede14b89cdfa26bb52f8159f52c9933 100644
--- a/drivers/ide/ide-lib.c
+++ b/drivers/ide/ide-lib.c
@@ -274,16 +274,6 @@ u8 ide_get_best_pio_mode (ide_drive_t *drive, u8 mode_wanted, u8 max_mode)
 		if (overridden)
 			printk(KERN_INFO "%s: tPIO > 2, assuming tPIO = 2\n",
 					 drive->name);
-
-		/*
-		 * Conservative "downgrade" for all pre-ATA2 drives
-		 */
-		if ((drive->hwif->host_flags & IDE_HFLAG_PIO_NO_DOWNGRADE) == 0 &&
-		    pio_mode && pio_mode < 4) {
-			pio_mode--;
-			printk(KERN_INFO "%s: applying conservative "
-					 "PIO \"downgrade\"\n", drive->name);
-		}
 	}
 
 	if (pio_mode > max_mode)
diff --git a/drivers/ide/pci/amd74xx.c b/drivers/ide/pci/amd74xx.c
index 68517267d31ebf545d366388808030ac282caa3d..ff684d3123784853e16332226c5ea1e9975d44a9 100644
--- a/drivers/ide/pci/amd74xx.c
+++ b/drivers/ide/pci/amd74xx.c
@@ -219,7 +219,6 @@ static void __devinit init_hwif_amd74xx(ide_hwif_t *hwif)
 
 #define IDE_HFLAGS_AMD \
 	(IDE_HFLAG_PIO_NO_BLACKLIST | \
-	 IDE_HFLAG_PIO_NO_DOWNGRADE | \
 	 IDE_HFLAG_ABUSE_SET_DMA_MODE | \
 	 IDE_HFLAG_POST_SET_MODE | \
 	 IDE_HFLAG_IO_32BIT | \
diff --git a/drivers/ide/pci/via82cxxx.c b/drivers/ide/pci/via82cxxx.c
index b55d2e4d3506bb7f621cb1b4a94ace9e6147b8f3..cff3cafedc4740a1080f48f6b5c93bf1d7d57ec0 100644
--- a/drivers/ide/pci/via82cxxx.c
+++ b/drivers/ide/pci/via82cxxx.c
@@ -429,7 +429,6 @@ static const struct ide_port_info via82cxxx_chipset __devinitdata = {
 	.init_hwif	= init_hwif_via82cxxx,
 	.enablebits	= { { 0x40, 0x02, 0x02 }, { 0x40, 0x01, 0x01 } },
 	.host_flags	= IDE_HFLAG_PIO_NO_BLACKLIST |
-			  IDE_HFLAG_PIO_NO_DOWNGRADE |
 			  IDE_HFLAG_ABUSE_SET_DMA_MODE |
 			  IDE_HFLAG_POST_SET_MODE |
 			  IDE_HFLAG_IO_32BIT,
diff --git a/drivers/ide/ppc/pmac.c b/drivers/ide/ppc/pmac.c
index 8f4080c7308143994b467cbcc0eb44add3e2d5c1..177961edc430b890609f198c04a2da7bbdf83ac8 100644
--- a/drivers/ide/ppc/pmac.c
+++ b/drivers/ide/ppc/pmac.c
@@ -921,7 +921,6 @@ pmac_ide_do_resume(ide_hwif_t *hwif)
 static const struct ide_port_info pmac_port_info = {
 	.chipset		= ide_pmac,
 	.host_flags		= IDE_HFLAG_SET_PIO_MODE_KEEP_DMA |
-				  IDE_HFLAG_PIO_NO_DOWNGRADE |
 				  IDE_HFLAG_POST_SET_MODE |
 				  IDE_HFLAG_NO_DMA | /* no SFF-style DMA */
 				  IDE_HFLAG_UNMASK_IRQS,
diff --git a/include/linux/ide.h b/include/linux/ide.h
index eccc42b47061d6f03d046b570a1c07935d390a95..c6d4de60185a2cf41a6f33fd011575f462645041 100644
--- a/include/linux/ide.h
+++ b/include/linux/ide.h
@@ -1027,8 +1027,6 @@ enum {
 	IDE_HFLAG_SINGLE		= (1 << 1),
 	/* don't use legacy PIO blacklist */
 	IDE_HFLAG_PIO_NO_BLACKLIST	= (1 << 2),
-	/* don't use conservative PIO "downgrade" */
-	IDE_HFLAG_PIO_NO_DOWNGRADE	= (1 << 3),
 	/* use PIO8/9 for prefetch off/on */
 	IDE_HFLAG_ABUSE_PREFETCH	= (1 << 4),
 	/* use PIO6/7 for fast-devsel off/on */