diff --git a/usr.bin/telnet/telnet.c b/usr.bin/telnet/telnet.c
index 27aeaa9a7d8d..997115215619 100644
--- a/usr.bin/telnet/telnet.c
+++ b/usr.bin/telnet/telnet.c
@@ -1946,47 +1946,6 @@ telnet(char *user __unusedhere)
     }
 }
 
-#if	0	/* XXX - this not being in is a bug */
-/*
- * nextitem()
- *
- *	Return the address of the next "item" in the TELNET data
- * stream.  This will be the address of the next character if
- * the current address is a user data character, or it will
- * be the address of the character following the TELNET command
- * if the current address is a TELNET IAC ("I Am a Command")
- * character.
- */
-
-static char *
-nextitem(char *current)
-{
-    if ((*current&0xff) != IAC) {
-	return current+1;
-    }
-    switch (*(current+1)&0xff) {
-    case DO:
-    case DONT:
-    case WILL:
-    case WONT:
-	return current+3;
-    case SB:		/* loop forever looking for the SE */
-	{
-	    char *look = current+2;
-
-	    for (;;) {
-		if ((*look++&0xff) == IAC) {
-		    if ((*look++&0xff) == SE) {
-			return look;
-		    }
-		}
-	    }
-	}
-    default:
-	return current+2;
-    }
-}
-#endif	/* 0 */
 
 /*
  * netclear()