diff --git a/src/core/display.c b/src/core/display.c
index 4b8befb32..e3de96327 100644
--- a/src/core/display.c
+++ b/src/core/display.c
@@ -387,26 +387,6 @@ enable_compositor (MetaDisplay *display,
     }
 }
 
-static void
-disable_compositor (MetaDisplay *display)
-{
-  GSList *list;
-  
-  if (!display->compositor)
-    return;
-  
-  for (list = display->screens; list != NULL; list = list->next)
-    {
-      MetaScreen *screen = list->data;
-      
-      meta_compositor_unmanage_screen (screen->display->compositor,
-				       screen);
-    }
-  
-  meta_compositor_destroy (display->compositor);
-  display->compositor = NULL;
-}
-
 static void
 meta_display_init (MetaDisplay *disp)
 {
@@ -839,8 +819,7 @@ meta_display_open (void)
   /* We don't composite the windows here because they will be composited 
      faster with the call to meta_screen_manage_all_windows further down 
      the code */
-  if (1) /* meta_prefs_get_compositing_manager ()) FIXME */
-    enable_compositor (the_display, FALSE);
+  enable_compositor (the_display, FALSE);
    
   meta_display_grab (the_display);
   
@@ -5188,15 +5167,6 @@ prefs_changed_callback (MetaPreference pref,
     {
       meta_bell_set_audible (display, meta_prefs_bell_is_audible ());
     }
-  else if (pref == META_PREF_COMPOSITING_MANAGER)
-    {
-      gboolean cm = meta_prefs_get_compositing_manager ();
-
-      if (cm)
-        enable_compositor (display, TRUE);
-      else
-	disable_compositor (display);
-    }
   else if (pref == META_PREF_ATTACH_MODAL_DIALOGS)
     {
       MetaDisplay *display = data;
diff --git a/src/core/main.c b/src/core/main.c
index 0a4d06d91..9efb54915 100644
--- a/src/core/main.c
+++ b/src/core/main.c
@@ -296,18 +296,6 @@ meta_parse_options (int *argc, char ***argv,
       N_("Make X calls synchronous"),
       NULL
     },
-    {
-      "composite", 'c', COMPOSITE_OPTS_FLAGS, G_OPTION_ARG_NONE,
-      &my_args.composite,
-      N_("Turn compositing on"),
-      NULL
-    },
-    {
-      "no-composite", 0, COMPOSITE_OPTS_FLAGS, G_OPTION_ARG_NONE,
-      &my_args.no_composite,
-      N_("Turn compositing off"),
-      NULL
-    },
     {
       "no-force-fullscreen", 0, COMPOSITE_OPTS_FLAGS, G_OPTION_ARG_NONE,
       &my_args.no_force_fullscreen,
@@ -705,9 +693,6 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
   g_free (meta_args.display_name);
   g_free (meta_args.client_id);
 
-  if (meta_args.composite || meta_args.no_composite)
-    meta_prefs_set_compositing_manager (meta_args.composite);
-
   if (meta_args.no_force_fullscreen)
     meta_prefs_set_force_fullscreen (FALSE);
 
diff --git a/src/core/prefs.c b/src/core/prefs.c
index d4c732015..6f050e639 100644
--- a/src/core/prefs.c
+++ b/src/core/prefs.c
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@
  */
 #define KEY_TITLEBAR_FONT "/apps/metacity/general/titlebar_font"
 #define KEY_NUM_WORKSPACES "/apps/metacity/general/num_workspaces"
-#define KEY_COMPOSITOR "/apps/metacity/general/compositing_manager"
 #define KEY_GNOME_ACCESSIBILITY "/desktop/gnome/interface/accessibility"
 
 #define KEY_COMMAND_DIRECTORY "/apps/metacity/keybinding_commands"
@@ -102,7 +101,6 @@ static gboolean gnome_accessibility = FALSE;
 static gboolean gnome_animations = TRUE;
 static char *cursor_theme = NULL;
 static int   cursor_size = 24;
-static gboolean compositing_manager = FALSE;
 static gboolean resize_with_right_button = FALSE;
 static gboolean edge_tiling = FALSE;
 static gboolean force_fullscreen = TRUE;
@@ -413,11 +411,6 @@ static MetaBoolPreference preferences_bool[] =
       &gnome_animations,
       TRUE,
     },
-    { "/apps/metacity/general/compositing_manager",
-      META_PREF_COMPOSITING_MANAGER,
-      &compositing_manager,
-      FALSE,
-    },
     { "/apps/metacity/general/resize_with_right_button",
       META_PREF_RESIZE_WITH_RIGHT_BUTTON,
       &resize_with_right_button,
@@ -2004,9 +1997,6 @@ meta_preference_to_string (MetaPreference pref)
     case META_PREF_CURSOR_SIZE:
       return "CURSOR_SIZE";
 
-    case META_PREF_COMPOSITING_MANAGER:
-      return "COMPOSITING_MANAGER";
-
     case META_PREF_RESIZE_WITH_RIGHT_BUTTON:
       return "RESIZE_WITH_RIGHT_BUTTON";
 
@@ -2992,12 +2982,6 @@ meta_prefs_get_window_binding (const char          *name,
   g_assert_not_reached ();
 }
 
-gboolean
-meta_prefs_get_compositing_manager (void)
-{
-  return compositing_manager;
-}
-
 guint
 meta_prefs_get_mouse_button_resize (void)
 {
@@ -3016,28 +3000,6 @@ meta_prefs_get_force_fullscreen (void)
   return force_fullscreen;
 }
 
-void
-meta_prefs_set_compositing_manager (gboolean whether)
-{
-#ifdef HAVE_GCONF
-  GError *err = NULL;
-
-  gconf_client_set_bool (default_client,
-                         KEY_COMPOSITOR,
-                         whether,
-                         &err);
-
-  if (err)
-    {
-      meta_warning (_("Error setting compositor status: %s\n"),
-                    err->message);
-      g_error_free (err);
-    }
-#else
-  compositing_manager = whether;
-#endif
-}
-
 /**
  * meta_prefs_get_clutter_plugins:
  *
diff --git a/src/include/prefs.h b/src/include/prefs.h
index 9d66812f4..1c60aacff 100644
--- a/src/include/prefs.h
+++ b/src/include/prefs.h
@@ -58,7 +58,6 @@ typedef enum
   META_PREF_GNOME_ANIMATIONS,
   META_PREF_CURSOR_THEME,
   META_PREF_CURSOR_SIZE,
-  META_PREF_COMPOSITING_MANAGER,
   META_PREF_RESIZE_WITH_RIGHT_BUTTON,
   META_PREF_EDGE_TILING,
   META_PREF_FORCE_FULLSCREEN,