diff --git a/man/picom.1.asciidoc b/man/picom.1.asciidoc
index cb830770..e885de97 100644
--- a/man/picom.1.asciidoc
+++ b/man/picom.1.asciidoc
@@ -130,9 +130,6 @@ OPTIONS
 *--detect-client-opacity*::
 	Detect '_NET_WM_WINDOW_OPACITY' on client windows, useful for window managers not passing '_NET_WM_WINDOW_OPACITY' of client windows to frame windows.
 
-*--refresh-rate* 'REFRESH_RATE'::
-	Specify refresh rate of the screen. If not specified or 0, picom will try detecting this with X RandR extension.
-
 *--vsync*, *--no-vsync*::
 	Enable/disable VSync.
 
diff --git a/picom.sample.conf b/picom.sample.conf
index e62251e4..777cf0d0 100644
--- a/picom.sample.conf
+++ b/picom.sample.conf
@@ -241,12 +241,6 @@ detect-rounded-corners = true;
 # detect-client-opacity = false
 detect-client-opacity = true;
 
-# Specify refresh rate of the screen. If not specified or 0, picom will
-# try detecting this with X RandR extension.
-#
-# refresh-rate = 60
-refresh-rate = 0;
-
 # Use EWMH '_NET_ACTIVE_WINDOW' to determine currently focused window,
 # rather than listening to 'FocusIn'/'FocusOut' event. Might have more accuracy,
 # provided that the WM supports it.
diff --git a/src/common.h b/src/common.h
index 1b11c276..f6353b0d 100644
--- a/src/common.h
+++ b/src/common.h
@@ -295,10 +295,6 @@ typedef struct session {
 	region_t shadow_exclude_reg;
 
 	// === Software-optimization-related ===
-	/// Currently used refresh rate.
-	int refresh_rate;
-	/// Interval between refresh in nanoseconds.
-	long refresh_intv;
 	/// Nanosecond offset of the first painting.
 	long paint_tm_offset;
 
diff --git a/src/config.c b/src/config.c
index 3fd11b48..90324778 100644
--- a/src/config.c
+++ b/src/config.c
@@ -527,7 +527,6 @@ char *parse_config(options_t *opt, const char *config_file, bool *shadow_enable,
 	    .benchmark_wid = XCB_NONE,
 	    .logpath = NULL,
 
-	    .refresh_rate = 0,
 	    .use_damage = true,
 
 	    .shadow_red = 0.0,
diff --git a/src/config.h b/src/config.h
index 1c317949..03ef74b3 100644
--- a/src/config.h
+++ b/src/config.h
@@ -130,8 +130,6 @@ typedef struct options {
 	win_option_t wintype_option[NUM_WINTYPES];
 
 	// === VSync & software optimization ===
-	/// User-specified refresh rate.
-	int refresh_rate;
 	/// VSync method to use;
 	bool vsync;
 	/// Whether to use glFinish() instead of glFlush() for (possibly) better
diff --git a/src/config_libconfig.c b/src/config_libconfig.c
index ada4b96c..da4d2afd 100644
--- a/src/config_libconfig.c
+++ b/src/config_libconfig.c
@@ -303,6 +303,11 @@ static inline void parse_wintype_config(const config_t *cfg, const char *member_
 char *parse_config_libconfig(options_t *opt, const char *config_file, bool *shadow_enable,
                              bool *fading_enable, bool *conv_kern_hasneg,
                              win_option_mask_t *winopt_mask) {
+
+	const char *deprecation_message =
+	    "option has been deprecated. Please remove it from your configuration file. "
+	    "If you encounter any problems without this feature, please feel free to "
+	    "open a bug report";
 	char *path = NULL;
 	FILE *f;
 	config_t cfg;
@@ -451,11 +456,8 @@ char *parse_config_libconfig(options_t *opt, const char *config_file, bool *shad
 	// --detect-client-opacity
 	lcfg_lookup_bool(&cfg, "detect-client-opacity", &opt->detect_client_opacity);
 	// --refresh-rate
-	if (config_lookup_int(&cfg, "refresh-rate", &opt->refresh_rate)) {
-		if (opt->refresh_rate < 0) {
-			log_warn("Invalid refresh rate %d, fallback to 0", opt->refresh_rate);
-			opt->refresh_rate = 0;
-		}
+	if (config_lookup_int(&cfg, "refresh-rate", &ival)) {
+		log_warn("The refresh-rate %s", deprecation_message);
 	}
 	// --vsync
 	if (config_lookup_string(&cfg, "vsync", &sval)) {
@@ -620,10 +622,6 @@ char *parse_config_libconfig(options_t *opt, const char *config_file, bool *shad
 		log_warn("\"clear-shadow\" is removed as an option, and is always"
 		         " enabled now. Consider removing it from your config file");
 
