--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -53,9 +53,6 @@ AC_SUBST(LIBRARY_CURRENT)
 AC_SUBST(LIBRARY_REVISION)
 AC_SUBST(LIBRARY_AGE)
 
-# init introspection support
-GOBJECT_INTROSPECTION_CHECK([1.30.0])
-
 # gir needs a list of source files to scan for introspection
 #
 # build with a glob and a list of files to exclude from scanning
--- a/libvips/Makefile.am
+++ b/libvips/Makefile.am
@@ -68,56 +68,3 @@ install-exec-hook:
 	echo "#define VIPS_SONAME \"$$dlname\"" >> soname.h && \
 	cp soname.h $(DESTDIR)$(pkgincludedir) && \
 	rm soname.h
-
--include $(INTROSPECTION_MAKEFILE)
-INTROSPECTION_GIRS =
-INTROSPECTION_SCANNER_ARGS = --add-include-path=$(srcdir)
-INTROSPECTION_COMPILER_ARGS = --includedir=$(srcdir)
-
-if HAVE_INTROSPECTION
-
-AM_CPPFLAGS = \
-	      -I${top_srcdir}/libvips/include \
-	      @VIPS_CFLAGS@ \
-	      @VIPS_INCLUDES@ \
-	      @INTROSPECTION_CFLAGS@ 
-AM_LDFLAGS = \
-	     @INTROSPECTION_LIBS@ \
-	     @LDFLAGS@ 
-LDADD = @INTROSPECTION_LIBS@ @VIPS_CFLAGS@ libvips.la @VIPS_LIBS@ 
-
-noinst_PROGRAMS = \
-	introspect
-introspect_SOURCES = \
-	introspect.c
-
-# we can't get the _SOURCES lists from the subdirs directly, we get passed it
-# by configure instead
-introspection_sources = @vips_introspection_sources@
-
-# we make the vips8 API
-Vips-8.0.gir: introspect
-Vips_8_0_gir_INCLUDES = GObject-2.0
-Vips_8_0_gir_CFLAGS = $(INCLUDES) -I${top_srcdir}/libvips/include
-Vips_8_0_gir_LIBS = libvips.la
-Vips_8_0_gir_FILES = $(introspection_sources)
-INTROSPECTION_GIRS += Vips-8.0.gir
-
-# don't use
-#   --warn-all --verbose
-# too annoying
-Vips_8_0_gir_SCANNERFLAGS = \
-	--program=./introspect$(EXEEXT) \
-	--identifier-prefix=Vips \
-	--identifier-prefix=vips \
-	--symbol-prefix=vips \
-	--c-include=vips/vips.h
-
-girdir = $(datadir)/gir-1.0
-gir_DATA = $(INTROSPECTION_GIRS)
-
-typelibdir = $(libdir)/girepository-1.0
-typelib_DATA = $(INTROSPECTION_GIRS:.gir=.typelib)
-
-CLEANFILES += $(gir_DATA) $(typelib_DATA)
-endif
