diff --git a/doc/jemalloc.xml.in b/doc/jemalloc.xml.in
index 16dd0bbe..b0c77c20 100644
--- a/doc/jemalloc.xml.in
+++ b/doc/jemalloc.xml.in
@@ -1267,7 +1267,7 @@ malloc_conf = "xmalloc:true";]]></programlisting>
       <varlistentry id="arena.i.purge">
         <term>
           <mallctl>arena.&lt;i&gt;.purge</mallctl>
-          (<type>unsigned</type>)
+          (<type>void</type>)
           <literal>--</literal>
         </term>
         <listitem><para>Purge unused dirty pages for arena &lt;i&gt;, or for
@@ -1410,16 +1410,6 @@ malloc_conf = "xmalloc:true";]]></programlisting>
         class.</para></listitem>
       </varlistentry>
 
-      <varlistentry id="arenas.purge">
-        <term>
-          <mallctl>arenas.purge</mallctl>
-          (<type>unsigned</type>)
-          <literal>-w</literal>
-        </term>
-        <listitem><para>Purge unused dirty pages for the specified arena, or
-        for all arenas if none is specified.</para></listitem>
-      </varlistentry>
-
       <varlistentry id="arenas.extend">
         <term>
           <mallctl>arenas.extend</mallctl>
diff --git a/src/ctl.c b/src/ctl.c
index 0340a274..3d44a951 100644
--- a/src/ctl.c
+++ b/src/ctl.c
@@ -129,7 +129,6 @@ CTL_PROTO(arenas_tcache_max)
 CTL_PROTO(arenas_nbins)
 CTL_PROTO(arenas_nhbins)
 CTL_PROTO(arenas_nlruns)
-CTL_PROTO(arenas_purge)
 CTL_PROTO(arenas_extend)
 CTL_PROTO(prof_active)
 CTL_PROTO(prof_dump)
@@ -301,7 +300,6 @@ static const ctl_named_node_t arenas_node[] = {
 	{NAME("bin"),			CHILD(indexed, arenas_bin)},
 	{NAME("nlruns"),		CTL(arenas_nlruns)},
 	{NAME("lrun"),			CHILD(indexed, arenas_lrun)},
-	{NAME("purge"),			CTL(arenas_purge)},
 	{NAME("extend"),		CTL(arenas_extend)}
 };
 
@@ -1468,31 +1466,6 @@ arenas_lrun_i_index(const size_t *mib, size_t miblen, size_t i)
 	return (super_arenas_lrun_i_node);
 }
 
-static int
-arenas_purge_ctl(const size_t *mib, size_t miblen, void *oldp, size_t *oldlenp,
-    void *newp, size_t newlen)
-{
-	int ret;
-	unsigned arena_ind;
-
-	malloc_mutex_lock(&ctl_mtx);
-	WRITEONLY();
-	arena_ind = UINT_MAX;
-	WRITE(arena_ind, unsigned);
-	if (newp != NULL && arena_ind >= ctl_stats.narenas)
-		ret = EFAULT;
-	else {
-		if (arena_ind == UINT_MAX)
-			arena_ind = ctl_stats.narenas;
-		arena_purge(arena_ind);
-		ret = 0;
-	}
-
-label_return:
-	malloc_mutex_unlock(&ctl_mtx);
-	return (ret);
-}
-
 static int
 arenas_extend_ctl(const size_t *mib, size_t miblen, void *oldp, size_t *oldlenp,
     void *newp, size_t newlen)
diff --git a/test/unit/mallctl.c b/test/unit/mallctl.c
index caf20f86..73f42ddd 100644
--- a/test/unit/mallctl.c
+++ b/test/unit/mallctl.c
@@ -279,18 +279,6 @@ TEST_BEGIN(test_arena_i_dss)
 }
 TEST_END
 
-TEST_BEGIN(test_arenas_purge)
-{
-	unsigned arena = 0;
-
-	assert_d_eq(mallctl("arenas.purge", NULL, NULL, &arena, sizeof(arena)),
-	    0, "Unexpected mallctl() failure");
-
-	assert_d_eq(mallctl("arenas.purge", NULL, NULL, NULL, 0), 0,
-	    "Unexpected mallctl() failure");
-}
-TEST_END
-
 TEST_BEGIN(test_arenas_initialized)
 {
 	unsigned narenas;
@@ -417,7 +405,6 @@ main(void)
 	    test_thread_arena,
 	    test_arena_i_purge,
 	    test_arena_i_dss,
-	    test_arenas_purge,
 	    test_arenas_initialized,
 	    test_arenas_constants,
 	    test_arenas_bin_constants,