diff --git a/include/wlr/render/interface.h b/include/wlr/render/interface.h
index befd2fdc..a433ea2a 100644
--- a/include/wlr/render/interface.h
+++ b/include/wlr/render/interface.h
@@ -31,11 +31,6 @@ struct wlr_renderer_impl {
 		struct wlr_renderer *renderer);
 	const struct wlr_drm_format_set *(*get_render_formats)(
 		struct wlr_renderer *renderer);
-	uint32_t (*preferred_read_format)(struct wlr_renderer *renderer);
-	bool (*read_pixels)(struct wlr_renderer *renderer, uint32_t fmt,
-		uint32_t stride, uint32_t width, uint32_t height,
-		uint32_t src_x, uint32_t src_y, uint32_t dst_x, uint32_t dst_y,
-		void *data);
 	void (*destroy)(struct wlr_renderer *renderer);
 	int (*get_drm_fd)(struct wlr_renderer *renderer);
 	uint32_t (*get_render_buffer_caps)(struct wlr_renderer *renderer);
diff --git a/include/wlr/render/wlr_renderer.h b/include/wlr/render/wlr_renderer.h
index 26106614..9c5011ec 100644
--- a/include/wlr/render/wlr_renderer.h
+++ b/include/wlr/render/wlr_renderer.h
@@ -75,13 +75,6 @@ const uint32_t *wlr_renderer_get_shm_texture_formats(
  */
 const struct wlr_drm_format_set *wlr_renderer_get_dmabuf_texture_formats(
 	struct wlr_renderer *renderer);
-/**
- * Reads out of pixels of the currently bound surface into data. `stride` is in
- * bytes.
- */
-bool wlr_renderer_read_pixels(struct wlr_renderer *r, uint32_t fmt,
-	uint32_t stride, uint32_t width, uint32_t height,
-	uint32_t src_x, uint32_t src_y, uint32_t dst_x, uint32_t dst_y, void *data);
 
 /**
  * Initializes wl_shm, linux-dmabuf and other buffer factory protocols.
diff --git a/include/wlr/types/wlr_output.h b/include/wlr/types/wlr_output.h
index b0905eec..4ce23f7d 100644
--- a/include/wlr/types/wlr_output.h
+++ b/include/wlr/types/wlr_output.h
@@ -400,11 +400,6 @@ void wlr_output_effective_resolution(struct wlr_output *output,
  */
 void wlr_output_attach_buffer(struct wlr_output *output,
 	struct wlr_buffer *buffer);
-/**
- * Get the preferred format for reading pixels.
- * This function might change the current rendering context.
- */
-uint32_t wlr_output_preferred_read_format(struct wlr_output *output);
 /**
  * Set the damage region for the frame to be submitted. This is the region of
  * the screen that has changed since the last frame.
diff --git a/render/gles2/renderer.c b/render/gles2/renderer.c
index 1b106af5..93fe292c 100644
--- a/render/gles2/renderer.c
+++ b/render/gles2/renderer.c
@@ -288,90 +288,6 @@ static const struct wlr_drm_format_set *gles2_get_render_formats(
 	return wlr_egl_get_dmabuf_render_formats(renderer->egl);
 }
 
