diff --git a/src/buffer.cc b/src/buffer.cc
index 4e7c2606..56a4350d 100644
--- a/src/buffer.cc
+++ b/src/buffer.cc
@@ -68,16 +68,10 @@ Buffer::~Buffer()
     m_options.unregister_watcher(*this);
     BufferManager::instance().unregister_buffer(*this);
     m_values.clear();
-    kak_assert(m_change_listeners.empty());
 }
 
 void Buffer::reload(std::vector<String> lines, time_t fs_timestamp)
 {
-    // use back coord to simulate the persistance of the last end of line
-    // as buffers are expected to never be empty.
-    for (auto listener : m_change_listeners)
-        listener->on_erase(*this, {0,0}, back_coord(), true);
-
     m_changes.push_back({ Change::Erase, {0,0}, back_coord(), true });
 
     m_history.clear();
@@ -100,9 +94,6 @@ void Buffer::reload(std::vector<String> lines, time_t fs_timestamp)
     m_fs_timestamp = fs_timestamp;
 
     m_changes.push_back({ Change::Insert, {0,0}, back_coord(), true });
-
-    for (auto listener : m_change_listeners)
-        listener->on_insert(*this, {0,0}, back_coord(), true);
 }
 
 String Buffer::display_name() const
@@ -522,8 +513,6 @@ ByteCoord Buffer::do_insert(ByteCoord pos, const String& content)
     }
 
     m_changes.push_back({ Change::Insert, begin, end, at_end });
-    for (auto listener : m_change_listeners)
-        listener->on_insert(*this, begin, end, at_end);
     return begin;
 }
 
@@ -553,8 +542,6 @@ ByteCoord Buffer::do_erase(ByteCoord begin, ByteCoord end)
         m_lines[i].start -= length;
 
     m_changes.push_back({ Change::Erase, begin, end, is_end(begin) });
-    for (auto listener : m_change_listeners)
-        listener->on_erase(*this, begin, end, is_end(begin));
     return next;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/buffer.hh b/src/buffer.hh
index f817eef0..3a9b0426 100644
--- a/src/buffer.hh
+++ b/src/buffer.hh
@@ -63,15 +63,6 @@ private:
     ByteCoord m_coord;
 };
 
-class BufferChangeListener
-{
-public:
-    virtual void on_insert(const Buffer& buffer,
-                           ByteCoord begin, ByteCoord end, bool at_end) = 0;
-    virtual void on_erase(const Buffer& buffer,
-                          ByteCoord begin, ByteCoord end, bool at_end) = 0;
-};
-
 // A Buffer is a in-memory representation of a file
 //
 // The Buffer class permits to read and mutate this file
@@ -170,8 +161,6 @@ public:
 
     void run_hook_in_own_context(const String& hook_name, const String& param);
 
-    std::unordered_set<BufferChangeListener*>& change_listeners() const { return m_change_listeners; }
-
     void reload(std::vector<String> lines, time_t fs_timestamp = InvalidTime);
 
     void check_invariant() const;
@@ -230,10 +219,6 @@ private:
 
     time_t m_fs_timestamp;
 
-    // this is mutable as adding or removing listeners is not muting the
-    // buffer observable state.
-    mutable std::unordered_set<BufferChangeListener*> m_change_listeners;
-
     OptionManager m_options;
     HookManager   m_hooks;
     KeymapManager m_keymaps;
@@ -270,30 +255,6 @@ private:
     }
 };
 
-struct BufferListenerRegisterFuncs
-{
-    static void insert(const Buffer& buffer, BufferChangeListener& listener)
-    {
-        buffer.change_listeners().insert(&listener);
-    }
-    static void remove(const Buffer& buffer, BufferChangeListener& listener)
-    {
-        buffer.change_listeners().erase(&listener);
-    }
-};
-
-class BufferChangeListener_AutoRegister
-    : public BufferChangeListener,
-      public AutoRegister<BufferChangeListener_AutoRegister,
-                          BufferListenerRegisterFuncs, Buffer>
-{
-public:
-    BufferChangeListener_AutoRegister(Buffer& buffer)
-        : AutoRegister(buffer) {}
-
-    Buffer& buffer() const { return registry(); }
-};
-
 }
 
 #include "buffer.inl.hh"