diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 155a2a90e0..7d8c68dec3 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -1428,22 +1428,6 @@ fi
 echores "$_gethostbyname2"
 
 
-echocheck "inttypes.h (required)"
-_inttypes=no
-header_check inttypes.h && _inttypes=yes
-echores "$_inttypes"
-
-if test "$_inttypes" = no ; then
-  echocheck "sys/bitypes.h (inttypes.h predecessor)"
-  header_check sys/bitypes.h && _inttypes=yes
-  if test "$_inttypes" = yes ; then
-    die "You don't have inttypes.h, but sys/bitypes.h is present. Please copy etc/inttypes.h into the include path, and re-run configure."
-  else
-    die "Cannot find header either inttypes.h or bitypes.h. There is no chance for compilation to succeed."
-  fi
-fi
-
-
 echocheck "mman.h"
 _mman=no
 statement_check sys/mman.h 'mmap(0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0)' && _mman=yes
diff --git a/etc/inttypes.h b/etc/inttypes.h
deleted file mode 100644
index 2f22a52fe9..0000000000
--- a/etc/inttypes.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-
-// fallback if the user doesn't have inttypes.h (libc5 systems)
-
-#include <sys/bitypes.h>