diff --git a/desktop-shell/shell.c b/desktop-shell/shell.c
index a60a3aa4..0fe46582 100644
--- a/desktop-shell/shell.c
+++ b/desktop-shell/shell.c
@@ -607,17 +607,9 @@ static void
 shell_configuration(struct desktop_shell *shell)
 {
 	struct weston_config_section *section;
-	int duration;
 	char *s, *client;
 	int ret;
 
-	section = weston_config_get_section(shell->compositor->config,
-					    "screensaver", NULL, NULL);
-	weston_config_section_get_string(section,
-					 "path", &shell->screensaver.path, NULL);
-	weston_config_section_get_int(section, "duration", &duration, 60);
-	shell->screensaver.duration = duration * 1000;
-
 	section = weston_config_get_section(shell->compositor->config,
 					    "shell", NULL, NULL);
 	ret = asprintf(&client, "%s/%s", weston_config_get_libexec_dir(),
@@ -4296,65 +4288,6 @@ xdg_shell_unversioned_dispatch(const void *implementation,
 static void
 shell_fade(struct desktop_shell *shell, enum fade_type type);
 
-static int
-screensaver_timeout(void *data)
-{
-	struct desktop_shell *shell = data;
-
-	shell_fade(shell, FADE_OUT);
-
-	return 1;
-}
-
-static void
-handle_screensaver_sigchld(struct weston_process *proc, int status)
-{
-	struct desktop_shell *shell =
-		container_of(proc, struct desktop_shell, screensaver.process);
-
-	proc->pid = 0;
-
-	if (shell->locked)
-		weston_compositor_sleep(shell->compositor);
-}
-
-static void
-launch_screensaver(struct desktop_shell *shell)
-{
-	if (shell->screensaver.binding)
-		return;
-
-	if (!shell->screensaver.path) {
-		weston_compositor_sleep(shell->compositor);
-		return;
-	}
-
-	if (shell->screensaver.process.pid != 0) {
-		weston_log("old screensaver still running\n");
-		return;
-	}
-
-	weston_client_launch(shell->compositor,
-			   &shell->screensaver.process,
-			   shell->screensaver.path,
-			   handle_screensaver_sigchld);
-}
-
-static void
-terminate_screensaver(struct desktop_shell *shell)
-{
-	if (shell->screensaver.process.pid == 0)
-		return;
-
-	/* Disarm the screensaver timer, otherwise it may fire when the
-	 * compositor is not in the idle state. In that case, the screen will
-	 * be locked, but the wake_signal won't fire on user input, making the
-	 * system unresponsive. */
-	wl_event_source_timer_update(shell->screensaver.timer, 0);
-
-	kill(shell->screensaver.process.pid, SIGTERM);
-}
-
 static void
 configure_static_view(struct weston_view *ev, struct weston_layer *layer)
 {
@@ -4546,8 +4479,6 @@ resume_desktop(struct desktop_shell *shell)
 {
 	struct workspace *ws = get_current_workspace(shell);
 
-	terminate_screensaver(shell);
-
 	wl_list_remove(&shell->lock_layer.link);
 	if (shell->showing_input_panels) {
 		wl_list_insert(&shell->compositor->cursor_layer.link,
@@ -5224,8 +5155,6 @@ lock(struct desktop_shell *shell)
 	wl_list_insert(&shell->compositor->cursor_layer.link,
 		       &shell->lock_layer.link);
 
-	launch_screensaver(shell);
-
 	/* Remove the keyboard focus on all seats. This will be
 	 * restored to the workspace's saved state via
 	 * restore_focus_state when the compositor is unlocked */
@@ -5919,97 +5848,6 @@ bind_desktop_shell(struct wl_client *client,
 			       "permission to bind desktop_shell denied");
 }
 
