diff --git a/src/hb-ot-shape-private.hh b/src/hb-ot-shape-private.hh
index 0e33dae01d94b9e6c902b9b271545b56b124bc4c..41afd683c7082556f010664eef491e0ab88c297b 100644
--- a/src/hb-ot-shape-private.hh
+++ b/src/hb-ot-shape-private.hh
@@ -83,7 +83,6 @@ struct hb_ot_shape_context_t
 
   /* Transient stuff */
   hb_direction_t target_direction;
-  hb_bool_t applied_substitute_complex;
   hb_bool_t applied_position_complex;
 };
 
diff --git a/src/hb-ot-shape.cc b/src/hb-ot-shape.cc
index d0d1850241f04c45730ee62a69e26f63bf209260..8b3a3348dd3ef086071b10fd7feb6a753ee72f78 100644
--- a/src/hb-ot-shape.cc
+++ b/src/hb-ot-shape.cc
@@ -236,7 +236,6 @@ hb_ot_substitute_complex (hb_ot_shape_context_t *c)
 {
   if (hb_ot_layout_has_substitution (c->face)) {
     c->plan->map.substitute (c->face, c->buffer);
-    c->applied_substitute_complex = TRUE;
   }
 
   hb_ot_layout_substitute_finish (c->buffer);
@@ -244,12 +243,6 @@ hb_ot_substitute_complex (hb_ot_shape_context_t *c)
   return;
 }
 
-static void
-hb_substitute_complex_fallback (hb_ot_shape_context_t *c HB_UNUSED)
-{
-  /* TODO Arabic */
-}
-
 
 /* Position */
 
@@ -371,9 +364,6 @@ hb_ot_shape_execute_internal (hb_ot_shape_context_t *c)
     hb_substitute_default (c);
 
     hb_ot_substitute_complex (c);
-
-    if (!c->applied_substitute_complex)
-      hb_substitute_complex_fallback (c);
   }
 
   /* POSITION */