diff --git a/arch/x86/include/asm/io_apic.h b/arch/x86/include/asm/io_apic.h
index 8dd1e13f2989537fceff664ede928e81eb6b88b9..de3d8b04cf64495b47bae3ba6d3cd28afe9761a3 100644
--- a/arch/x86/include/asm/io_apic.h
+++ b/arch/x86/include/asm/io_apic.h
@@ -130,9 +130,6 @@ extern int noioapicquirk;
 /* -1 if "noapic" boot option passed */
 extern int noioapicreroute;
 
-/* 1 if the timer IRQ uses the '8259A Virtual Wire' mode */
-extern int timer_through_8259;
-
 /*
  * If we use the IO-APIC for IRQ routing, disable automatic
  * assignment of PCI IRQ's.
@@ -212,7 +209,6 @@ extern void io_apic_eoi(unsigned int apic, unsigned int vector);
 
 #define io_apic_assign_pci_irqs 0
 #define setup_ioapic_ids_from_mpc x86_init_noop
-static const int timer_through_8259 = 0;
 static inline void ioapic_insert_resources(void) { }
 #define gsi_top (NR_IRQS_LEGACY)
 static inline int mp_find_ioapic(u32 gsi) { return 0; }
diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/apic/io_apic.c b/arch/x86/kernel/apic/io_apic.c
index f3390424d86e32f3ce8e74bdaaefe3f9b3dc4e1b..18ab95b6f1db0f7a6e31e87ed4912bcdd87aadb1 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/apic/io_apic.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/apic/io_apic.c
@@ -2638,8 +2638,6 @@ static int __init disable_timer_pin_setup(char *arg)
 }
 early_param("disable_timer_pin_1", disable_timer_pin_setup);
 
-int timer_through_8259 __initdata;
-
 /*
  * This code may look a bit paranoid, but it's supposed to cooperate with
  * a wide range of boards and BIOS bugs.  Fortunately only the timer IRQ
@@ -2744,7 +2742,6 @@ static inline void __init check_timer(void)
 		legacy_pic->unmask(0);
 		if (timer_irq_works()) {
 			apic_printk(APIC_QUIET, KERN_INFO "....... works.\n");
-			timer_through_8259 = 1;
 			goto out;
 		}
 		/*