diff --git a/Makefile.in b/Makefile.in
index fb0bb6ff379..a9a41a073d0 100644
--- a/Makefile.in
+++ b/Makefile.in
@@ -107,12 +107,6 @@ else
   CFG_GCCISH_CFLAGS += -DRUST_NDEBUG
 endif
 
-ifndef CFG_ENABLE_COMPRESS_METADATA
-  # XXX: After snapshots extend this to all stages
-  RUSTFLAGS_STAGE1 += --no-compress-metadata
-  RUSTFLAGS_STAGE2 += --no-compress-metadata
-endif
-
 ifdef SAVE_TEMPS
   CFG_RUSTC_FLAGS += --save-temps
 endif
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 8a7a2bae4ea..ed3042a1e71 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -383,7 +383,6 @@ opt ccache 0 "invoke gcc/clang via ccache to reuse object files between builds"
 opt local-rust 0 "use an installed rustc rather than downloading a snapshot"
 opt pax-flags 0 "apply PaX flags to rustc binaries (required for GRSecurity/PaX-patched
  kernels)"
-opt compress-metadata 0 "compress crate metadata"
 valopt prefix "/usr/local" "set installation prefix"
 valopt local-rust-root "/usr/local" "set prefix for local rust binary"
 valopt llvm-root "" "set LLVM root"
diff --git a/src/librustc/driver/driver.rs b/src/librustc/driver/driver.rs
index bba818c7c9d..dd57be823ab 100644
--- a/src/librustc/driver/driver.rs
+++ b/src/librustc/driver/driver.rs
@@ -718,8 +718,6 @@ pub fn build_session_options(binary: @str,
     let android_cross_path = getopts::opt_maybe_str(
         matches, "android-cross-path");
 
-    let no_compress_metadata = opt_present(matches, "no-compress-metadata");
-
     let custom_passes = match getopts::opt_maybe_str(matches, "passes") {
         None => ~[],
         Some(s) => {
@@ -755,7 +753,6 @@ pub fn build_session_options(binary: @str,
         no_trans: no_trans,
         debugging_opts: debugging_opts,
         android_cross_path: android_cross_path,
-        no_compress_metadata: no_compress_metadata
     };
     return sopts;
 }
@@ -873,8 +870,6 @@ pub fn optgroups() -> ~[getopts::groups::OptGroup] {
                           for details)", "FEATURE"),
   optopt("", "android-cross-path",
          "The path to the Android NDK", "PATH"),
-  optflag("", "no-compress-metadata",
-          "Do not compress crate metadata (make builds a little faster)"),
   optflagopt("W", "warn",
                         "Set lint warnings", "OPT"),
   optmulti("A", "allow",
diff --git a/src/librustc/driver/session.rs b/src/librustc/driver/session.rs
index e70ac52a0f5..50b29ff16be 100644
--- a/src/librustc/driver/session.rs
+++ b/src/librustc/driver/session.rs
@@ -166,7 +166,6 @@ pub struct options {
     no_trans: bool,
     debugging_opts: uint,
     android_cross_path: Option<~str>,
-    no_compress_metadata: bool
 }
 
 pub struct crate_metadata {
@@ -351,7 +350,6 @@ pub fn basic_options() -> @options {
         no_trans: false,
         debugging_opts: 0u,
         android_cross_path: None,
-        no_compress_metadata: false
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/librustc/metadata/decoder.rs b/src/librustc/metadata/decoder.rs
index 47ec96ca97e..39ba64c5e26 100644
--- a/src/librustc/metadata/decoder.rs
+++ b/src/librustc/metadata/decoder.rs
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ use metadata::decoder;
 use metadata::tydecode::{parse_ty_data, parse_def_id,
                          parse_type_param_def_data,
                          parse_bare_fn_ty_data, parse_trait_ref_data};
-use metadata::loader::{MetadataSection, CopiedSection, UnsafeSection};
+use metadata::loader::{MetadataSection, UnsafeSection};
 use middle::ty;
 use middle::typeck;
 use middle::astencode::vtable_decoder_helpers;
@@ -1195,7 +1195,6 @@ pub fn get_crate_attributes(data: MetadataSection) -> ~[ast::Attribute] {
 
