diff --git a/internal/fusefrontend/root_node.go b/internal/fusefrontend/root_node.go
index ab0cdcd..c82078d 100644
--- a/internal/fusefrontend/root_node.go
+++ b/internal/fusefrontend/root_node.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package fusefrontend
 
 import (
 	"os"
-	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"syscall"
@@ -210,70 +209,6 @@ func (rn *RootNode) openWriteOnlyFile(dirfd int, cName string, newFlags int) (rw
 	return syscallcompat.Openat(dirfd, cName, newFlags, 0)
 }
 
-// openBackingDir opens the parent ciphertext directory of plaintext path
-// "relPath". It returns the dirfd (opened with O_PATH) and the encrypted
-// basename.
-//
-// The caller should then use Openat(dirfd, cName, ...) and friends.
-// For convenience, if relPath is "", cName is going to be ".".
-//
-// openBackingDir is secure against symlink races by using Openat and
-// ReadDirIVAt.
-//
-// Retries on EINTR.
-func (rn *RootNode) openBackingDir(relPath string) (dirfd int, cName string, err error) {
-	dirRelPath := nametransform.Dir(relPath)
-	// With PlaintextNames, we don't need to read DirIVs. Easy.
-	if rn.args.PlaintextNames {
-		dirfd, err = syscallcompat.OpenDirNofollow(rn.args.Cipherdir, dirRelPath)
-		if err != nil {
-			return -1, "", err
-		}
-		// If relPath is empty, cName is ".".
-		cName = filepath.Base(relPath)
-		return dirfd, cName, nil
-	}
-	// Open cipherdir (following symlinks)
-	dirfd, err = syscallcompat.Open(rn.args.Cipherdir, syscall.O_DIRECTORY|syscallcompat.O_PATH, 0)
-	if err != nil {
-		return -1, "", err
-	}
-	// If relPath is empty, cName is ".".
-	if relPath == "" {
-		return dirfd, ".", nil
-	}
-	// Walk the directory tree
-	parts := strings.Split(relPath, "/")
-	for i, name := range parts {
-		iv, err := nametransform.ReadDirIVAt(dirfd)
-		if err != nil {
-			syscall.Close(dirfd)
-			return -1, "", err
-		}
-		if rn.nameTransform.HaveBadnamePatterns() {
-			cName, err = rn.nameTransform.EncryptAndHashBadName(name, iv, dirfd)
-		} else {
-			cName, err = rn.nameTransform.EncryptAndHashName(name, iv)
-		}
-		if err != nil {
-			syscall.Close(dirfd)
-			return -1, "", err
-		}
-		// Last part? We are done.
-		if i == len(parts)-1 {
-			break
-		}
-		// Not the last part? Descend into next directory.
-		dirfd2, err := syscallcompat.Openat(dirfd, cName, syscall.O_NOFOLLOW|syscall.O_DIRECTORY|syscallcompat.O_PATH, 0)
-		syscall.Close(dirfd)
-		if err != nil {
-			return -1, "", err
-		}
-		dirfd = dirfd2
-	}
-	return dirfd, cName, nil
-}
-
 // encryptSymlinkTarget: "data" is encrypted like file contents (GCM)
 // and base64-encoded.
 // The empty string encrypts to the empty string.