-static uint32_t gles2_preferred_read_format(
-		struct wlr_renderer *wlr_renderer) {
-	struct wlr_gles2_renderer *renderer =
-		gles2_get_renderer_in_context(wlr_renderer);
-
-	push_gles2_debug(renderer);
-
-	GLint gl_format = -1, gl_type = -1, alpha_size = -1;
-	glGetIntegerv(GL_IMPLEMENTATION_COLOR_READ_FORMAT, &gl_format);
-	glGetIntegerv(GL_IMPLEMENTATION_COLOR_READ_TYPE, &gl_type);
-	glGetIntegerv(GL_ALPHA_BITS, &alpha_size);
-
-	pop_gles2_debug(renderer);
-
-	const struct wlr_gles2_pixel_format *fmt =
-		get_gles2_format_from_gl(gl_format, gl_type, alpha_size > 0);
-	if (fmt != NULL) {
-		return fmt->drm_format;
-	}
-
-	if (renderer->exts.EXT_read_format_bgra) {
-		return DRM_FORMAT_XRGB8888;
-	}
-	return DRM_FORMAT_XBGR8888;
-}
-
-static bool gles2_read_pixels(struct wlr_renderer *wlr_renderer,
-		uint32_t drm_format, uint32_t stride,
-		uint32_t width, uint32_t height, uint32_t src_x, uint32_t src_y,
-		uint32_t dst_x, uint32_t dst_y, void *data) {
-	struct wlr_gles2_renderer *renderer =
-		gles2_get_renderer_in_context(wlr_renderer);
-
-	const struct wlr_gles2_pixel_format *fmt =
-		get_gles2_format_from_drm(drm_format);
-	if (fmt == NULL || !is_gles2_pixel_format_supported(renderer, fmt)) {
-		wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "Cannot read pixels: unsupported pixel format 0x%"PRIX32, drm_format);
-		return false;
-	}
-
-	if (fmt->gl_format == GL_BGRA_EXT && !renderer->exts.EXT_read_format_bgra) {
-		wlr_log(WLR_ERROR,
-			"Cannot read pixels: missing GL_EXT_read_format_bgra extension");
-		return false;
-	}
-
-	const struct wlr_pixel_format_info *drm_fmt =
-		drm_get_pixel_format_info(fmt->drm_format);
-	assert(drm_fmt);
-	if (pixel_format_info_pixels_per_block(drm_fmt) != 1) {
-		wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "Cannot read pixels: block formats are not supported");
-		return false;
-	}
-
-	push_gles2_debug(renderer);
-
-	// Make sure any pending drawing is finished before we try to read it
-	glFinish();
-
-	glGetError(); // Clear the error flag
-
-	unsigned char *p = (unsigned char *)data + dst_y * stride;
-	glPixelStorei(GL_PACK_ALIGNMENT, 1);
-	uint32_t pack_stride = pixel_format_info_min_stride(drm_fmt, width);
-	if (pack_stride == stride && dst_x == 0) {
-		// Under these particular conditions, we can read the pixels with only
-		// one glReadPixels call
-
-		glReadPixels(src_x, src_y, width, height, fmt->gl_format, fmt->gl_type, p);
-	} else {
-		// Unfortunately GLES2 doesn't support GL_PACK_ROW_LENGTH, so we have to read
-		// the lines out row by row
-		for (size_t i = 0; i < height; ++i) {
-			uint32_t y = src_y + i;
-			glReadPixels(src_x, y, width, 1, fmt->gl_format,
-				fmt->gl_type, p + i * stride + dst_x * drm_fmt->bytes_per_block);
-		}
-	}
-
-	pop_gles2_debug(renderer);
-
-	return glGetError() == GL_NO_ERROR;
-}
-
 static int gles2_get_drm_fd(struct wlr_renderer *wlr_renderer) {
 	struct wlr_gles2_renderer *renderer =
 		gles2_get_renderer(wlr_renderer);
@@ -536,8 +452,6 @@ static const struct wlr_renderer_impl renderer_impl = {
 	.get_shm_texture_formats = gles2_get_shm_texture_formats,
 	.get_dmabuf_texture_formats = gles2_get_dmabuf_texture_formats,
 	.get_render_formats = gles2_get_render_formats,
-	.preferred_read_format = gles2_preferred_read_format,
-	.read_pixels = gles2_read_pixels,
 	.get_drm_fd = gles2_get_drm_fd,
 	.get_render_buffer_caps = gles2_get_render_buffer_caps,
 	.texture_from_buffer = gles2_texture_from_buffer,
diff --git a/render/pixman/renderer.c b/render/pixman/renderer.c
index 13049e8f..398a661b 100644
--- a/render/pixman/renderer.c
+++ b/render/pixman/renderer.c
@@ -335,45 +335,6 @@ static void pixman_destroy(struct wlr_renderer *wlr_renderer) {
 	free(renderer);
 }
 
