diff --git a/src/core/display.c b/src/core/display.c
index 2747304e9..c409744c1 100644
--- a/src/core/display.c
+++ b/src/core/display.c
@@ -5784,20 +5784,6 @@ meta_display_get_shape_event_base (MetaDisplay *display)
 }
 #endif
 
-/**
- * meta_display_get_atom: (skip)
- *
- * Gets up an X atom that Mutter prefetched at startup.
- *
- * Return value: the X atom corresponding to the given atom enumeration
- */
-Atom meta_display_get_atom (MetaDisplay *display, MetaAtom meta_atom)
-{
-  Atom *atoms = & display->atom_WM_PROTOCOLS;
-
-  return atoms[meta_atom - 1];
-}
-
 /**
  * meta_display_get_leader_window:
  * @display: a #MetaDisplay
diff --git a/src/meta/display.h b/src/meta/display.h
index 9ac8d202f..3b6d4cbb5 100644
--- a/src/meta/display.h
+++ b/src/meta/display.h
@@ -56,14 +56,6 @@ GType meta_display_get_type (void) G_GNUC_CONST;
 
 #define meta_XFree(p) do { if ((p)) XFree ((p)); } while (0)
 
-typedef enum
-{
-  META_ATOM_FIRST = 0,
-#define item(x) META_ATOM_##x,
-#include "atomnames.h"
-#undef item
-}MetaAtom;
-
 void meta_display_get_compositor_version (MetaDisplay *display,
                                           int         *major,
                                           int         *minor);
@@ -84,7 +76,6 @@ gboolean  meta_display_xwindow_is_a_no_focus_window (MetaDisplay *display,
 
 int meta_display_get_damage_event_base (MetaDisplay *display);
 int meta_display_get_shape_event_base (MetaDisplay *display);
-Atom meta_display_get_atom (MetaDisplay *display, MetaAtom meta_atom);
 
 gboolean meta_display_xserver_time_is_before (MetaDisplay *display,
                                               guint32      time1,