diff --git a/app/flatpak-builtins-utils.c b/app/flatpak-builtins-utils.c
index 8a035aa3..8a4546d3 100644
--- a/app/flatpak-builtins-utils.c
+++ b/app/flatpak-builtins-utils.c
@@ -468,8 +468,7 @@ update_appstream (GPtrArray    *dirs,
                 g_debug ("%s age %" G_GUINT64_FORMAT " is greater than ttl %" G_GUINT64_FORMAT, ts_file_path, ts_file_age, ttl);
 
               if (flatpak_dir_get_remote_disabled (dir, remotes[i]) ||
-                  flatpak_dir_get_remote_noenumerate (dir, remotes[i]) ||
-                  !flatpak_dir_check_for_appstream_update (dir, remotes[i], arch, &local_error))
+                  flatpak_dir_get_remote_noenumerate (dir, remotes[i]))
                 {
                   if (local_error)
                     {
@@ -529,19 +528,6 @@ update_appstream (GPtrArray    *dirs,
 
               found = TRUE;
 
-              /* Early bail out check */
-              if (!flatpak_dir_check_for_appstream_update (dir, remote, arch, &local_error))
-                {
-                  if (local_error)
-                    {
-                      if (quiet)
-                        g_debug ("%s: %s", _("Error updating"), local_error->message);
-                      else
-                        g_printerr ("%s: %s\n", _("Error updating"), local_error->message);
-                    }
-                  continue;
-                }
-
               progress = ostree_async_progress_new_and_connect (no_progress_cb, NULL);
               res = flatpak_dir_update_appstream (dir, remote, arch, &changed,
                                                   progress, cancellable, error);
diff --git a/common/flatpak-dir.c b/common/flatpak-dir.c
index 401e82d2..7f59ca20 100644
--- a/common/flatpak-dir.c
+++ b/common/flatpak-dir.c
@@ -2339,57 +2339,6 @@ flatpak_dir_find_latest_rev (FlatpakDir               *self,
   return TRUE;
 }
 
-gboolean
-flatpak_dir_check_for_appstream_update (FlatpakDir          *self,
-                                        const char          *remote,
-                                        const char          *arch,
-                                        GError             **error)
-{
-  const char *old_checksum = NULL;
-  g_autofree char *new_checksum = NULL;
-  g_autoptr(GFile) active_link = NULL;
-  g_autofree char *branch = NULL;
-  g_autoptr(GFileInfo) file_info = NULL;
-  g_autoptr(GError) local_error = NULL;
-  g_autoptr(FlatpakRemoteState) state = NULL;
-
-  if (!flatpak_dir_maybe_ensure_repo (self, NULL, NULL))
-    return TRUE;
-
-  active_link = flatpak_build_file (flatpak_dir_get_path (self),
-                                     "appstream",
-                                     remote,
-                                     arch,
-                                     "active",
-                                     NULL);
-
-  file_info = g_file_query_info (active_link, OSTREE_GIO_FAST_QUERYINFO,
-                                 G_FILE_QUERY_INFO_NOFOLLOW_SYMLINKS,
-                                 NULL, NULL);
-  if (file_info != NULL)
-    old_checksum =  g_file_info_get_symlink_target (file_info);
-
-  branch = g_strdup_printf ("appstream/%s", arch);
-
-  state = flatpak_dir_get_remote_state_optional (self, remote, NULL, &local_error);
-  if (state == NULL ||
-      !flatpak_dir_find_latest_rev (self, state, branch, NULL, &new_checksum,
-                                    NULL, NULL, &local_error))
-    {
-      flatpak_fail (error, _("Failed to find latest revision for ref %s from remote %s: %s"),
-                    branch, remote, local_error->message);
-      new_checksum = NULL;
-    }
-
-  if (new_checksum == NULL)
-    {
-      g_debug ("No %s branch for remote %s, ignoring", branch, remote);
-      return FALSE; /* No appstream branch, don't update, no error */
-    }
-
-  return g_strcmp0 (new_checksum, old_checksum) != 0;
-}
-
 static gboolean
 child_repo_ensure_summary (OstreeRepo *child_repo,
                            FlatpakRemoteState *state,
@@ -2418,7 +2367,6 @@ child_repo_ensure_summary (OstreeRepo *child_repo,
   return TRUE;
 }
 
-
 gboolean
 flatpak_dir_update_appstream (FlatpakDir          *self,
                               const char          *remote,
diff --git a/common/flatpak-dir.h b/common/flatpak-dir.h
index b664e5f7..591a0ebf 100644
--- a/common/flatpak-dir.h
+++ b/common/flatpak-dir.h
@@ -399,10 +399,6 @@ gboolean    flatpak_dir_deploy_appstream (FlatpakDir          *self,
                                           gboolean            *out_changed,
                                           GCancellable        *cancellable,
                                           GError             **error);
-gboolean    flatpak_dir_check_for_appstream_update (FlatpakDir          *self,
-                                                    const char          *remote,
-                                                    const char          *arch,
-                                                    GError             **error);
 gboolean    flatpak_dir_update_appstream (FlatpakDir          *self,
                                           const char          *remote,
                                           const char          *arch,