-static int
-screensaver_get_label(struct weston_surface *surface, char *buf, size_t len)
-{
-	return snprintf(buf, len, "screensaver for output %s",
-			surface->output->name);
-}
-
-static void
-screensaver_configure(struct weston_surface *surface, int32_t sx, int32_t sy)
-{
-	struct desktop_shell *shell = surface->configure_private;
-	struct weston_view *view;
-	struct weston_layer_entry *prev;
-
-	if (surface->width == 0)
-		return;
-
-	/* XXX: starting weston-screensaver beforehand does not work */
-	if (!shell->locked)
-		return;
-
-	view = container_of(surface->views.next, struct weston_view, surface_link);
-	center_on_output(view, surface->output);
-
-	if (wl_list_empty(&view->layer_link.link)) {
-		prev = container_of(shell->lock_layer.view_list.link.prev,
-				    struct weston_layer_entry, link);
-		weston_layer_entry_insert(prev, &view->layer_link);
-		weston_view_update_transform(view);
-		wl_event_source_timer_update(shell->screensaver.timer,
-					     shell->screensaver.duration);
-		shell_fade(shell, FADE_IN);
-	}
-}
-
-static void
-screensaver_set_surface(struct wl_client *client,
-			struct wl_resource *resource,
-			struct wl_resource *surface_resource,
-			struct wl_resource *output_resource)
-{
-	struct desktop_shell *shell = wl_resource_get_user_data(resource);
-	struct weston_surface *surface =
-		wl_resource_get_user_data(surface_resource);
-	struct weston_output *output = wl_resource_get_user_data(output_resource);
-	struct weston_view *view, *next;
-
-	/* Make sure we only have one view */
-	wl_list_for_each_safe(view, next, &surface->views, surface_link)
-		weston_view_destroy(view);
-	weston_view_create(surface);
-
-	surface->configure = screensaver_configure;
-	surface->configure_private = shell;
-	weston_surface_set_label_func(surface, screensaver_get_label);
-	surface->output = output;
-}
-
-static const struct screensaver_interface screensaver_implementation = {
-	screensaver_set_surface
-};
-
-static void
-unbind_screensaver(struct wl_resource *resource)
-{
-	struct desktop_shell *shell = wl_resource_get_user_data(resource);
-
-	shell->screensaver.binding = NULL;
-}
-
-static void
-bind_screensaver(struct wl_client *client,
-		 void *data, uint32_t version, uint32_t id)
-{
-	struct desktop_shell *shell = data;
-	struct wl_resource *resource;
-
-	resource = wl_resource_create(client, &screensaver_interface, 1, id);
-
-	if (shell->screensaver.binding == NULL) {
-		wl_resource_set_implementation(resource,
-					       &screensaver_implementation,
-					       shell, unbind_screensaver);
-		shell->screensaver.binding = resource;
-		return;
-	}
-
-	wl_resource_post_error(resource, WL_DISPLAY_ERROR_INVALID_OBJECT,
-			       "interface object already bound");
-}
-
 struct switcher {
 	struct desktop_shell *shell;
 	struct weston_surface *current;
@@ -6506,8 +6344,6 @@ shell_destroy(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data)
 		wl_client_destroy(shell->child.client);
 	}
 
-	wl_event_source_remove(shell->screensaver.timer);
-
 	wl_list_remove(&shell->idle_listener.link);
 	wl_list_remove(&shell->wake_listener.link);
 
@@ -6526,7 +6362,6 @@ shell_destroy(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data)
 		workspace_destroy(*ws);
 	wl_array_release(&shell->workspaces.array);
 
-	free(shell->screensaver.path);
 	free(shell->client);
 	free(shell);
 }
@@ -6716,10 +6551,6 @@ module_init(struct weston_compositor *ec,
 			     shell, bind_desktop_shell) == NULL)
 		return -1;
 
-	if (wl_global_create(ec->wl_display, &screensaver_interface, 1,
-			     shell, bind_screensaver) == NULL)
-		return -1;
-
 	if (wl_global_create(ec->wl_display, &workspace_manager_interface, 1,
 			     shell, bind_workspace_manager) == NULL)
 		return -1;
@@ -6733,9 +6564,6 @@ module_init(struct weston_compositor *ec,
 	loop = wl_display_get_event_loop(ec->wl_display);
 	wl_event_loop_add_idle(loop, launch_desktop_shell_process, shell);
 
