diff --git a/src/cell.c b/src/cell.c
index 57289ae7538551b2784bb2c6b39349b77e2d1a5c..e2767cdaa9e1189ec87b5ef51cc578c91f8cfe4c 100644
--- a/src/cell.c
+++ b/src/cell.c
@@ -981,25 +981,3 @@ void cell_set_super(struct cell *c, struct cell *super) {
     for (int k = 0; k < 8; k++)
       if (c->progeny[k] != NULL) cell_set_super(c->progeny[k], super);
 }
-
-/**
- * Set ti_old of a #cell and all its progenies to a new value.
- *
- * @param c The #cell.
- * @param ti_current The new value of ti_old.
- */
-void cell_set_ti_old(struct cell *c, int ti_current) {
-
-  /* Set this cell */
-  c->ti_old = ti_current;
-
-  /* Recurse */
-  if (c->split) {
-    for (int k = 0; k < 8; ++k) {
-      if (c->progeny[k] != NULL) {
-        struct cell *cp = c->progeny[k];
-        cell_set_ti_old(cp, ti_current);
-      }
-    }
-  }
-}
diff --git a/src/cell.h b/src/cell.h
index 04e113ac849febcc128539560a86c6027c8e0fa5..2cd13cf2ab6b934f6aab84bcbacf510270892866 100644
--- a/src/cell.h
+++ b/src/cell.h
@@ -295,6 +295,5 @@ void cell_check_drift_point(struct cell *c, void *data);
 int cell_is_drift_needed(struct cell *c, const struct engine *e);
 int cell_unskip_tasks(struct cell *c, struct scheduler *s);
 void cell_set_super(struct cell *c, struct cell *super);
-void cell_set_ti_old(struct cell *c, int ti_current);
 
 #endif /* SWIFT_CELL_H */
diff --git a/src/runner.c b/src/runner.c
index 0fb984bb04c781bf4414b299ffa8be824b8228e1..2d6da4e4aedc9c40d1dade243e605e9aeda86dbe 100644
--- a/src/runner.c
+++ b/src/runner.c
@@ -838,17 +838,6 @@ static void runner_do_drift(struct cell *c, struct engine *e, int drift) {
       /* Now, get the maximal particle motion from its square */
       dx_max = sqrtf(dx2_max);
 
-      /* Set ti_old on the sub-cells */
-      cell_set_ti_old(c, e->ti_current);
-
-      /* Need to recurse to unskip if need be */
-      for (int k = 0; k < 8; k++) {
-        if (c->progeny[k] != NULL) {
-          struct cell *cp = c->progeny[k];
-          runner_do_drift(cp, e, 0);
-        }
-      }
-
     } /* Check that we are actually going to move forward. */
 
     else {