diff --git a/libs/ardour/audio_unit.cc b/libs/ardour/audio_unit.cc
index 5423fc1688..add2407f84 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/audio_unit.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/audio_unit.cc
@@ -2053,7 +2053,7 @@ AUPlugin::find_presets ()
 
 	user_preset_map.clear ();
 
-	find_files_matching_filter (preset_files, preset_search_path, au_preset_filter, this, true, true, -1, true);
+	find_files_matching_filter (preset_files, preset_search_path, au_preset_filter, this, true, true, true);
 
 	if (preset_files.empty()) {
 		return;
diff --git a/libs/ardour/panner_manager.cc b/libs/ardour/panner_manager.cc
index c23d6b5951..3be16e4d48 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/panner_manager.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/panner_manager.cc
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ PannerManager::discover_panners ()
 
 	DEBUG_TRACE (DEBUG::Panning, string_compose (_("looking for panners in %1\n"), search_path));
 
-	find_files_matching_filter (panner_modules, search_path, panner_filter, 0, false, true, 1, true);
+	find_files_matching_filter (panner_modules, search_path, panner_filter, 0, false, true, true);
 
 	for (vector<std::string>::iterator i = panner_modules.begin(); i != panner_modules.end(); ++i) {
 		panner_discover (*i);
diff --git a/libs/pbd/file_utils.cc b/libs/pbd/file_utils.cc
index 7dd65e8bc4..8348049c8f 100644
--- a/libs/pbd/file_utils.cc
+++ b/libs/pbd/file_utils.cc
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ find_files_matching_regex (vector<string>& result,
 
 	find_files_matching_filter (result, dirpath,
 	                            regexp_filter, &compiled_pattern,
-	                            true, true, -1, false);
+	                            true, true, false);
 
 	regfree (&compiled_pattern);
 }
@@ -238,7 +238,6 @@ find_files_matching_filter (vector<string>& result,
                             bool (*filter)(const string &, void *),
                             void *arg,
                             bool match_fullpath, bool return_fullpath,
-                            long limit,
                             bool recurse)
 {
 	DIR *dir;
@@ -277,7 +276,7 @@ find_files_matching_filter (vector<string>& result,
 			}
 
 			if (statbuf.st_mode & S_IFDIR && recurse) {
-				find_files_matching_filter (result, fullpath, filter, arg, match_fullpath, return_fullpath, limit, recurse);
+				find_files_matching_filter (result, fullpath, filter, arg, match_fullpath, return_fullpath, recurse);
 			} else {
 
 				if (match_fullpath) {
@@ -295,13 +294,11 @@ find_files_matching_filter (vector<string>& result,
 				} else {
 					result.push_back(finfo->d_name);
 				}
-
-				nfound++;
 			}
 		}
 		closedir (dir);
 
-	} while ((limit < 0 || (nfound < limit)) && (thisdir = strtok_r (0, G_SEARCHPATH_SEPARATOR_S, &saveptr)));
+	} while ((thisdir = strtok_r (0, G_SEARCHPATH_SEPARATOR_S, &saveptr)));
 
 	free (pathcopy);
 	return;
diff --git a/libs/pbd/pbd/file_utils.h b/libs/pbd/pbd/file_utils.h
index 2ae26f801e..b23ee1ebc8 100644
--- a/libs/pbd/pbd/file_utils.h
+++ b/libs/pbd/pbd/file_utils.h
@@ -127,7 +127,6 @@ find_files_matching_filter (std::vector<std::string>&,
                             void *arg,
                             bool match_fullpath,
                             bool return_fullpath,
-                            long limit = -1,
                             bool recurse = false);
 
 /**