diff --git a/plasma/applet.cpp b/plasma/applet.cpp
index fc94d2c2..8e721dd3 100644
--- a/plasma/applet.cpp
+++ b/plasma/applet.cpp
@@ -1961,7 +1961,7 @@ QStringList AppletPrivate::knownCategories()
 {
     // this is to trick the tranlsation tools into making the correct
     // strings for translation
-    QStringList categories = s_customCategories;
+    QStringList categories;
     categories << QString(I18N_NOOP("Accessibility")).toLower()
                << QString(I18N_NOOP("Application Launchers")).toLower()
                << QString(I18N_NOOP("Astronomy")).toLower()
@@ -2282,16 +2282,6 @@ QStringList Applet::listCategories(const QString &parentApp, bool visibleOnly)
     return categories;
 }
 
-void Applet::setCustomCategories(const QStringList &categories)
-{
-    AppletPrivate::s_customCategories = categories;
-}
-
-QStringList Applet::customCategories()
-{
-    return AppletPrivate::s_customCategories;
-}
-
 Applet *Applet::loadPlasmoid(const QString &path, uint appletId, const QVariantList &args)
 {
     if (QFile::exists(path + "/metadata.desktop")) {
@@ -2876,7 +2866,6 @@ uint AppletPrivate::s_maxAppletId = 0;
 int AppletPrivate::s_maxZValue = 0;
 int AppletPrivate::s_minZValue = 0;
 PackageStructure::Ptr AppletPrivate::packageStructure(0);
-QStringList AppletPrivate::s_customCategories;
 
 AppletOverlayWidget::AppletOverlayWidget(QGraphicsWidget *parent)
     : QGraphicsWidget(parent),
diff --git a/plasma/applet.h b/plasma/applet.h
index f3c5f121..86a73bcf 100644
--- a/plasma/applet.h
+++ b/plasma/applet.h
@@ -328,20 +328,6 @@ class PLASMA_EXPORT Applet : public QGraphicsWidget
         static QStringList listCategories(const QString &parentApp = QString(),
                                           bool visibleOnly = true);
 
-        /**
-         * Sets the list of custom categories that are used in addition to the default
-         * set of categories known to libplasma for Applets.
-         * @param categories a list of categories
-         * @since 4.3
-         */
-        void setCustomCategories(const QStringList &categories);
-
-        /**
-         * @return the list of custom categories known to libplasma
-         * @since 4.3
-         */
-        QStringList customCategories();
-
         /**
          * Attempts to load an applet from a package
          *
diff --git a/plasma/private/applet_p.h b/plasma/private/applet_p.h
index b7f861f1..7dee595d 100644
--- a/plasma/private/applet_p.h
+++ b/plasma/private/applet_p.h
@@ -142,7 +142,6 @@ public:
     static int s_maxZValue;
     static int s_minZValue;
     static PackageStructure::Ptr packageStructure;
-    static QStringList s_customCategories;
 
     //TODO: examine the usage of memory here; there's a pretty large
     //      number of members at this point.