diff --git a/com.oracle.truffle.r.engine/src/com/oracle/truffle/r/engine/REngine.java b/com.oracle.truffle.r.engine/src/com/oracle/truffle/r/engine/REngine.java
index 54b2239194ebf673b79e4dbddc98f7900f386878..b31d8ee77a972ccf09b8218ea9bb477fe894d0c8 100644
--- a/com.oracle.truffle.r.engine/src/com/oracle/truffle/r/engine/REngine.java
+++ b/com.oracle.truffle.r.engine/src/com/oracle/truffle/r/engine/REngine.java
@@ -573,23 +573,6 @@ final class REngine implements Engine {
         return value instanceof RPromise ? PromiseHelperNode.evaluateSlowPath(null, (RPromise) value) : value;
     }
 
-    // Only relevant when running without base package loaded
-    private static final Source INTERNAL_PRINT = Source.fromText(".print.internal <- function(x) { .Internal(print.default(x, NULL, TRUE, NULL, NULL, FALSE, NULL, TRUE))}", "<internal_print>");
-    @CompilationFinal private static RFunction printInternal;
-
-    private RFunction getPrintInternal() {
-        if (printInternal == null) {
-            try {
-                RExpression funDef = parse(INTERNAL_PRINT);
-                printInternal = (RFunction) eval(funDef, REnvironment.baseEnv().getFrame());
-            } catch (Engine.ParseException ex) {
-                Utils.fail("failed to parse print.internal");
-            }
-        }
-        return printInternal;
-
-    }
-
     public Class<? extends TruffleLanguage<RContext>> getTruffleLanguage() {
         return TruffleRLanguage.class;
     }