-static uint32_t pixman_preferred_read_format(
-		struct wlr_renderer *wlr_renderer) {
-	struct wlr_pixman_renderer *renderer = get_renderer(wlr_renderer);
-	struct wlr_pixman_buffer *buffer = renderer->current_buffer;
-
-	pixman_format_code_t pixman_format = pixman_image_get_format(
-			buffer->image);
-
-	return get_drm_format_from_pixman(pixman_format);
-}
-
-static bool pixman_read_pixels(struct wlr_renderer *wlr_renderer,
-		uint32_t drm_format, uint32_t stride,
-		uint32_t width, uint32_t height, uint32_t src_x, uint32_t src_y,
-		uint32_t dst_x, uint32_t dst_y, void *data) {
-	struct wlr_pixman_renderer *renderer = get_renderer(wlr_renderer);
-	struct wlr_pixman_buffer *buffer = renderer->current_buffer;
-
-	pixman_format_code_t fmt = get_pixman_format_from_drm(drm_format);
-	if (fmt == 0) {
-		wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "Cannot read pixels: unsupported pixel format");
-		return false;
-	}
-
-	const struct wlr_pixel_format_info *drm_fmt =
-		drm_get_pixel_format_info(drm_format);
-	assert(drm_fmt);
-
-	pixman_image_t *dst = pixman_image_create_bits_no_clear(fmt, width, height,
-			data, stride);
-
-	pixman_image_composite32(PIXMAN_OP_SRC, buffer->image, NULL, dst,
-			src_x, src_y, 0, 0, dst_x, dst_y, width, height);
-
-	pixman_image_unref(dst);
-
-	return true;
-}
-
 static uint32_t pixman_get_render_buffer_caps(struct wlr_renderer *renderer) {
 	return WLR_BUFFER_CAP_DATA_PTR;
 }
@@ -405,8 +366,6 @@ static const struct wlr_renderer_impl renderer_impl = {
 	.texture_from_buffer = pixman_texture_from_buffer,
 	.bind_buffer = pixman_bind_buffer,
 	.destroy = pixman_destroy,
-	.preferred_read_format = pixman_preferred_read_format,
-	.read_pixels = pixman_read_pixels,
 	.get_render_buffer_caps = pixman_get_render_buffer_caps,
 	.begin_buffer_pass = pixman_begin_buffer_pass,
 };
diff --git a/render/vulkan/renderer.c b/render/vulkan/renderer.c
index a116b0e5..35d5f829 100644
--- a/render/vulkan/renderer.c
+++ b/render/vulkan/renderer.c
@@ -1015,18 +1015,6 @@ static const struct wlr_drm_format_set *vulkan_get_render_formats(
 	return &renderer->dev->dmabuf_render_formats;
 }
 
-static uint32_t vulkan_preferred_read_format(
-		struct wlr_renderer *wlr_renderer) {
-	struct wlr_vk_renderer *renderer = vulkan_get_renderer(wlr_renderer);
-	struct wlr_dmabuf_attributes dmabuf = {0};
-	if (!wlr_buffer_get_dmabuf(renderer->current_render_buffer->wlr_buffer,
-				&dmabuf)) {
-		wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "vulkan_preferred_read_format: Failed to get dmabuf of current render buffer");
-		return DRM_FORMAT_INVALID;
-	}
-	return dmabuf.format;
-}
-
 static void vulkan_destroy(struct wlr_renderer *wlr_renderer) {
 	struct wlr_vk_renderer *renderer = vulkan_get_renderer(wlr_renderer);
 	struct wlr_vk_device *dev = renderer->dev;
@@ -1116,18 +1104,6 @@ static void vulkan_destroy(struct wlr_renderer *wlr_renderer) {
 	free(renderer);
 }
 
