diff --git a/setup/install.py b/setup/install.py
index b1698d88ed..df691ae0f7 100644
--- a/setup/install.py
+++ b/setup/install.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ __license__   = 'GPL v3'
 __copyright__ = '2009, Kovid Goyal <kovid@kovidgoyal.net>'
 __docformat__ = 'restructuredtext en'
 
-import sys, os, textwrap, subprocess, shutil, tempfile, atexit, shlex, glob
+import sys, os, textwrap, subprocess, shutil, tempfile, atexit, glob
 
 from setup import (Command, islinux, isbsd, basenames, modules, functions,
         __appname__, __version__)
@@ -133,7 +133,6 @@ class Develop(Command):
         self.regain_privileges()
         self.consolidate_paths()
         self.write_templates()
-        self.setup_mount_helper()
         self.install_files()
         self.run_postinstall()
         self.install_env_module()
@@ -150,23 +149,6 @@ class Develop(Command):
         else:
             self.warn('Cannot install calibre environment module to: '+libdir)
 
-    def setup_mount_helper(self):
-        def warn():
-            self.warn('Failed to compile mount helper. Auto mounting of',
-                ' devices will not work')
-
-        src = os.path.join(self.SRC, 'calibre', 'devices', 'linux_mount_helper.c')
-        dest = os.path.join(self.staging_bindir, 'calibre-mount-helper')
-        self.info('Installing mount helper to '+ dest)
-        cflags = os.environ.get('OVERRIDE_CFLAGS', '-Wall -pedantic')
-        cflags = shlex.split(cflags)
-        p = subprocess.Popen(['gcc']+cflags+[src, '-o', dest])
-        ret = p.wait()
-        if ret != 0:
-            return warn()
-        self.manifest.append(dest)
-        return dest
-
     def install_files(self):
         pass
 
diff --git a/setup/installer/linux/freeze2.py b/setup/installer/linux/freeze2.py
index cb2d8e0070..b2e809e7ff 100644
--- a/setup/installer/linux/freeze2.py
+++ b/setup/installer/linux/freeze2.py
@@ -86,7 +86,6 @@ class LinuxFreeze(Command):
         self.initbase()
         self.copy_libs()
         self.copy_python()
-        self.compile_mount_helper()
         self.build_launchers()
         self.create_tarfile()
 
@@ -144,13 +143,6 @@ class LinuxFreeze(Command):
             else:
                 shutil.copyfile(x, d)
 
-    def compile_mount_helper(self):
-        self.info('Compiling mount helper...')
-        dest = self.j(self.bin_dir, 'calibre-mount-helper')
-        subprocess.check_call(['gcc', '-Wall', '-pedantic',
-            self.j(self.SRC, 'calibre', 'devices',
-                'linux_mount_helper.c'), '-o', dest])
-
     def copy_python(self):
         self.info('Copying python...')
 
diff --git a/src/calibre/devices/linux_mount_helper.c b/src/calibre/devices/linux_mount_helper.c
deleted file mode 100644
index 5cb2e52df3..0000000000
--- a/src/calibre/devices/linux_mount_helper.c
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-#include <stdlib.h>
-
-int main(int argc, char** argv)
-{
-    return EXIT_FAILURE;
-}
-