diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 335e8e3b499b4e11bc001061b2bef220cd3de6bc..6c9e4cdd4d2437129e62d51432e7c0b4ee032271 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -452,23 +452,6 @@ elif test "$with_xf86gamma" != no; then
   exit 1
 fi
 
-dnl ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-dnl - Check for XF86MiscSetGrabKeysState (but only bother if we are already
-dnl - using other XF86 stuff.)
-dnl ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
-have_xf86miscsetgrabkeysstate=no
-if test "$have_xf86gamma" = yes -o "$have_xf86vmode" = yes; then
-  AC_CHECK_X_LIB(Xxf86misc, XF86MiscSetGrabKeysState,
-                [have_xf86miscsetgrabkeysstate=yes],
-                [true], -lXext -lX11)
-  if test "$have_xf86miscsetgrabkeysstate" = yes ; then
-    SAVER_LIBS="$SAVER_LIBS -lXxf86misc"
-    AC_DEFINE(HAVE_XF86MISCSETGRABKEYSSTATE, , [Define this if you have the XF86MiscSetGrabKeysState function])
-  fi
-fi
-
 dnl ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 dnl - The --enable-locking option
 dnl ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/src/gs-grab-x11.c b/src/gs-grab-x11.c
index e7b87a46607b313a18534de1e6ca1ce27496819a..3892af43f609e401a4a542b75b52aca166028a38 100644
--- a/src/gs-grab-x11.c
+++ b/src/gs-grab-x11.c
@@ -32,10 +32,6 @@
 #include <gdk/gdkx.h>
 #include <gtk/gtk.h>
 
-#ifdef HAVE_XF86MISCSETGRABKEYSSTATE
-# include <X11/extensions/xf86misc.h>
-#endif /* HAVE_XF86MISCSETGRABKEYSSTATE */
-
 #include "gs-window.h"
 #include "gs-grab.h"
 #include "gs-debug.h"
@@ -82,69 +78,6 @@ grab_string (int status) {
     }
 }
 
-#ifdef HAVE_XF86MISCSETGRABKEYSSTATE
-/* This function enables and disables the Ctrl-Alt-KP_star and
-   Ctrl-Alt-KP_slash hot-keys, which (in XFree86 4.2) break any
-   grabs and/or kill the grabbing client.  That would effectively
-   unlock the screen, so we don't like that.
-
-   The Ctrl-Alt-KP_star and Ctrl-Alt-KP_slash hot-keys only exist
-   if AllowDeactivateGrabs and/or AllowClosedownGrabs are turned on
-   in XF86Config.  I believe they are disabled by default.
-
-   This does not affect any other keys (specifically Ctrl-Alt-BS or
-   Ctrl-Alt-F1) but I wish it did.  Maybe it will someday.
- */
-static void
-xorg_lock_smasher_set_active (GSGrab   *grab,
-                              gboolean  active) {
-    int         status, event, error;
-    GdkDisplay *display;
-
-    display = gdk_display_get_default();
-
-    if (!XF86MiscQueryExtension (GDK_DISPLAY_XDISPLAY (display), &event, &error)) {
-        gs_debug ("No XFree86-Misc extension present");
-        return;
-    }
-
-    if (active) {
-        gs_debug ("Enabling the x.org grab smasher");
-    } else {
-        gs_debug ("Disabling the x.org grab smasher");
-    }
-
-    gdk_x11_display_error_trap_push (display);
-
-    status = XF86MiscSetGrabKeysState (GDK_DISPLAY_XDISPLAY (display), active);
-
-    gdk_display_sync (display);
-    error = gdk_x11_display_error_trap_pop (display);
-
-    if (active && status == MiscExtGrabStateAlready) {
-        /* shut up, consider this success */
-        status = MiscExtGrabStateSuccess;
-    }
-
-    if (error == Success) {
-        gs_debug ("XF86MiscSetGrabKeysState(%s) returned %s\n",
-                    active ? "on" : "off",
-                    (status == MiscExtGrabStateSuccess ? "MiscExtGrabStateSuccess" :
-                    status == MiscExtGrabStateLocked  ? "MiscExtGrabStateLocked"  :
-                    status == MiscExtGrabStateAlready ? "MiscExtGrabStateAlready" :
-                    "unknown value"));
-    } else {
-        gs_debug ("XF86MiscSetGrabKeysState(%s) failed with error code %d\n",
-                    active ? "on" : "off", error);
-    }
-}
-#else
-static void
-xorg_lock_smasher_set_active (GSGrab   *grab,
-                              gboolean  active) {
-}
-#endif /* HAVE_XF86MISCSETGRABKEYSSTATE */
-
 static void
 prepare_window_grab_cb (GdkSeat   *seat,
                         GdkWindow *window,
@@ -243,8 +176,6 @@ gs_grab_release (GSGrab *grab, gboolean flush) {
     /* FIXME: decide when this is good and when not */
     if (flush) {
         /* FIXME: is it right to enable this? */
-        xorg_lock_smasher_set_active (grab, TRUE);
-
         gdk_display_sync (display);
         gdk_display_flush (display);
     }
@@ -437,8 +368,6 @@ gs_grab_move_to_window (GSGrab     *grab,
 
     g_return_if_fail (GS_IS_GRAB (grab));
 
-    xorg_lock_smasher_set_active (grab, FALSE);
-
     while (!result) {
         result = gs_grab_move (grab, window, display,
                                no_pointer_grab, hide_cursor);