diff --git a/libavformat/avformat.h b/libavformat/avformat.h
index 4ed791b995..568521311e 100644
--- a/libavformat/avformat.h
+++ b/libavformat/avformat.h
@@ -820,11 +820,6 @@ typedef struct AVPacketList {
     struct AVPacketList *next;
 } AVPacketList;
 
-#if FF_API_FIRST_FORMAT
-attribute_deprecated extern AVInputFormat *first_iformat;
-attribute_deprecated extern AVOutputFormat *first_oformat;
-#endif
-
 /**
  * If f is NULL, returns the first registered input format,
  * if f is non-NULL, returns the next registered input format after f
diff --git a/libavformat/utils.c b/libavformat/utils.c
index d2f70e17e6..1359bd3d05 100644
--- a/libavformat/utils.c
+++ b/libavformat/utils.c
@@ -115,15 +115,9 @@ static void av_frac_add(AVFrac *f, int64_t incr)
 }
 
 /** head of registered input format linked list */
-#if !FF_API_FIRST_FORMAT
-static
-#endif
-AVInputFormat *first_iformat = NULL;
+static AVInputFormat *first_iformat = NULL;
 /** head of registered output format linked list */
-#if !FF_API_FIRST_FORMAT
-static
-#endif
-AVOutputFormat *first_oformat = NULL;
+static AVOutputFormat *first_oformat = NULL;
 
 AVInputFormat  *av_iformat_next(AVInputFormat  *f)
 {
diff --git a/libavformat/version.h b/libavformat/version.h
index 11b8b0529f..9499fd6e38 100644
--- a/libavformat/version.h
+++ b/libavformat/version.h
@@ -50,9 +50,6 @@
 #ifndef FF_API_READ_SEEK
 #define FF_API_READ_SEEK               (LIBAVFORMAT_VERSION_MAJOR < 54)
 #endif
-#ifndef FF_API_FIRST_FORMAT
-#define FF_API_FIRST_FORMAT            (LIBAVFORMAT_VERSION_MAJOR < 53)
-#endif
 #ifndef FF_API_SYMVER
 #define FF_API_SYMVER                  (LIBAVFORMAT_VERSION_MAJOR < 53)
 #endif