diff --git a/include/xo/reader/exprstate.hpp b/include/xo/reader/exprstate.hpp
index 7b590f48..41d4da81 100644
--- a/include/xo/reader/exprstate.hpp
+++ b/include/xo/reader/exprstate.hpp
@@ -70,11 +70,6 @@ namespace xo {
                 {}
             virtual ~exprstate() = default;
 
-#ifdef RELOCATED
-            static std::unique_ptr<exprstate> expect_toplevel_expression_sequence() {
-                return std::make_unique<exprstate>(exprstate(exprstatetype::expect_toplevel_expression_sequence));
-            }
-#endif
             static std::unique_ptr<exprstate> expect_rhs_expression() {
                 return std::make_unique<exprstate>(exprstate(exprstatetype::expect_rhs_expression));
             }
@@ -87,12 +82,6 @@ namespace xo {
 
             exprstatetype exs_type() const { return exs_type_; }
 
-#ifdef OBSOLETE
-            /** true iff this parsing state admits a 'def' keyword
-             *  as next token
-             **/
-            virtual bool admits_definition() const;
-#endif
             /** true iff this parsing state admits a symbol as next token **/
             virtual bool admits_symbol() const;
             /** true iff this parsing state admits a colon as next token **/
diff --git a/src/reader/exprstate.cpp b/src/reader/exprstate.cpp
index b04aa227..beab670a 100644
--- a/src/reader/exprstate.cpp
+++ b/src/reader/exprstate.cpp
@@ -41,37 +41,6 @@ namespace xo {
             return "???";
         }
 
-#ifdef OBSOLETE
-        bool
-        exprstate::admits_definition() const {
-            switch (exs_type_) {
-            case exprstatetype::expect_toplevel_expression_sequence:
-                return true;
-
-            case exprstatetype::defexpr:
-            case exprstatetype::parenexpr:
-                /* unreachable */
-                assert(false);
-                return false;
-            case exprstatetype::expect_rhs_expression:
-                return false;
-            case exprstatetype::expect_symbol:
-            case exprstatetype::expect_type:
-                return false;
-            case exprstatetype::expr_progress:
-                /* unreachable */
-                assert(false);
-                return false;
-            case exprstatetype::invalid:
-            case exprstatetype::n_exprstatetype:
-                /* unreachable */
-                return false;
-            }
-
-            return false;
-        }
-#endif
-
         bool
         exprstate::admits_symbol() const {
             switch (exs_type_) {
@@ -326,31 +295,6 @@ namespace xo {
                                 exprstatestack * /*p_stack*/)
         {
             this->illegal_input_error("exprstate::on_def_token", tk);
-
-#ifdef OBSOLETE
-            constexpr bool c_debug_flag = true;
-            scope log(XO_DEBUG(c_debug_flag));
-
-            constexpr const char * c_self_name = "exprstate::on_def_token";
-
-            /* lots of illegal states */
-            if (!this->admits_definition())
-            {
-                this->illegal_input_error(c_self_name, tk);
-            }
-
-            p_stack->push_exprstate(define_xs::def_0());
-
-            /* todo: replace:
-             *   expect_symbol_or_function_signature()
-             */
-            p_stack->push_exprstate(exprstate::expect_symbol());
-
-            /* keyword 'def' introduces a definition:
-             *   def pi : f64 = 3.14159265
-             *   def sq(x : f64) -> f64 { (x * x) }
-             */
-#endif
         }
 
         void