diff --git a/libs/ardour/ardour/audio_backend.h b/libs/ardour/ardour/audio_backend.h
index 9147e35c3b..ab9813312a 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/ardour/audio_backend.h
+++ b/libs/ardour/ardour/audio_backend.h
@@ -562,10 +562,6 @@ public:
 	virtual uint32_t systemic_midi_input_latency (std::string const) const  = 0;
 	virtual uint32_t systemic_midi_output_latency (std::string const) const = 0;
 
-	/* defaults as reported by device driver */
-	virtual uint32_t systemic_hw_input_latency () const { return 0; }
-	virtual uint32_t systemic_hw_output_latency () const { return 0; }
-
 	virtual uint32_t period_size () const { return 0; }
 
 	/** override this if this implementation returns true from
diff --git a/libs/backends/coreaudio/coreaudio_backend.cc b/libs/backends/coreaudio/coreaudio_backend.cc
index fd28b76ad0..0d8c91a680 100644
--- a/libs/backends/coreaudio/coreaudio_backend.cc
+++ b/libs/backends/coreaudio/coreaudio_backend.cc
@@ -450,26 +450,6 @@ CoreAudioBackend::systemic_output_latency () const
 	return _systemic_audio_output_latency;
 }
 
-uint32_t
-CoreAudioBackend::systemic_hw_input_latency () const
-{
-	return 0;
-	if (name_to_id (_input_audio_device) != UINT32_MAX) {
-		return _pcmio->get_latency(name_to_id(_input_audio_device, Input), true);
-	}
-	return 0;
-}
-
-uint32_t
-CoreAudioBackend::systemic_hw_output_latency () const
-{
-	return 0;
-	if (name_to_id (_output_audio_device) != UINT32_MAX) {
-		return _pcmio->get_latency(name_to_id(_output_audio_device, Output), false);
-	}
-	return 0;
-}
-
 /* MIDI */
 
 std::vector<std::string>
diff --git a/libs/backends/coreaudio/coreaudio_backend.h b/libs/backends/coreaudio/coreaudio_backend.h
index e3daeec26e..da90eb6568 100644
--- a/libs/backends/coreaudio/coreaudio_backend.h
+++ b/libs/backends/coreaudio/coreaudio_backend.h
@@ -207,9 +207,6 @@ class CoreAudioBackend : public AudioBackend, public PortEngineSharedImpl {
 	uint32_t     systemic_midi_input_latency (std::string const) const { return 0; }
 	uint32_t     systemic_midi_output_latency (std::string const) const { return 0; }
 
-	uint32_t systemic_hw_input_latency () const;
-	uint32_t systemic_hw_output_latency () const;
-
 	bool can_set_systemic_midi_latencies () const { return false; /* XXX */}
 
 	/* External control app */