diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/build_options.rb b/Library/Homebrew/build_options.rb
index 478fd8a848..cbfa790d2b 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/build_options.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/build_options.rb
@@ -120,33 +120,4 @@ class BuildOptions
   def unused_options
     Options.new(@options - @args)
   end
-
-  # Some options are implicitly ON because they are not explictly turned off
-  # by their counterpart option. This applies only to with-/without- options.
-  # implicit_options are needed because `depends_on 'spam' => 'with-stuff'`
-  # complains if 'spam' has stuff as default and only defines `--without-stuff`.
-  def implicit_options
-    implicit = unused_options.map do |option|
-      opposite_of option unless has_opposite_of? option
-    end.compact
-    Options.new(implicit)
-  end
-
-  def has_opposite_of? option
-    @options.include? opposite_of(option)
-  end
-
-  def opposite_of option
-    option = Option.new(option) unless Option === option
-
-    if option.name =~ /^with-(.+)$/
-      Option.new("without-#{$1}")
-    elsif option.name =~ /^without-(.+)$/
-      Option.new("with-#{$1}")
-    elsif option.name =~ /^enable-(.+)$/
-      Option.new("disable-#{$1}")
-    elsif option.name =~ /^disable-(.+)$/
-      Option.new("enable-#{$1}")
-    end
-  end
 end
diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/dependency.rb b/Library/Homebrew/dependency.rb
index f10ebd27f4..d3e8b607af 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/dependency.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/dependency.rb
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@ class Dependency
   def missing_options(inherited_options=[])
     missing = options | inherited_options
     missing -= Tab.for_formula(to_formula).used_options
-    missing -= to_formula.build.implicit_options
     missing
   end
 
diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/test/test_build_options.rb b/Library/Homebrew/test/test_build_options.rb
index d8327deac4..95388a0ea8 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/test/test_build_options.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/test/test_build_options.rb
@@ -43,35 +43,6 @@ class BuildOptionsTests < Homebrew::TestCase
     assert_includes @build.unused_options, "--without-baz"
   end
 
-  def test_implicit_options
-    # --without-baz is not explicitly specified on the command line (i.e. args)
-    # therefore --with-baz should be implicitly assumed:
-    assert_includes @build.implicit_options, "--with-baz"
-    # But all these should not be in the implict_options:
-    refute_includes @build.implicit_options, "--without-baz"
-    refute_includes @build.implicit_options, "--with-bar"
-    refute_includes @build.implicit_options, "--without-bar"
-    refute_includes @build.implicit_options, "--with-qux"
-  end
-
-  def test_opposite_of
-    assert_equal Option.new("without-foo"), @build.opposite_of(Option.new("with-foo"))
-    assert_equal Option.new("with-foo"), @build.opposite_of("without-foo")
-    assert_equal Option.new("disable-spam"), @build.opposite_of(Option.new("enable-spam"))
-    assert_equal Option.new("enable-beer"), @build.opposite_of("disable-beer")
-  end
-
-  def test_has_opposite_of?
-    assert @build.has_opposite_of?("--without-foo")
-    assert @build.has_opposite_of?(Option.new("--with-qux"))
-    assert !@build.has_opposite_of?("--without-qux")
-    assert !@build.has_opposite_of?("--without-nonexisting")
-  end
-
-  def test_actually_recognizes_implicit_options
-    assert @build.has_opposite_of?("--with-baz")
-  end
-
   def test_copies_do_not_share_underlying_options
     orig = BuildOptions.new []
     copy = orig.dup