diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 4d0ac32b..336967d1 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -71,9 +71,6 @@ Makefile.config
 # /src/nix-channel/
 /src/nix-channel/nix-channel
 
-# /src/download-via-ssh/
-/src/download-via-ssh/download-via-ssh
-
 # /src/buildenv/
 /src/buildenv/buildenv
 
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 14be271b..67dc14f8 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ makefiles = \
   misc/emacs/local.mk \
   doc/manual/local.mk \
   tests/local.mk
-  #src/download-via-ssh/local.mk \
 
 GLOBAL_CXXFLAGS += -std=c++14 -g -Wall
 
diff --git a/src/download-via-ssh/download-via-ssh.cc b/src/download-via-ssh/download-via-ssh.cc
deleted file mode 100644
index 4a1ba9a1..00000000
--- a/src/download-via-ssh/download-via-ssh.cc
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,142 +0,0 @@
-#include "shared.hh"
-#include "util.hh"
-#include "serialise.hh"
-#include "archive.hh"
-#include "affinity.hh"
-#include "globals.hh"
-#include "serve-protocol.hh"
-#include "worker-protocol.hh"
-#include "store-api.hh"
-
-#include <iostream>
-#include <cstdlib>
-#include <unistd.h>
-
-using namespace nix;
-
-// !!! TODO:
-// * Respect more than the first host
-// * use a database
-// * show progress
-
-
-static std::pair<FdSink, FdSource> connect(const string & conn)
-{
-    Pipe to, from;
-    to.create();
-    from.create();
-    startProcess([&]() {
-        if (dup2(to.readSide, STDIN_FILENO) == -1)
-            throw SysError("dupping stdin");
-        if (dup2(from.writeSide, STDOUT_FILENO) == -1)
-            throw SysError("dupping stdout");
-        restoreSignals();
-        execlp("ssh", "ssh", "-x", "-T", conn.c_str(), "nix-store --serve", NULL);
-        throw SysError("executing ssh");
-    });
-    // If child exits unexpectedly, we'll EPIPE or EOF early.
-    // If we exit unexpectedly, child will EPIPE or EOF early.
-    // So no need to keep track of it.
-
-    return std::pair<FdSink, FdSource>(to.writeSide.borrow(), from.readSide.borrow());
-}
-
-
-static void substitute(std::pair<FdSink, FdSource> & pipes, Path storePath, Path destPath)
-{
-    pipes.first << cmdDumpStorePath << storePath;
-    pipes.first.flush();
-    restorePath(destPath, pipes.second);
-    std::cout << std::endl;
-}
-
-
-static void query(std::pair<FdSink, FdSource> & pipes)
-{
-    for (string line; getline(std::cin, line);) {
-        Strings tokenized = tokenizeString<Strings>(line);
-        string cmd = tokenized.front();
-        tokenized.pop_front();
-        if (cmd == "have") {
-            pipes.first
-                << cmdQueryValidPaths
-                << 0 // don't lock
-                << 0 // don't substitute
-                << tokenized;
-            pipes.first.flush();
-            PathSet paths = readStrings<PathSet>(pipes.second);
-            for (auto & i : paths)
-                std::cout << i << std::endl;
-        } else if (cmd == "info") {
-            pipes.first << cmdQueryPathInfos << tokenized;
-            pipes.first.flush();
-            while (1) {
-                Path path = readString(pipes.second);
-                if (path.empty()) break;
-                assertStorePath(path);
-                std::cout << path << std::endl;
-                string deriver = readString(pipes.second);
-                if (!deriver.empty()) assertStorePath(deriver);
-                std::cout << deriver << std::endl;
-                PathSet references = readStorePaths<PathSet>(pipes.second);
-                std::cout << references.size() << std::endl;
-                for (auto & i : references)
-                    std::cout << i << std::endl;
-                std::cout << readLongLong(pipes.second) << std::endl;
-                std::cout << readLongLong(pipes.second) << std::endl;
-            }
-        } else
-            throw Error(format("unknown substituter query ‘%1%’") % cmd);
-        std::cout << std::endl;
-    }
-}
-
-
-int main(int argc, char * * argv)
-{
-    return handleExceptions(argv[0], [&]() {
-        if (argc < 2)
-            throw UsageError("download-via-ssh requires an argument");
-
-        initNix();
-
-        settings.update();
-
-        if (settings.sshSubstituterHosts.empty())
-            return;
-
-        std::cout << std::endl;
-
-        /* Pass on the location of the daemon client's SSH
-           authentication socket. */
-        string sshAuthSock = settings.get("ssh-auth-sock", string(""));
-        if (sshAuthSock != "") setenv("SSH_AUTH_SOCK", sshAuthSock.c_str(), 1);
-
-        string host = settings.sshSubstituterHosts.front();
-        std::pair<FdSink, FdSource> pipes = connect(host);
-
-        /* Exchange the greeting */
-        pipes.first << SERVE_MAGIC_1;
-        pipes.first.flush();
-        unsigned int magic = readInt(pipes.second);
-        if (magic != SERVE_MAGIC_2)
-            throw Error("protocol mismatch");
-        readInt(pipes.second); // Server version, unused for now
-        pipes.first << SERVE_PROTOCOL_VERSION;
-        pipes.first.flush();
-
-        string arg = argv[1];
-        if (arg == "--query")
-            query(pipes);
-        else if (arg == "--substitute") {
-            if (argc != 4)
-                throw UsageError("download-via-ssh: --substitute takes exactly two arguments");
-            Path storePath = argv[2];
-            Path destPath = argv[3];
-            printError(format("downloading ‘%1%’ via SSH from ‘%2%’...") % storePath % host);
-            substitute(pipes, storePath, destPath);
-        }
-        else
-            throw UsageError(format("download-via-ssh: unknown command ‘%1%’") % arg);
-    });
-}
diff --git a/src/download-via-ssh/local.mk b/src/download-via-ssh/local.mk
deleted file mode 100644
index 80f4c385..00000000
--- a/src/download-via-ssh/local.mk
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,11 +0,0 @@
-programs += download-via-ssh
-
-download-via-ssh_DIR := $(d)
-
-download-via-ssh_SOURCES := $(d)/download-via-ssh.cc
-
-download-via-ssh_INSTALL_DIR := $(libexecdir)/nix/substituters
-
-download-via-ssh_CXXFLAGS = -Isrc/nix-store
-
-download-via-ssh_LIBS = libmain libstore libutil libformat