diff --git a/include/haproxy/pattern-t.h b/include/haproxy/pattern-t.h
index 8c01760c0..477b2bbc6 100644
--- a/include/haproxy/pattern-t.h
+++ b/include/haproxy/pattern-t.h
@@ -216,7 +216,6 @@ struct pattern_head {
 	int (*parse)(const char *text, struct pattern *pattern, int flags, char **err);
 	int (*parse_smp)(const char *text, struct sample_data *data);
 	int (*index)(struct pattern_expr *, struct pattern *, char **);
-	void (*delete)(struct pat_ref *, struct pat_ref_elt *);
 	void (*prune)(struct pattern_expr *);
 	struct pattern *(*match)(struct sample *, struct pattern_expr *, int);
 	int expect_type; /* type of the expected sample (SMP_T_*) */
diff --git a/include/haproxy/pattern.h b/include/haproxy/pattern.h
index 844bc9102..b6f1a3856 100644
--- a/include/haproxy/pattern.h
+++ b/include/haproxy/pattern.h
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ extern int pat_match_types[PAT_MATCH_NUM];
 
 extern int (*pat_parse_fcts[PAT_MATCH_NUM])(const char *, struct pattern *, int, char **);
 extern int (*pat_index_fcts[PAT_MATCH_NUM])(struct pattern_expr *, struct pattern *, char **);
-extern void (*pat_delete_fcts[PAT_MATCH_NUM])(struct pat_ref *, struct pat_ref_elt *);
 extern void (*pat_prune_fcts[PAT_MATCH_NUM])(struct pattern_expr *);
 extern struct pattern *(*pat_match_fcts[PAT_MATCH_NUM])(struct sample *, struct pattern_expr *, int);
 
diff --git a/src/acl.c b/src/acl.c
index 5dc77a0fd..abfcf21cc 100644
--- a/src/acl.c
+++ b/src/acl.c
@@ -340,7 +340,6 @@ struct acl_expr *parse_acl_expr(const char **args, char **err, struct arg_list *
 		expr->pat.parse  = aclkw->parse  ? aclkw->parse  : pat_parse_fcts[aclkw->match_type];
 		expr->pat.index  = aclkw->index  ? aclkw->index  : pat_index_fcts[aclkw->match_type];
 		expr->pat.match  = aclkw->match  ? aclkw->match  : pat_match_fcts[aclkw->match_type];
-		expr->pat.delete = aclkw->delete ? aclkw->delete : pat_delete_fcts[aclkw->match_type];
 		expr->pat.prune  = aclkw->prune  ? aclkw->prune  : pat_prune_fcts[aclkw->match_type];
 	}
 
