diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-attribute-buffer.c b/cogl/cogl/cogl-attribute-buffer.c
index 8abfd2b0e..55e296dd3 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-attribute-buffer.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-attribute-buffer.c
@@ -59,7 +59,6 @@ cogl_attribute_buffer_new_with_size (CoglContext *context,
                          "context", context,
                          "size", bytes,
                          "default-target", COGL_BUFFER_BIND_TARGET_ATTRIBUTE_BUFFER,
-                         "usage-hint", COGL_BUFFER_USAGE_HINT_ATTRIBUTE_BUFFER,
                          "update-hint", COGL_BUFFER_UPDATE_HINT_STATIC,
                          NULL);
 
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-attribute-buffer.h b/cogl/cogl/cogl-attribute-buffer.h
index a035ced0c..5f3c52773 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-attribute-buffer.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-attribute-buffer.h
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ GType               cogl_attribute_buffer_get_type       (void) G_GNUC_CONST;
  *
  * The underlying storage of this buffer isn't allocated by this
  * function so that you have an opportunity to use the
- * cogl_buffer_set_update_hint() and cogl_buffer_set_usage_hint()
+ * cogl_buffer_set_update_hint()
  * functions which may influence how the storage is allocated. The
  * storage will be allocated once you upload data to the buffer.
  *
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-buffer-private.h b/cogl/cogl/cogl-buffer-private.h
index 9249d556f..446d9aaea 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-buffer-private.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-buffer-private.h
@@ -50,13 +50,6 @@ typedef enum _CoglBufferFlags
   COGL_BUFFER_FLAG_MAPPED_FALLBACK = 1UL << 2
 } CoglBufferFlags;
 
-typedef enum
-{
-  COGL_BUFFER_USAGE_HINT_TEXTURE,
-  COGL_BUFFER_USAGE_HINT_ATTRIBUTE_BUFFER,
-  COGL_BUFFER_USAGE_HINT_INDEX_BUFFER
-} CoglBufferUsageHint;
-
 typedef enum
 {
   COGL_BUFFER_BIND_TARGET_PIXEL_PACK,
@@ -79,7 +72,6 @@ struct _CoglBuffer
 
   GLuint gl_handle; /* OpenGL handle */
   unsigned int size; /* size of the buffer, in bytes */
-  CoglBufferUsageHint usage_hint;
   CoglBufferUpdateHint update_hint;
 
   /* points to the mapped memory when the CoglBuffer is a VBO, PBO,
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-buffer.c b/cogl/cogl/cogl-buffer.c
index 23268f32c..590586bfc 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-buffer.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-buffer.c
@@ -57,7 +57,6 @@ enum
   PROP_CONTEXT,
   PROP_SIZE,
   PROP_DEFAULT_TARGET,
-  PROP_USAGE_HINT,
   PROP_UPDATE_HINT,
 
   PROP_LAST
@@ -162,10 +161,6 @@ cogl_buffer_set_property (GObject      *gobject,
         }
       break;
 
-    case PROP_USAGE_HINT:
-      buffer->usage_hint = g_value_get_uint (value);
-      break;
-
     case PROP_UPDATE_HINT:
       buffer->update_hint = g_value_get_uint (value);
       break;
@@ -199,11 +194,6 @@ cogl_buffer_class_init (CoglBufferClass *klass)
                        0, G_MAXINT, 0,
                        G_PARAM_WRITABLE | G_PARAM_CONSTRUCT_ONLY |
                        G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS);
-  obj_props[PROP_USAGE_HINT] =
-    g_param_spec_uint ("usage-hint", NULL, NULL,
-                       0, G_MAXINT, 0,
-                       G_PARAM_WRITABLE | G_PARAM_CONSTRUCT_ONLY |
-                       G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS);
   obj_props[PROP_UPDATE_HINT] =
     g_param_spec_uint ("update-hint", NULL, NULL,
                        0, G_MAXINT, 0,
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-index-buffer.c b/cogl/cogl/cogl-index-buffer.c
index 6b3618baf..4de5205d3 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-index-buffer.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-index-buffer.c
@@ -61,7 +61,6 @@ cogl_index_buffer_new (CoglContext *context, size_t bytes)
                           "context", context,
                           "size", bytes,
                           "default-target", COGL_BUFFER_BIND_TARGET_INDEX_BUFFER,
-                          "usage-hint", COGL_BUFFER_USAGE_HINT_INDEX_BUFFER,
                           "update-hint", COGL_BUFFER_UPDATE_HINT_STATIC,
                           NULL);
   return indices;
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-pixel-buffer.c b/cogl/cogl/cogl-pixel-buffer.c
index 7ececbd1b..fc238580a 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-pixel-buffer.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-pixel-buffer.c
@@ -73,7 +73,6 @@ _cogl_pixel_buffer_new (CoglContext *context,
                                "context", context,
                                "size", size,
                                "default-target", COGL_BUFFER_BIND_TARGET_PIXEL_UNPACK,
-                               "usage-hint", COGL_BUFFER_USAGE_HINT_TEXTURE,
                                "update-hint", COGL_BUFFER_UPDATE_HINT_STATIC,
                                NULL);