diff --git a/src/cmd/INIT/make.probe b/src/cmd/INIT/make.probe
index 8a3c3833a406..0c9454625562 100644
--- a/src/cmd/INIT/make.probe
+++ b/src/cmd/INIT/make.probe
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ probe_no_protect="'-fno-stack-protector -fno-stack-protector-all' -GS-"
 probe_readonly="-R -Krodata -xMerge -Wa,-r"
 probe_shared="'' -G -b -c -shared -Wl,dll"
 probe_shared_name="-Wl,-soname= -h"
-probe_shared_nostart="-nostartfiles"
 probe_shared_registry='"-update_registry $probe_shared_registry_file"'
 probe_shared_registry_file='registry.ld'
 probe_shared_registry_path="\$(LIBDIR)/$probe_shared_registry_file"
@@ -709,37 +708,6 @@ case $cc_dll:$cc_pic:$so:$dynamic:$static in
 		esac
 		dld=$xx
 		shared=$1
-		# does -nostartfiles make sense for C?
-		case $plusplus in
-		'')	z=`wc -c < xxx$dll`
-			eval set x $probe_shared_nostart
-			while	:
-			do	shift
-				case $# in
-				0)	break ;;
-				esac
-				rm -f xxx$dll
-				if	$dld $shared $1 -o xxx$dll shared.$obj 2>e && test -r xxx$dll
-				then	case `wc -c < xxx$dll` in
-					$z)	;;
-					*)	if	test -s e
-						then	case `cat e` in
-							*[Ee][Rr][Rr][Oo][Rr]*|*[Ww][Aa][Rr][Nn][Ii][Nn][Gg]*|*[Oo][Pp][Tt][Ii][Oo][Nn]*)
-								continue
-								;;
-							esac
-						fi
-						case $shared in
-						'')	shared=$1 ;;
-						*)	shared="$shared $1" ;;
-						esac
-						break
-						;;
-					esac
-				fi
-			done
-			;;
-		esac
 		case $cc_dll in
 		"")	cc_dll=$cc_dll_def ;;
 		esac