diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 77ce7db89a06f9c8fcc2fcd445d022176beb2b13..682b8b54e5fa527fb490809009f06fe119762852 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1252,15 +1252,12 @@ AM_CONDITIONAL([WITH_STORAGE_DIR], [test "$with_storage_dir" = "yes"])
 if test "$with_storage_fs" = "yes" -o "$with_storage_fs" = "check"; then
   AC_PATH_PROG([MOUNT], [mount], [], [$PATH:/sbin:/usr/sbin])
   AC_PATH_PROG([UMOUNT], [umount], [], [$PATH:/sbin:/usr/sbin])
-  AC_PATH_PROG([MKFS], [mkfs], [], [$PATH:/sbin:/usr/sbin])
   if test "$with_storage_fs" = "yes" ; then
     if test -z "$MOUNT" ; then AC_MSG_ERROR([We need mount for FS storage driver]) ; fi
     if test -z "$UMOUNT" ; then AC_MSG_ERROR([We need umount for FS storage driver]) ; fi
-    if test -z "$MKFS" ; then AC_MSG_ERROR([We need mkfs for FS storage driver]) ; fi
   else
     if test -z "$MOUNT" ; then with_storage_fs=no ; fi
     if test -z "$UMOUNT" ; then with_storage_fs=no ; fi
-    if test -z "$MKFS" ; then with_storage_fs=no ; fi
 
     if test "$with_storage_fs" = "check" ; then with_storage_fs=yes ; fi
   fi
@@ -1271,8 +1268,6 @@ if test "$with_storage_fs" = "yes" -o "$with_storage_fs" = "check"; then
         [Location or name of the mount program])
     AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([UMOUNT],["$UMOUNT"],
         [Location or name of the mount program])
-    AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([MKFS],["$MKFS"],
-        [Location or name of the mkfs program])
   fi
 fi
 AM_CONDITIONAL([WITH_STORAGE_FS], [test "$with_storage_fs" = "yes"])
diff --git a/libvirt.spec.in b/libvirt.spec.in
index 0670f8f3e7ed3fdbac27dca7ff725b4cb82ca772..b1c1c9956549561665f046c802b4c7722b2b9b47 100644
--- a/libvirt.spec.in
+++ b/libvirt.spec.in
@@ -209,8 +209,6 @@ BuildRequires: util-linux
 # For showmount in FS driver (netfs discovery)
 BuildRequires: nfs-utils
 Requires: nfs-utils
-# For mkfs
-Requires: util-linux
 # For glusterfs
 %if 0%{?fedora} >= 11
 Requires: glusterfs-client >= 2.0.1
diff --git a/src/storage/storage_backend_fs.c b/src/storage/storage_backend_fs.c
index 0444fcf6d5e9419b394d57b49964fec87f76b470..8279d781f152b7e4d77fcf04cfe390b7e2871c6e 100644
--- a/src/storage/storage_backend_fs.c
+++ b/src/storage/storage_backend_fs.c
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@
 #include "util.h"
 #include "memory.h"
 #include "xml.h"
-#include "logging.h"
 
 #define VIR_FROM_THIS VIR_FROM_STORAGE
 
@@ -501,7 +500,6 @@ virStorageBackendFileSystemBuild(virConnectPtr conn ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
                                  virStoragePoolObjPtr pool,
                                  unsigned int flags ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
 {
-    const char *mke2fsargv[5], *device = NULL, *format = NULL;
     int err, ret = -1;
     char *parent;
     char *p;
@@ -542,26 +540,6 @@ virStorageBackendFileSystemBuild(virConnectPtr conn ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
                              pool->def->target.path);
         goto error;
     }
-
-    device = pool->def->source.devices[0].path;
-    format = virStoragePoolFormatFileSystemTypeToString(pool->def->source.format);
-
-    VIR_DEBUG("source device: '%s' format: '%s'", device, format);
-
-    mke2fsargv[0] = MKFS;
-    mke2fsargv[1] = "-t";
-    mke2fsargv[2] = format;
-    mke2fsargv[3] = device;
-    mke2fsargv[4] = NULL;
-
-    if (virRun(mke2fsargv, NULL) < 0) {
-        virReportSystemError(errno,
-                             _("Failed to make filesystem of "
-                               "type '%s' on device '%s'"),
-                               format, device);
-        goto error;
-    }
-
     ret = 0;
 error:
     VIR_FREE(parent);