diff --git a/cogl/cogl-config.h.meson b/cogl/cogl-config.h.meson
index e9e4a0ec6..f2d46b259 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-config.h.meson
+++ b/cogl/cogl-config.h.meson
@@ -10,7 +10,4 @@
 /* Enable unit tests */
 #mesondefine ENABLE_UNIT_TESTS
 
-/* Default COGL driver */
-#mesondefine COGL_DEFAULT_DRIVER
-
 #define COGL_CONFIG_H_INCLUDED 1
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-renderer.c b/cogl/cogl/cogl-renderer.c
index b99662da4..83c421e8e 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-renderer.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-renderer.c
@@ -274,9 +274,6 @@ foreach_driver_description (CoglDriver driver_override,
                             CoglDriverCallback callback,
                             void *user_data)
 {
-#ifdef COGL_DEFAULT_DRIVER
-  const CoglDriverDescription *default_driver = NULL;
-#endif
   int i;
 
   if (driver_override != COGL_DRIVER_ANY)
@@ -294,31 +291,8 @@ foreach_driver_description (CoglDriver driver_override,
       return;
     }
 
-#ifdef COGL_DEFAULT_DRIVER
   for (i = 0; i < G_N_ELEMENTS (_cogl_drivers); i++)
     {
-      const CoglDriverDescription *desc = &_cogl_drivers[i];
-      if (g_ascii_strcasecmp (desc->name, COGL_DEFAULT_DRIVER) == 0)
-        {
-          default_driver = desc;
-          break;
-        }
-    }
-
-  if (default_driver)
-    {
-      if (!callback (default_driver, user_data))
-        return;
-    }
-#endif
-
-  for (i = 0; i < G_N_ELEMENTS (_cogl_drivers); i++)
-    {
-#ifdef COGL_DEFAULT_DRIVER
-      if (&_cogl_drivers[i] == default_driver)
-        continue;
-#endif
-
       if (!callback (&_cogl_drivers[i], user_data))
         return;
     }
diff --git a/cogl/meson.build b/cogl/meson.build
index 3d4c2d3c3..2dfe5bcc6 100644
--- a/cogl/meson.build
+++ b/cogl/meson.build
@@ -10,10 +10,6 @@ cdata.set('HAVE_COGL_GLES2', have_gles2)
 cdata.set('HAVE_TRACING', have_profiler)
 cdata.set('ENABLE_UNIT_TESTS', have_cogl_tests)
 
-if default_driver != 'auto'
-  cdata.set_quoted('COGL_DEFAULT_DRIVER', default_driver)
-endif
-
 cogl_config_h = configure_file(
   input: 'cogl-config.h.meson',
   output: 'cogl-config.h',
diff --git a/debian/rules b/debian/rules
index ccd49f31a..ef840277f 100755
--- a/debian/rules
+++ b/debian/rules
@@ -26,16 +26,7 @@ CONFFLAGS += \
 	-Dcore_tests=false \
 	-Dlibwacom=false \
 	-Dwayland=false \
-	-Dnative_backend=false \
-	-Ddefault_driver=gl
-endif
-
-ifeq ($(DEB_HOST_ARCH),$(findstring $(DEB_HOST_ARCH),armel armhf))
-CONFFLAGS += \
-	-Ddefault_driver=gles2
-else
-CONFFLAGS += \
-	-Ddefault_driver=gl
+	-Dnative_backend=false
 endif
 
 override_dh_auto_configure:
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 79a0e8144..c0dc4a8d8 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -217,8 +217,6 @@ if have_wayland_eglstream
   endif
 endif
 
-default_driver = get_option('default_driver')
-
 have_sm = get_option('sm')
 if have_sm
   sm_dep = dependency('sm')
@@ -491,7 +489,6 @@ output = [
   '        Wayland EGLStream................ ' + have_wayland_eglstream.to_string(),
   '        Native Backend................... ' + have_native_backend.to_string(),
   '        EGL Device....................... ' + have_egl_device.to_string(),
-  '        Default driver................... ' + default_driver,
   '        Remote desktop................... ' + have_remote_desktop.to_string(),
   '        gudev............................ ' + have_libgudev.to_string(),
   '        Wacom............................ ' + have_libwacom.to_string(),
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 59cde8dc4..d57ea9350 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -141,12 +141,6 @@ option('verbose',
   description: 'Enable verbose logging ability'
 )
 
-option('default_driver',
-  type: 'combo',
-  choices: ['auto', 'gl', 'gl3', 'gles2', 'nop'],
-  value: 'auto'
-)
-
 option('xwayland_path',
   type: 'string',
   value: '',