diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 2d6e3e3194..2139d176da 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -27,12 +27,10 @@ Makefile.in
 
 # gnulib related ignores
 !/gnulib/lib/Makefile.am
-!/gnulib/tests/Makefile.am
 *.rej
 *~
 /gnulib/lib/*
 /gnulib/m4/*
-/gnulib/tests/*
 
 # git related ignores
 *.orig
diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 0d7ccc74db..8a8eecb697 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ GENHTML = genhtml
 # so force it explicitly
 DISTCHECK_CONFIGURE_FLAGS = --enable-werror
 
-SUBDIRS = . gnulib/lib include/libvirt src tools docs gnulib/tests \
+SUBDIRS = . gnulib/lib include/libvirt src tools docs \
   tests po examples
 
 XZ_OPT ?= -v -T0
diff --git a/bootstrap.conf b/bootstrap.conf
index d7701ad578..58d1b8e676 100644
--- a/bootstrap.conf
+++ b/bootstrap.conf
@@ -93,13 +93,10 @@ fi
 gnulib_name=libgnu
 m4_base=m4
 source_base=gnulib/lib
-tests_base=gnulib/tests
 gnulib_tool_option_extras="\
  --lgpl=2\
- --with-tests\
  --makefile-name=gnulib.mk\
  --avoid=pt_chown\
- --avoid=lock-tests\
 "
 local_gl_dir=gnulib/local
 
@@ -134,16 +131,6 @@ gnulib_extra_files="
         doc/INSTALL
 "
 
-
-bootstrap_post_import_hook()
-{
-  # Change paths in gnulib/tests/gnulib.mk from "../../.." to "../..",
-  # and make tests conditional by changing "TESTS" to "GNULIB_TESTS".
-  m=gnulib/tests/gnulib.mk
-  sed 's,\.\./\.\./\.\.,../..,g; s/^TESTS /GNULIB_TESTS /' $m > $m-t
-  mv -f $m-t $m
-}
-
 bootstrap_epilogue()
 {
     echo "$0: done.  Now you can run 'mkdir build && cd build && ../configure'."
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 58c4454707..4bdf38ec15 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -925,7 +925,6 @@ AC_CONFIG_FILES([run],
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([\
         Makefile src/Makefile include/libvirt/Makefile docs/Makefile \
         gnulib/lib/Makefile \
-        gnulib/tests/Makefile \
         .color_coded \
         .ycm_extra_conf.py \
         libvirt.pc \
diff --git a/gnulib/tests/Makefile.am b/gnulib/tests/Makefile.am
deleted file mode 100644
index 7062cbaf87..0000000000
--- a/gnulib/tests/Makefile.am
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,32 +0,0 @@
-## Makefile for gnulib/lib
-
-## Copyright (C) 2011, 2013 Red Hat, Inc.
-##
-## This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
-## modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
-## License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
-## version 2.1 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
-##
-## This library 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
-## Lesser General Public License for more details.
-##
-## You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
-## License along with this library.  If not, see
-## <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
-
-include gnulib.mk
-
-GNULIB_TESTS0 =
-GNULIB_TESTS1 = $(GNULIB_TESTS)
-if WITH_EXPENSIVE_TESTS
-## Automake requires that at least one conditional call out all tests to
-## be run, for those tests to be shipped in the tarball
-TESTS = $(GNULIB_TESTS)
-endif WITH_EXPENSIVE_TESTS
-## However, we want to change the set of tests based on the make environment,
-## where the default was set at configure time.  Use GNU make constructs to
-## hide our actions from Automake, so we don't get it too confused.
-VIR_TEST_EXPENSIVE ?= $(VIR_TEST_EXPENSIVE_DEFAULT)
-$(eval TESTS=$(GNULIB_TESTS$(VIR_TEST_EXPENSIVE)))