diff --git a/recovery.cpp b/recovery.cpp
index 6deeaaa..575e287 100644
--- a/recovery.cpp
+++ b/recovery.cpp
@@ -716,7 +716,6 @@
     device->WipeData();
     erase_volume("/data");
     erase_volume("/cache");
-    erase_persistent_partition();
     ui->Print("Data wipe complete.\n");
 }
 
@@ -1122,7 +1121,6 @@
         if (device->WipeData()) status = INSTALL_ERROR;
         if (erase_volume("/data")) status = INSTALL_ERROR;
         if (wipe_cache && erase_volume("/cache")) status = INSTALL_ERROR;
-        if (erase_persistent_partition() == -1 ) status = INSTALL_ERROR;
         if (status != INSTALL_SUCCESS) ui->Print("Data wipe failed.\n");
     } else if (wipe_cache) {
         if (wipe_cache && erase_volume("/cache")) status = INSTALL_ERROR;
diff --git a/roots.cpp b/roots.cpp
index 0d47577..ee14016 100644
--- a/roots.cpp
+++ b/roots.cpp
@@ -39,8 +39,6 @@
 
 extern struct selabel_handle *sehandle;
 
-static const char* PERSISTENT_PATH = "/persistent";
-
 void load_volume_table()
 {
     int i;
@@ -266,41 +264,6 @@
     return -1;
 }
 
-int erase_persistent_partition() {
-    Volume *v = volume_for_path(PERSISTENT_PATH);
-    if (v == NULL) {
-        // most devices won't have /persistent, so this is not an error.
-        return 0;
-    }
-
-    int fd = open(v->blk_device, O_RDWR);
-    uint64_t size = get_file_size(fd);
-    if (size == 0) {
-        LOGE("failed to stat size of /persistent\n");
-        close(fd);
-        return -1;
-    }
-
-    char oem_unlock_enabled;
-    lseek(fd, size - 1, SEEK_SET);
-    read(fd, &oem_unlock_enabled, 1);
-
-    if (oem_unlock_enabled) {
-        if (wipe_block_device(fd, size)) {
-           LOGE("error wiping /persistent: %s\n", strerror(errno));
-           close(fd);
-           return -1;
-        }
-
-        lseek(fd, size - 1, SEEK_SET);
-        write(fd, &oem_unlock_enabled, 1);
-    }
-
-    close(fd);
-
-    return (int) oem_unlock_enabled;
-}
-
 int setup_install_mounts() {
     if (fstab == NULL) {
         LOGE("can't set up install mounts: no fstab loaded\n");
diff --git a/roots.h b/roots.h
index b62a5b1..230d9de 100644
--- a/roots.h
+++ b/roots.h
@@ -46,11 +46,6 @@
 // mounted (/tmp and /cache) are mounted.  Returns 0 on success.
 int setup_install_mounts();
 
-// Conditionally wipes the /persistent partition if it's marked
-// to wipe. Returns -1 on failure, 1 if the partition was wiped
-// and 0 if the partition was not wiped.
-int erase_persistent_partition();
-
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif