diff --git a/basis/locals/errors/errors.factor b/basis/locals/errors/errors.factor
index 468671361f..d8a53b3c4e 100644
--- a/basis/locals/errors/errors.factor
+++ b/basis/locals/errors/errors.factor
@@ -19,11 +19,6 @@ ERROR: local-writer-in-literal-error ;
 M: local-writer-in-literal-error summary
     drop "Local writer words not permitted inside literals" ;
 
-ERROR: local-word-in-literal-error ;
-
-M: local-word-in-literal-error summary
-    drop "Local words not permitted inside literals" ;
-
 ERROR: :>-outside-lambda-error ;
 
 M: :>-outside-lambda-error summary
diff --git a/basis/locals/parser/parser.factor b/basis/locals/parser/parser.factor
index e742b4768a..01be7bcd20 100644
--- a/basis/locals/parser/parser.factor
+++ b/basis/locals/parser/parser.factor
@@ -24,10 +24,6 @@ SYMBOL: in-lambda?
 : parse-local-defs ( -- words assoc )
     [ "|" [ make-local ] map-tokens ] H{ } make-assoc ;
 
-: make-local-word ( name def -- word )
-    [ <local-word> [ dup name>> set ] [ ] [ ] tri ] dip
-    "local-word-def" set-word-prop ;
-
 SINGLETON: lambda-parser
 
 SYMBOL: locals
diff --git a/basis/locals/rewrite/point-free/point-free.factor b/basis/locals/rewrite/point-free/point-free.factor
index 4e91e3d87b..0b010a5591 100644
--- a/basis/locals/rewrite/point-free/point-free.factor
+++ b/basis/locals/rewrite/point-free/point-free.factor
@@ -21,8 +21,6 @@ M: local localize dupd read-local-quot ;
 
 M: quote localize dupd local>> read-local-quot ;
 
-M: local-word localize dupd read-local-quot [ call ] append ;
-
 M: local-reader localize dupd read-local-quot [ local-value ] append ;
 
 M: local-writer localize
diff --git a/basis/locals/rewrite/sugar/sugar.factor b/basis/locals/rewrite/sugar/sugar.factor
index a8a12d2614..9dfc733fff 100644
--- a/basis/locals/rewrite/sugar/sugar.factor
+++ b/basis/locals/rewrite/sugar/sugar.factor
@@ -82,9 +82,6 @@ M: local-reader rewrite-element , ;
 M: local-writer rewrite-element
     local-writer-in-literal-error ;
 
-M: local-word rewrite-element
-    local-word-in-literal-error ;
-
 M: word rewrite-element <wrapper> , ;
 
 : rewrite-wrapper ( wrapper -- )
diff --git a/basis/locals/types/types.factor b/basis/locals/types/types.factor
index 424ef68243..a930765b7c 100644
--- a/basis/locals/types/types.factor
+++ b/basis/locals/types/types.factor
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-! Copyright (C) 2007, 2009 Slava Pestov, Eduardo Cavazos.
+! Copyright (C) 2007, 2010 Slava Pestov, Eduardo Cavazos.
 ! See http://factorcode.org/license.txt for BSD license.
 USING: accessors combinators kernel sequences words
 quotations ;
@@ -35,11 +35,6 @@ PREDICATE: local < word "local?" word-prop ;
 
 M: local literalize ;
 
-PREDICATE: local-word < word "local-word?" word-prop ;
-
-: <local-word> ( name -- word )
-    f <word> dup t "local-word?" set-word-prop ;
-
 PREDICATE: local-reader < word "local-reader?" word-prop ;
 
 : <local-reader> ( name -- word )
@@ -58,5 +53,5 @@ PREDICATE: local-writer < word "local-writer?" word-prop ;
         [ nip ]
     } 2cleave ;
 
-UNION: lexical local local-reader local-writer local-word ;
+UNION: lexical local local-reader local-writer ;
 UNION: special lexical quote def ;
diff --git a/basis/stack-checker/known-words/known-words.factor b/basis/stack-checker/known-words/known-words.factor
index f6c7cf5859..01f3ff77c0 100644
--- a/basis/stack-checker/known-words/known-words.factor
+++ b/basis/stack-checker/known-words/known-words.factor
@@ -45,9 +45,6 @@ IN: stack-checker.known-words
 : infer-local-writer ( word -- )
     (( value -- )) apply-word/effect ;
 
-: infer-local-word ( word -- )
-    "local-word-def" word-prop infer-quot-here ;
-
 : non-inline-word ( word -- )
     dup depends-on-effect
     {
@@ -58,7 +55,6 @@ IN: stack-checker.known-words
         { [ dup local? ] [ infer-local-reader ] }
         { [ dup local-reader? ] [ infer-local-reader ] }
         { [ dup local-writer? ] [ infer-local-writer ] }
-        { [ dup local-word? ] [ infer-local-word ] }
         { [ dup "no-compile" word-prop ] [ do-not-compile ] }
         [ dup required-stack-effect apply-word/effect ]
     } cond ;