diff --git a/Config.in.legacy b/Config.in.legacy
index 97bc939802..70a90433f0 100644
--- a/Config.in.legacy
+++ b/Config.in.legacy
@@ -107,6 +107,11 @@ endif
 ###############################################################################
 comment "Legacy options removed in 2015.05"
 
+config BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_EXT_RTAI_PATCH
+	bool "RTAI patch file path has been removed"
+	help
+	  This option has never worked, so it has been removed.
+
 config BR2_TARGET_GENERIC_PASSWD_DES
 	bool "Encoding passwords with DES has been removed"
 	select BR2_LEGACY
diff --git a/linux/Config.ext.in b/linux/Config.ext.in
index c909254cdd..ea79aa166c 100644
--- a/linux/Config.ext.in
+++ b/linux/Config.ext.in
@@ -44,12 +44,6 @@ config BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_EXT_RTAI
 	help
 	  RTAI Kernel part.
 
-config BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_EXT_RTAI_PATCH
-	depends on BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_EXT_RTAI
-	string "Path for RTAI patch file"
-	help
-	  Optionally, explicitly specify the RTAI patch to use.
-
 # fbtft
 config BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_EXT_FBTFT
 	bool "FB TFT drivers"
diff --git a/linux/linux-ext-rtai.mk b/linux/linux-ext-rtai.mk
index 07e7a19cd9..0cc1232b96 100644
--- a/linux/linux-ext-rtai.mk
+++ b/linux/linux-ext-rtai.mk
@@ -6,8 +6,6 @@
 
 LINUX_EXTENSIONS += rtai
 
-RTAI_PATCH = $(call qstrip,$(BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_EXT_RTAI_PATCH))
-
 ifeq ($(KERNEL_ARCH),i386)
 RTAI_ARCH = x86
 else ifeq ($(KERNEL_ARCH),x86_64)
@@ -19,7 +17,6 @@ RTAI_ARCH = $(KERNEL_ARCH)
 endif
 
 # Prepare kernel patch
-ifeq ($(RTAI_PATCH),)
 define RTAI_PREPARE_KERNEL
 	kver=`$(MAKE) $(LINUX_MAKE_FLAGS) -C $(LINUX_DIR) --no-print-directory -s kernelversion` ; \
 	if test -f $(RTAI_DIR)/base/arch/$(RTAI_ARCH)/patches/hal-linux-$${kver}-*patch ; then \
@@ -31,11 +28,3 @@ define RTAI_PREPARE_KERNEL
 		exit 1 ; \
 	fi
 endef
-else
-define RTAI_PREPARE_KERNEL
-	$(APPLY_PATCHES) 			\
-		$(LINUX_DIR)			\
-		$(dir $(RTAI_PATCH))		\
-		$(notdir $(RTAI_PATCH))
-endef
-endif