diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index b274a21b0..bce003be9 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -242,10 +242,6 @@ CAIRO_BACKEND_ENABLE(xlib, Xlib, xlib, XLIB_SURFACE, auto, [
 		     fi])
 ])
 
-if test "x$use_xlib" = xyes; then
-  _CHECK_FUNCS_WITH_FLAGS(XrmFinalize, $xlib_CFLAGS, $xlib_LIBS)
-fi
-
 CAIRO_BACKEND_ENABLE(xlib_xrender, Xlib Xrender, xlib-xrender, XLIB_XRENDER_SURFACE, auto, [
   if test "x$use_xlib" != "xyes"; then
     use_xlib_xrender="no (requires --enable-xlib)"
diff --git a/src/cairo-xlib-screen.c b/src/cairo-xlib-screen.c
index cbdb540d3..2316fe147 100644
--- a/src/cairo-xlib-screen.c
+++ b/src/cairo-xlib-screen.c
@@ -376,9 +376,4 @@ void
 _cairo_xlib_screen_reset_static_data (void)
 {
     _cairo_xlib_screen_info_reset ();
-
-#if HAVE_XRMFINALIZE
-    XrmFinalize ();
-#endif
-
 }