-static bool vulkan_read_pixels_legacy(struct wlr_renderer *wlr_renderer,
-		uint32_t drm_format, uint32_t stride,
-		uint32_t width, uint32_t height, uint32_t src_x, uint32_t src_y,
-		uint32_t dst_x, uint32_t dst_y, void *data) {
-	struct wlr_vk_renderer *vk_renderer = vulkan_get_renderer(wlr_renderer);
-	VkFormat src_format = vk_renderer->current_render_buffer->render_setup->render_format->vk;
-	VkImage src_image = vk_renderer->current_render_buffer->image;
-
-	return vulkan_read_pixels(vk_renderer, src_format, src_image, drm_format,
-		stride, width, height, src_x, src_y, dst_x, dst_y, data);
-}
-
 bool vulkan_read_pixels(struct wlr_vk_renderer *vk_renderer,
 		VkFormat src_format, VkImage src_image,
 		uint32_t drm_format, uint32_t stride,
@@ -1396,8 +1372,6 @@ static const struct wlr_renderer_impl renderer_impl = {
 	.get_shm_texture_formats = vulkan_get_shm_texture_formats,
 	.get_dmabuf_texture_formats = vulkan_get_dmabuf_texture_formats,
 	.get_render_formats = vulkan_get_render_formats,
-	.preferred_read_format = vulkan_preferred_read_format,
-	.read_pixels = vulkan_read_pixels_legacy,
 	.destroy = vulkan_destroy,
 	.get_drm_fd = vulkan_get_drm_fd,
 	.get_render_buffer_caps = vulkan_get_render_buffer_caps,
diff --git a/render/wlr_renderer.c b/render/wlr_renderer.c
index 4fb3dfa9..d05770da 100644
--- a/render/wlr_renderer.c
+++ b/render/wlr_renderer.c
@@ -120,17 +120,6 @@ uint32_t renderer_get_render_buffer_caps(struct wlr_renderer *r) {
 	return r->impl->get_render_buffer_caps(r);
 }
 
-bool wlr_renderer_read_pixels(struct wlr_renderer *r, uint32_t fmt,
-		uint32_t stride, uint32_t width, uint32_t height,
-		uint32_t src_x, uint32_t src_y, uint32_t dst_x, uint32_t dst_y,
-		void *data) {
-	if (!r->impl->read_pixels) {
-		return false;
-	}
-	return r->impl->read_pixels(r, fmt, stride, width, height,
-		src_x, src_y, dst_x, dst_y, data);
-}
-
 bool wlr_renderer_init_wl_shm(struct wlr_renderer *r,
 		struct wl_display *wl_display) {
 	return wlr_shm_create_with_renderer(wl_display, 1, r) != NULL;
diff --git a/types/output/render.c b/types/output/render.c
index 5733e968..ba0ea935 100644
--- a/types/output/render.c
+++ b/types/output/render.c
@@ -198,36 +198,6 @@ bool output_pick_format(struct wlr_output *output,
 	return true;
 }
 
-uint32_t wlr_output_preferred_read_format(struct wlr_output *output) {
-	struct wlr_renderer *renderer = output->renderer;
-	assert(renderer != NULL);
-
-	if (!renderer->impl->preferred_read_format || !renderer->impl->read_pixels) {
-		return DRM_FORMAT_INVALID;
-	}
-
-	if (!wlr_output_configure_primary_swapchain(output, &output->pending, &output->swapchain)) {
-		return false;
-	}
-
-	struct wlr_buffer *buffer = wlr_swapchain_acquire(output->swapchain, NULL);
-	if (buffer == NULL) {
-		return false;
-	}
-
-	if (!wlr_renderer_begin_with_buffer(renderer, buffer)) {
-		wlr_buffer_unlock(buffer);
-		return false;
-	}
-
-	uint32_t fmt = renderer->impl->preferred_read_format(renderer);
-
-	wlr_renderer_end(renderer);
-	wlr_buffer_unlock(buffer);
-
-	return fmt;
-}
-
 struct wlr_render_pass *wlr_output_begin_render_pass(struct wlr_output *output,
 		struct wlr_output_state *state, int *buffer_age,
 		struct wlr_buffer_pass_options *render_options) {