diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 97275e5da..0eb204b82 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -127,10 +127,6 @@ dnl The appliance and any dependencies.
 HEADING([Checking the appliance and its dependencies])
 m4_include([m4/guestfs-appliance.m4])
 
-dnl Check for QEMU.
-HEADING([Checking for QEMU])
-m4_include([m4/guestfs-qemu.m4])
-
 dnl Miscellaneous libraries used by other programs.
 HEADING([Checking for other libraries])
 m4_include([m4/guestfs-misc-libraries.m4])
@@ -312,7 +308,6 @@ feature ()
 
 feature "Daemon"                test "x$enable_daemon" = "xyes"
 feature "Appliance"             test "x$ENABLE_APPLIANCE" = "xyes"
-print   "QEMU"                  "$QEMU"
 feature "guestfish"             true  ;# always enabled
 feature "FUSE filesystem"       test "x$enable_fuse" = "xyes"
 print   "Default backend"       "$DEFAULT_BACKEND"
diff --git a/generator/actions_properties.ml b/generator/actions_properties.ml
index c6474763f..10948f0c9 100644
--- a/generator/actions_properties.ml
+++ b/generator/actions_properties.ml
@@ -33,9 +33,6 @@ let non_daemon_functions = [
 depends on the backend, but is usually the location of the
 qemu/KVM hypervisor.
 
-The default is chosen when the library was compiled by the
-configure script.
-
 You can also override this by setting the C<LIBGUESTFS_HV>
 environment variable.
 
diff --git a/generator/actions_properties_deprecated.ml b/generator/actions_properties_deprecated.ml
index 76fa0a6a5..7fa49d446 100644
--- a/generator/actions_properties_deprecated.ml
+++ b/generator/actions_properties_deprecated.ml
@@ -34,9 +34,6 @@ let non_daemon_functions = [
     shortdesc = "set the hypervisor binary (usually qemu)";
     longdesc = {|Set the hypervisor binary (usually qemu) that we will use.
 
-The default is chosen when the library was compiled by the
-configure script.
-
 You can also override this by setting the C<LIBGUESTFS_HV>
 environment variable.
 
diff --git a/m4/guestfs-qemu.m4 b/m4/guestfs-qemu.m4
deleted file mode 100644
index 44fa011b3..000000000
--- a/m4/guestfs-qemu.m4
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,45 +0,0 @@
-# libguestfs
-# Copyright (C) 2009-2025 Red Hat Inc.
-#
-# This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
-# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
-# the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
-# (at your option) any later version.
-#
-# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
-# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
-# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
-# GNU General Public License for more details.
-#
-# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
-# along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
-# Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.
-
-dnl Check for QEMU for running binaries on this $host_cpu, fall
-dnl back to basic 'qemu'.  Allow the user to override it.
-AS_CASE([$host_cpu],
-        [i@<:@456@:>@86],[qemu_cpu=i386],
-        [arm*],[qemu_cpu=arm],
-        [amd64],[qemu_cpu=x86_64],
-        [powerpc64 | ppc64le | powerpc64le],[qemu_cpu=ppc64],
-        [qemu_cpu=$host_cpu])
-default_qemu="qemu-kvm kvm qemu-system-$qemu_cpu qemu"
-AC_ARG_WITH([qemu],
-    [AS_HELP_STRING([--with-qemu="bin1 bin2 ..."],
-        [set default QEMU binary @<:@default="[qemu-kvm] qemu-system-<host> qemu"@:>@])],
-    dnl --with-qemu or --without-qemu:
-    [],
-    dnl neither option was given:
-    [with_qemu="$default_qemu"]
-)
-
-AS_IF([test "x$with_qemu" = "xno"],[
-    AC_MSG_WARN([qemu was disabled, libguestfs may not work at all])
-    QEMU=no
-],[
-    AC_PATH_PROGS([QEMU],[$with_qemu],[no],
-        [$PATH$PATH_SEPARATOR/usr/sbin$PATH_SEPARATOR/sbin$PATH_SEPARATOR/usr/libexec])
-    test "x$QEMU" = "xno" && AC_MSG_ERROR([qemu must be installed])
-
-    AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([QEMU],["$QEMU"],[Location of qemu binary.])
-])