diff --git a/include/maxscale/server.h b/include/maxscale/server.h
index 46dfcc3c9..2be3bf4c5 100644
--- a/include/maxscale/server.h
+++ b/include/maxscale/server.h
@@ -375,23 +375,6 @@ inline bool server_is_disk_space_exhausted(const SERVER* server)
  */
 extern SERVER* server_alloc(const char *name, MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER* params);
 
-/**
- * @brief Find a server that can be reused
- *
- * A server that has been destroyed will not be deleted but only deactivated.
- *
- * @param name          Name of the server
- * @param protocol      Protocol used by the server
- * @param authenticator The authenticator module of the server
- * @param address       The network address of the new server
- * @param port          The port of the new server
- *
- * @return Repurposed SERVER or NULL if no servers matching the criteria were
- * found
- * @see runtime_create_server
- */
-SERVER* server_repurpose_destroyed(const char *name, const char *protocol, const char *authenticator,
-                                   const char *address, const char *port);
 /**
  * @brief Serialize a server to a file
  *
diff --git a/server/core/config_runtime.cc b/server/core/config_runtime.cc
index bcefd6525..930dc3c22 100644
--- a/server/core/config_runtime.cc
+++ b/server/core/config_runtime.cc
@@ -235,18 +235,7 @@ bool runtime_create_server(const char *name, const char *address, const char *po
                 config_replace_param(&ctx, "authenticator", authenticator);
             }
 
-            /** First check if this service has been created before */
-            SERVER *server = server_repurpose_destroyed(name, protocol, authenticator,
-                                                        address, port);
-
-            if (server)
-            {
-                MXS_INFO("Reusing server '%s'", name);
-            }
-            else
-            {
-                server = server_alloc(name, ctx.parameters);
-            }
+            SERVER *server = server_alloc(name, ctx.parameters);
 
             if (server && server_serialize(server))
             {
diff --git a/server/core/server.cc b/server/core/server.cc
index c27e014ef..58b5a5233 100644
--- a/server/core/server.cc
+++ b/server/core/server.cc
@@ -1252,27 +1252,6 @@ bool server_serialize(const SERVER *server)
     return rval;
 }
 
-SERVER* server_repurpose_destroyed(const char *name, const char *protocol, const char *authenticator,
-                                   const char *address, const char *port)
-{
-    Guard guard(server_lock);
-
-    for (Server* server : all_servers)
-    {
-        if (!server->is_active &&
-            strcmp(server->name, name) == 0 &&
-            strcmp(server->protocol, protocol) == 0 &&
-            strcmp(server->authenticator, authenticator) == 0)
-        {
-            snprintf(server->address, sizeof(server->address), "%s", address);
-            server->port = atoi(port);
-            server->is_active = true;
-            return server;
-        }
-    }
-
-    return nullptr;
-}
 /**
  * Set a status bit in the server under a lock. This ensures synchronization
  * with the server monitor thread. Calling this inside the monitor will likely