diff --git a/Source/cmCacheManager.cxx b/Source/cmCacheManager.cxx
index 002ccd13a..fa7eff3ce 100644
--- a/Source/cmCacheManager.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmCacheManager.cxx
@@ -896,21 +896,3 @@ bool cmCacheManager::CacheIterator::PropertyExists(
 {
   return this->GetProperty(prop)? true:false;
 }
-
-//----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-bool cmCacheManager::NeedCacheCompatibility(int major, int minor)
-{
-  // Compatibility is not needed if the cache version is zero because
-  // the cache was created or modified by the user.
-  if(this->CacheMajorVersion == 0)
-    {
-    return false;
-    }
-
-  // Compatibility is needed if the cache version is equal to or lower
-  // than the given version.
-  cmIML_INT_uint64_t actual_compat =
-    CMake_VERSION_ENCODE(this->CacheMajorVersion, this->CacheMinorVersion, 0);
-  return (actual_compat &&
-          actual_compat <= CMake_VERSION_ENCODE(major, minor, 0));
-}
diff --git a/Source/cmCacheManager.h b/Source/cmCacheManager.h
index 659d44a79..f7f877606 100644
--- a/Source/cmCacheManager.h
+++ b/Source/cmCacheManager.h
@@ -144,7 +144,6 @@ public:
     { return this->CacheMajorVersion; }
   unsigned int GetCacheMinorVersion() const
     { return this->CacheMinorVersion; }
-  bool NeedCacheCompatibility(int major, int minor);
 
 protected:
   ///! Add an entry into the cache
diff --git a/Source/cmMakefile.cxx b/Source/cmMakefile.cxx
index ec1d81411..215ee1614 100644
--- a/Source/cmMakefile.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmMakefile.cxx
@@ -184,11 +184,6 @@ unsigned int cmMakefile::GetCacheMinorVersion() const
   return this->GetCacheManager()->GetCacheMinorVersion();
 }
 
-bool cmMakefile::NeedCacheCompatibility(int major, int minor) const
-{
-  return this->GetCacheManager()->NeedCacheCompatibility(major, minor);
-}
-
 cmMakefile::~cmMakefile()
 {
   cmDeleteAll(this->InstallGenerators);
diff --git a/Source/cmMakefile.h b/Source/cmMakefile.h
index 7c2085a0c..920b6b79d 100644
--- a/Source/cmMakefile.h
+++ b/Source/cmMakefile.h
@@ -78,9 +78,6 @@ public:
   bool VariableInitialized(const std::string& ) const;
   /* return true if a variable has been used */
   bool VariableUsed(const std::string& ) const;
-  /** Return whether compatibility features needed for a version of
-      the cache or lower should be enabled.  */
-  bool NeedCacheCompatibility(int major, int minor) const;
 
   /**
    * Construct an empty makefile.