@@ -354,7 +353,6 @@ struct acl_expr *parse_acl_expr(const char **args, char **err, struct arg_list *
 			expr->pat.parse = pat_parse_fcts[PAT_MATCH_BOOL];
 			expr->pat.index = pat_index_fcts[PAT_MATCH_BOOL];
 			expr->pat.match = pat_match_fcts[PAT_MATCH_BOOL];
-			expr->pat.delete = pat_delete_fcts[PAT_MATCH_BOOL];
 			expr->pat.prune = pat_prune_fcts[PAT_MATCH_BOOL];
 			expr->pat.expect_type = pat_match_types[PAT_MATCH_BOOL];
 			break;
@@ -362,7 +360,6 @@ struct acl_expr *parse_acl_expr(const char **args, char **err, struct arg_list *
 			expr->pat.parse = pat_parse_fcts[PAT_MATCH_INT];
 			expr->pat.index = pat_index_fcts[PAT_MATCH_INT];
 			expr->pat.match = pat_match_fcts[PAT_MATCH_INT];
-			expr->pat.delete = pat_delete_fcts[PAT_MATCH_INT];
 			expr->pat.prune = pat_prune_fcts[PAT_MATCH_INT];
 			expr->pat.expect_type = pat_match_types[PAT_MATCH_INT];
 			break;
@@ -372,7 +369,6 @@ struct acl_expr *parse_acl_expr(const char **args, char **err, struct arg_list *
 			expr->pat.parse = pat_parse_fcts[PAT_MATCH_IP];
 			expr->pat.index = pat_index_fcts[PAT_MATCH_IP];
 			expr->pat.match = pat_match_fcts[PAT_MATCH_IP];
-			expr->pat.delete = pat_delete_fcts[PAT_MATCH_IP];
 			expr->pat.prune = pat_prune_fcts[PAT_MATCH_IP];
 			expr->pat.expect_type = pat_match_types[PAT_MATCH_IP];
 			break;
@@ -380,7 +376,6 @@ struct acl_expr *parse_acl_expr(const char **args, char **err, struct arg_list *
 			expr->pat.parse = pat_parse_fcts[PAT_MATCH_STR];
 			expr->pat.index = pat_index_fcts[PAT_MATCH_STR];
 			expr->pat.match = pat_match_fcts[PAT_MATCH_STR];
-			expr->pat.delete = pat_delete_fcts[PAT_MATCH_STR];
 			expr->pat.prune = pat_prune_fcts[PAT_MATCH_STR];
 			expr->pat.expect_type = pat_match_types[PAT_MATCH_STR];
 			break;
@@ -465,7 +460,6 @@ struct acl_expr *parse_acl_expr(const char **args, char **err, struct arg_list *
 			expr->pat.parse = pat_parse_fcts[idx];
 			expr->pat.index = pat_index_fcts[idx];
 			expr->pat.match = pat_match_fcts[idx];
-			expr->pat.delete = pat_delete_fcts[idx];
 			expr->pat.prune = pat_prune_fcts[idx];
 			expr->pat.expect_type = pat_match_types[idx];
 			args++;
diff --git a/src/map.c b/src/map.c
index 8cfbbe51a..ee022e29b 100644
--- a/src/map.c
+++ b/src/map.c
@@ -120,7 +120,6 @@ int sample_load_map(struct arg *arg, struct sample_conv *conv,
 	desc->pat.match = pat_match_fcts[(long)conv->private];
 	desc->pat.parse = pat_parse_fcts[(long)conv->private];
 	desc->pat.index = pat_index_fcts[(long)conv->private];
-	desc->pat.delete = pat_delete_fcts[(long)conv->private];
 	desc->pat.prune = pat_prune_fcts[(long)conv->private];
 	desc->pat.expect_type = pat_match_types[(long)conv->private];
 
diff --git a/src/pattern.c b/src/pattern.c
index 89a5c4844..6659364c7 100644
--- a/src/pattern.c
+++ b/src/pattern.c
@@ -79,23 +79,6 @@ int (*pat_index_fcts[PAT_MATCH_NUM])(struct pattern_expr *, struct pattern *, ch
 	[PAT_MATCH_REGM]  = pat_idx_list_regm,
 };
 
-void (*pat_delete_fcts[PAT_MATCH_NUM])(struct pat_ref *, struct pat_ref_elt *) = {
-	[PAT_MATCH_FOUND] = pat_delete_gen,
-	[PAT_MATCH_BOOL]  = pat_delete_gen,
-	[PAT_MATCH_INT]   = pat_delete_gen,
-	[PAT_MATCH_IP]    = pat_delete_gen,
-	[PAT_MATCH_BIN]   = pat_delete_gen,
-	[PAT_MATCH_LEN]   = pat_delete_gen,
-	[PAT_MATCH_STR]   = pat_delete_gen,
-	[PAT_MATCH_BEG]   = pat_delete_gen,
-	[PAT_MATCH_SUB]   = pat_delete_gen,
-	[PAT_MATCH_DIR]   = pat_delete_gen,
-	[PAT_MATCH_DOM]   = pat_delete_gen,
-	[PAT_MATCH_END]   = pat_delete_gen,
-	[PAT_MATCH_REG]   = pat_delete_gen,
-	[PAT_MATCH_REGM]  = pat_delete_gen,
-};
-
 void (*pat_prune_fcts[PAT_MATCH_NUM])(struct pattern_expr *) = {
 	[PAT_MATCH_FOUND] = pat_prune_gen,
 	[PAT_MATCH_BOOL]  = pat_prune_gen,