 pub fn section_to_ebml_doc(data: MetadataSection) -> ebml::Doc {
     match data {
-        CopiedSection(data) => reader::Doc(data),
         UnsafeSection(_, buf, len) => reader::unsafe_Doc(buf, len)
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/librustc/metadata/encoder.rs b/src/librustc/metadata/encoder.rs
index 3ada5592f75..38d2d3567bb 100644
--- a/src/librustc/metadata/encoder.rs
+++ b/src/librustc/metadata/encoder.rs
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ use std::hashmap::{HashMap, HashSet};
 use std::io;
 use std::str;
 use std::vec;
-use extra::flate;
 use extra::serialize::Encodable;
 use extra;
 use syntax::abi::AbiSet;
@@ -64,7 +63,6 @@ pub struct EncodeParams<'self> {
     cstore: @mut cstore::CStore,
     encode_inlined_item: encode_inlined_item<'self>,
     reachable: @mut HashSet<ast::NodeId>,
-    compress: bool
 }
 
 struct Stats {
@@ -1595,7 +1593,6 @@ pub fn encode_metadata(parms: EncodeParams, crate: &Crate) -> ~[u8] {
         encode_inlined_item,
         link_meta,
         reachable,
-        compress,
         _
     } = parms;
     let type_abbrevs = @mut HashMap::new();
@@ -1681,17 +1678,8 @@ pub fn encode_metadata(parms: EncodeParams, crate: &Crate) -> ~[u8] {
     wr.write(&[0u8, 0u8, 0u8, 0u8]);
 
     let writer_bytes: &mut ~[u8] = wr.bytes;
-    let compression_flag = if compress { [1u8] } else { [0u8] };
 
-    if compress {
-        metadata_encoding_version.to_owned() +
-            compression_flag.to_owned() +
-            flate::deflate_bytes(*writer_bytes)
-    } else {
-        metadata_encoding_version.to_owned() +
-            compression_flag.to_owned() +
-            *writer_bytes
-    }
+    return metadata_encoding_version.to_owned() + *writer_bytes;
 }
 
 // Get the encoded string for a type
diff --git a/src/librustc/metadata/loader.rs b/src/librustc/metadata/loader.rs
index 5f73888bb7d..182acc68b1e 100644
--- a/src/librustc/metadata/loader.rs
+++ b/src/librustc/metadata/loader.rs
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ use std::os::consts::{macos, freebsd, linux, android, win32};
 use std::ptr;
 use std::str;
 use std::vec;
-use extra::flate;
 
 pub enum os {
     os_macos,
@@ -56,7 +55,8 @@ pub struct Context {
 
 #[deriving(Clone)]
 pub enum MetadataSection {
-    CopiedSection(@~[u8]),
+    // A pointer to the object file metadata section, along with
+    // the ObjectFile handle that keeps it from being destructed
     UnsafeSection(@ObjectFile, *u8, uint)
 }
 
@@ -221,7 +221,6 @@ fn get_metadata_section(os: os,
             if name == read_meta_section_name(os) {
                 let cbuf = llvm::LLVMGetSectionContents(si.llsi);
                 let csz = llvm::LLVMGetSectionSize(si.llsi) as uint;
-                let mut found = None;
                 let cvbuf: *u8 = cast::transmute(cbuf);
                 let vlen = encoder::metadata_encoding_version.len();
                 debug!("checking %u bytes of metadata-version stamp",
@@ -234,25 +233,9 @@ fn get_metadata_section(os: os,
                 }
                 if !version_ok { return None; }
 
-                assert!(csz >= vlen + 1);
+                let cvbuf1 = ptr::offset(cvbuf, vlen as int);
 
-                let must_decompress = *ptr::offset(cvbuf, vlen as int) == 1;
-                let cvbuf1 = ptr::offset(cvbuf, vlen as int + 1);
-
-                if must_decompress {
-                    do vec::raw::buf_as_slice(cvbuf1, csz-vlen-1) |bytes| {
-                        debug!("inflating %u bytes of compressed metadata",
-                               csz - vlen);
-                        let inflated = flate::inflate_bytes(bytes);
-                        found = Some(CopiedSection(@inflated));
-                    }
-                } else {
-                    found = Some(UnsafeSection(of, cvbuf1, csz-vlen-1))
-                }
-
-                if !found.is_none() {
-                    return found;
-                }
+                return Some(UnsafeSection(of, cvbuf1, csz-vlen))
             }
             llvm::LLVMMoveToNextSection(si.llsi);
         }
diff --git a/src/librustc/middle/trans/base.rs b/src/librustc/middle/trans/base.rs
index 85db79ca54b..f19decaa38c 100644
--- a/src/librustc/middle/trans/base.rs
+++ b/src/librustc/middle/trans/base.rs
@@ -2907,7 +2907,6 @@ pub fn crate_ctxt_to_encode_parms<'r>(cx: &'r CrateContext, ie: encoder::encode_
             cstore: cx.sess.cstore,
             encode_inlined_item: ie,
             reachable: cx.reachable,
-            compress: !cx.sess.opts.no_compress_metadata
         }
 }