diff --git a/src/FS.cpp b/src/FS.cpp
index 829296b3a..45918c058 100644
--- a/src/FS.cpp
+++ b/src/FS.cpp
@@ -629,25 +629,6 @@ bool File::create (const std::string& name, int mode /* = 0640 */)
   return false;
 }
 
-////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-std::string File::read (const std::string& name)
-{
-  std::string contents = "";
-
-  std::ifstream in (name.c_str ());
-  if (in.good ())
-  {
-    std::string line;
-    line.reserve (1024);
-    while (getline (in, line))
-      contents += line + "\n";
-
-    in.close ();
-  }
-
-  return contents;
-}
-
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 bool File::read (const std::string& name, std::string& contents)
 {
diff --git a/src/FS.h b/src/FS.h
index a045f4c26..0b62c276e 100644
--- a/src/FS.h
+++ b/src/FS.h
@@ -104,7 +104,6 @@ public:
   virtual time_t btime () const;
 
   static bool create (const std::string&, int mode = 0640);
-  static std::string read (const std::string&);
   static bool read (const std::string&, std::string&);
   static bool read (const std::string&, std::vector <std::string>&);
   static bool write (const std::string&, const std::string&);