diff --git a/IPython/core/interactiveshell.py b/IPython/core/interactiveshell.py
index df1fe07bf29..21de1b47cea 100644
--- a/IPython/core/interactiveshell.py
+++ b/IPython/core/interactiveshell.py
@@ -3517,7 +3517,6 @@ def enable_matplotlib(self, gui=None):
                 gui, backend = pt.find_gui_and_backend(self.pylab_gui_select)
         
         pt.activate_matplotlib(backend)
-        pt.configure_inline_support(self, backend)
         
         # Now we must activate the gui pylab wants to use, and fix %run to take
         # plot updates into account
diff --git a/IPython/core/pylabtools.py b/IPython/core/pylabtools.py
index 3af899e46da..1a937067795 100644
--- a/IPython/core/pylabtools.py
+++ b/IPython/core/pylabtools.py
@@ -358,62 +358,3 @@ def import_pylab(user_ns, import_all=True):
     # Add display and getfigs to the user's namespace
     user_ns['display'] = display
     user_ns['getfigs'] = getfigs
-
-
-def configure_inline_support(shell, backend):
-    """Configure an IPython shell object for matplotlib use.
-
-    Parameters
-    ----------
-    shell : InteractiveShell instance
-
-    backend : matplotlib backend
-    """
-    # If using our svg payload backend, register the post-execution
-    # function that will pick up the results for display.  This can only be
-    # done with access to the real shell object.
-
-    # Note: if we can't load the inline backend, then there's no point
-    # continuing (such as in terminal-only shells in environments without
-    # zeromq available).
-    try:
-        from ipykernel.pylab.backend_inline import InlineBackend
-    except ImportError:
-        return
-    import matplotlib
-
-    cfg = InlineBackend.instance(parent=shell)
-    cfg.shell = shell
-    if cfg not in shell.configurables:
-        shell.configurables.append(cfg)
-
-    if backend == backends['inline']:
-        from ipykernel.pylab.backend_inline import flush_figures
-        shell.events.register('post_execute', flush_figures)
-
-        # Save rcParams that will be overwrittern
-        shell._saved_rcParams = {}
-        for k in cfg.rc:
-            shell._saved_rcParams[k] = matplotlib.rcParams[k]
-        # load inline_rc
-        matplotlib.rcParams.update(cfg.rc)
-        new_backend_name = "inline"
-    else:
-        from ipykernel.pylab.backend_inline import flush_figures
-        try:
-            shell.events.unregister('post_execute', flush_figures)
-        except ValueError:
-            pass
-        if hasattr(shell, '_saved_rcParams'):
-            matplotlib.rcParams.update(shell._saved_rcParams)
-            del shell._saved_rcParams
-        new_backend_name = "other"
-
-    # only enable the formats once -> don't change the enabled formats (which the user may
-    # has changed) when getting another "%matplotlib inline" call.
-    # See https://github.com/ipython/ipykernel/issues/29
-    cur_backend = getattr(configure_inline_support, "current_backend", "unset")
-    if new_backend_name != cur_backend:
-        # Setup the default figure format
-        select_figure_formats(shell, cfg.figure_formats, **cfg.print_figure_kwargs)
-        configure_inline_support.current_backend = new_backend_name
diff --git a/IPython/core/tests/test_pylabtools.py b/IPython/core/tests/test_pylabtools.py
index 75b103f27a6..3e62fbec7ac 100644
--- a/IPython/core/tests/test_pylabtools.py
+++ b/IPython/core/tests/test_pylabtools.py
@@ -167,13 +167,10 @@ def act_mpl(backend):
         pt.activate_matplotlib = act_mpl
         self._save_ip = pt.import_pylab
         pt.import_pylab = lambda *a,**kw:None
-        self._save_cis = pt.configure_inline_support
-        pt.configure_inline_support = lambda *a,**kw:None
 
     def teardown(self):
         pt.activate_matplotlib = self._save_am
         pt.import_pylab = self._save_ip
-        pt.configure_inline_support = self._save_cis
         import matplotlib
         matplotlib.rcParams = self._saved_rcParams
         matplotlib.rcParamsOrig = self._saved_rcParamsOrig