-	shell->screensaver.timer =
-		wl_event_loop_add_timer(loop, screensaver_timeout, shell);
-
 	wl_list_for_each(seat, &ec->seat_list, link)
 		handle_seat_created(NULL, seat);
 	shell->seat_create_listener.notify = handle_seat_created;
diff --git a/desktop-shell/shell.h b/desktop-shell/shell.h
index b7472ead..f76f1810 100644
--- a/desktop-shell/shell.h
+++ b/desktop-shell/shell.h
@@ -172,14 +172,6 @@ struct desktop_shell {
 		struct workspace *anim_to;
 	} workspaces;
 
-	struct {
-		char *path;
-		int duration;
-		struct wl_resource *binding;
-		struct weston_process process;
-		struct wl_event_source *timer;
-	} screensaver;
-
 	struct {
 		struct wl_resource *binding;
 		struct wl_list surfaces;
diff --git a/man/weston.ini.man b/man/weston.ini.man
index fe86bb6c..a9b60267 100644
--- a/man/weston.ini.man
+++ b/man/weston.ini.man
@@ -73,7 +73,6 @@ The section headers are:
 .BR "libinput       " "Input device configuration"
 .BR "shell          " "Desktop customization"
 .BR "launcher       " "Add launcher to the panel"
-.BR "screensaver    " "Screensaver selection"
 .BR "output         " "Output configuration"
 .BR "input-method   " "Onscreen keyboard input"
 .BR "keyboard       " "Keyboard layouts"
@@ -160,10 +159,7 @@ By default, xrgb8888 is used.
 .BI "idle-time="seconds
 sets Weston's idle timeout in seconds. This idle timeout is the time
 after which Weston will enter an "inactive" mode and screen will fade to
-black. Note that a screensaver may also start at this moment after fade-out
-(if enabled in the SCREENSAVER section below), but the current idle-time
-option has nothing to do with screensavers. A value of 0 disables the
-timeout.
+black. A value of 0 disables the timeout.
 
 .IR Important
 : This option may also be set via Weston's '-i' command
@@ -305,26 +301,6 @@ path=GDK_BACKEND=wayland gnome-terminal --full-screen
 .in
 .fi
 .PP
-.RE
-.SH "SCREENSAVER SECTION"
-The
-.B screensaver
-section is used to select and schedule a screensaver.
-The
-.B screensaver
-section is optional, as are all of the entries that may be specified in
-it.
-.TP 7
-.BI "path=" /usr/libexec/weston-screensaver
-This instructs the compositor to use the selected screensaver client on a given
-path (string). If this line is missing or commented out, the screensaver in
-.B "weston(1)"
-is disabled.
-.RE
-.TP 7
-.BI "duration=" 600
-The time in seconds until the screensaver disappears in order to save power
-(unsigned integer).
 .SH "OUTPUT SECTION"
 There can be multiple output sections, each corresponding to one output. It is
 currently only recognized by the drm and x11 backends.
diff --git a/man/weston.man b/man/weston.man
index c5dc2f20..0c3e8dc8 100644
--- a/man/weston.man
+++ b/man/weston.man
@@ -134,8 +134,8 @@ Set the idle timeout to
 .I N
 seconds. The default timeout is 300 seconds. When there has not been any
 user input for the idle timeout, Weston enters an inactive mode. The
-screen fades to black, and depending on the shell in use, a screensaver
-may activate, monitors may switch off, and the shell may lock the session.
+screen fades to black, monitors may switch off, and the shell may lock
+the session.
 A value of 0 effectively disables the timeout.
 .TP
 \fB\-\-log\fR=\fIfile.log\fR
diff --git a/weston.ini.in b/weston.ini.in
index 4fca0bbb..06b51df2 100644
--- a/weston.ini.in
+++ b/weston.ini.in
@@ -37,11 +37,6 @@ path=/usr/bin/google-chrome
 icon=/usr/share/icons/gnome/24x24/apps/arts.png
 path=@abs_top_builddir@/weston-flower
 
-[screensaver]
-# Comment path to disable screensaver
-path=@libexecdir@/weston-screensaver
-duration=600
-
 [input-method]
 path=@libexecdir@/weston-keyboard