diff --git a/kmod/src/counters.h b/kmod/src/counters.h
index 3e35a1be..0369bb4c 100644
--- a/kmod/src/counters.h
+++ b/kmod/src/counters.h
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@
 	EXPAND_COUNTER(item_lookup_hit)		\
 	EXPAND_COUNTER(item_lookup_miss)	\
 	EXPAND_COUNTER(item_delete)		\
-	EXPAND_COUNTER(item_forget)		\
 	EXPAND_COUNTER(item_range_hit)		\
 	EXPAND_COUNTER(item_range_miss)		\
 	EXPAND_COUNTER(item_range_insert)
diff --git a/kmod/src/item.c b/kmod/src/item.c
index 440912fe..cd2b6cac 100644
--- a/kmod/src/item.c
+++ b/kmod/src/item.c
@@ -1344,32 +1344,6 @@ out:
 	return ret;
 }
 
-/*
- * Forcefully remove an item from the cache regardless of its state or
- * relationship to persistent items.
- *
- * The caller is entirely responsible for the correctness of having this
- * item vanish.
- */
-void scoutfs_item_forget(struct super_block *sb, struct scoutfs_key_buf *key)
-{
-	struct scoutfs_sb_info *sbi = SCOUTFS_SB(sb);
-	struct item_cache *cac = sbi->item_cache;
-	struct cached_item *item;
-	unsigned long flags;
-
-	spin_lock_irqsave(&cac->lock, flags);
-
-	item = find_item(sb, &cac->items, key);
-	if (item) {
-		trace_printk("forgetting item %p\n", item);
-		scoutfs_inc_counter(sb, item_forget);
-		erase_item(sb, cac, item);
-	}
-
-	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&cac->lock, flags);
-}
-
 /*
  * Return the first dirty node in the subtree starting at the given node.
  */
diff --git a/kmod/src/item.h b/kmod/src/item.h
index 97ef8bc1..68f14f8c 100644
--- a/kmod/src/item.h
+++ b/kmod/src/item.h
@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@ void scoutfs_item_delete_dirty(struct super_block *sb,
 int scoutfs_item_delete_many(struct super_block *sb,
 			     struct scoutfs_key_buf **keys, unsigned nr);
 int scoutfs_item_delete(struct super_block *sb, struct scoutfs_key_buf *key);
-void scoutfs_item_forget(struct super_block *sb, struct scoutfs_key_buf *key);
 
 int scoutfs_item_add_batch(struct super_block *sb, struct list_head *list,
 			   struct scoutfs_key_buf *key, struct kvec *val);