-	const char *deprecation_message attr_unused =
-	    "has been removed. If you encounter problems "
-	    "without this feature, please feel free to open a bug report";
-
 	config_setting_t *blur_cfg = config_lookup(&cfg, "blur");
 	if (blur_cfg) {
 		if (config_setting_lookup_string(blur_cfg, "method", &sval)) {
diff --git a/src/dbus.c b/src/dbus.c
index 5b2468cf..e3f79b18 100644
--- a/src/dbus.c
+++ b/src/dbus.c
@@ -1005,7 +1005,7 @@ static bool cdbus_process_opts_get(session_t *ps, DBusMessage *msg) {
 	cdbus_m_opts_get_do(stoppaint_force, cdbus_reply_enum);
 	cdbus_m_opts_get_do(logpath, cdbus_reply_string);
 
-	cdbus_m_opts_get_do(refresh_rate, cdbus_reply_int32);
+	cdbus_m_opts_get_stub(refresh_rate, cdbus_reply_int32, 0);
 	cdbus_m_opts_get_stub(sw_opti, cdbus_reply_bool, false);
 	cdbus_m_opts_get_do(vsync, cdbus_reply_bool);
 	if (!strcmp("backend", target)) {
diff --git a/src/options.c b/src/options.c
index ccd45b64..5ab443fe 100644
--- a/src/options.c
+++ b/src/options.c
@@ -160,10 +160,6 @@ static void usage(const char *argv0, int ret) {
 	    "  managers not passing _NET_WM_WINDOW_OPACITY of client windows to frame\n"
 	    "  windows.\n"
 	    "\n"
-	    "--refresh-rate val\n"
-	    "  Specify refresh rate of the screen. If not specified or 0, we\n"
-	    "  will try detecting this with X RandR extension.\n"
-	    "\n"
 	    "--vsync\n"
 	    "  Enable VSync\n"
 	    "\n"
@@ -641,7 +637,10 @@ bool get_cfg(options_t *opt, int argc, char *const *argv, bool shadow_enable,
 		P_CASEBOOL(266, shadow_ignore_shaped);
 		P_CASEBOOL(267, detect_rounded_corners);
 		P_CASEBOOL(268, detect_client_opacity);
-		P_CASEINT(269, refresh_rate);
+		case 269:
+			log_warn("--refresh-rate has been deprecated, please remove it from"
+			         "your command line options");
+			break;
 		case 270:
 			if (optarg) {
 				opt->vsync = parse_vsync(optarg);
@@ -912,7 +911,6 @@ bool get_cfg(options_t *opt, int argc, char *const *argv, bool shadow_enable,
 	opt->inactive_dim = normalize_d(opt->inactive_dim);
 	opt->frame_opacity = normalize_d(opt->frame_opacity);
 	opt->shadow_opacity = normalize_d(opt->shadow_opacity);
-	opt->refresh_rate = normalize_i_range(opt->refresh_rate, 0, 300);
 
 	opt->max_brightness = normalize_d(opt->max_brightness);
 	if (opt->max_brightness < 1.0) {
diff --git a/src/picom.c b/src/picom.c
index 56deb7ef..12d8b385 100644
--- a/src/picom.c
+++ b/src/picom.c
@@ -1084,24 +1084,6 @@ static inline bool write_pid(session_t *ps) {
 	return true;
 }
 
-/**
- * Update refresh rate info with X Randr extension.
- */
-void update_refresh_rate(session_t *ps) {
-	xcb_randr_get_screen_info_reply_t *randr_info = xcb_randr_get_screen_info_reply(
-	    ps->c, xcb_randr_get_screen_info(ps->c, ps->root), NULL);
-
-	if (!randr_info)
-		return;
-	ps->refresh_rate = randr_info->rate;
-	free(randr_info);
-
-	if (ps->refresh_rate)
-		ps->refresh_intv = US_PER_SEC / ps->refresh_rate;
-	else
-		ps->refresh_intv = 0;
-}
-
 /**
  * Initialize X composite overlay window.
  */
@@ -1592,9 +1574,6 @@ static session_t *session_init(int argc, char **argv, Display *dpy,
 	    .white_picture = XCB_NONE,
 	    .gaussian_map = NULL,
 
-	    .refresh_rate = 0,
-	    .refresh_intv = 0UL,
-
 #ifdef CONFIG_VSYNC_DRM
 	    .drm_fd = -1,
 #endif
diff --git a/src/picom.h b/src/picom.h
index 25f75806..0ba04dda 100644
--- a/src/picom.h
+++ b/src/picom.h
@@ -40,8 +40,6 @@ uint32_t determine_evmask(session_t *ps, xcb_window_t wid, win_evmode_t mode);
 
 void circulate_win(session_t *ps, xcb_circulate_notify_event_t *ce);
 
-void update_refresh_rate(session_t *ps);
-
 void root_damaged(session_t *ps);
 
 void cxinerama_upd_scrs(session_t *ps);