diff --git a/basis/ui/backend/backend.factor b/basis/ui/backend/backend.factor
index 5d56003e15..b7ae44a412 100644
--- a/basis/ui/backend/backend.factor
+++ b/basis/ui/backend/backend.factor
@@ -15,18 +15,12 @@ HOOK: (open-window) ui-backend ( world -- )
 
 HOOK: (close-window) ui-backend ( handle -- )
 
-HOOK: (open-offscreen-buffer) ui-backend ( world -- )
-
-HOOK: (close-offscreen-buffer) ui-backend ( handle -- )
-
 HOOK: raise-window* ui-backend ( world -- )
 
 GENERIC: select-gl-context ( handle -- )
 
 GENERIC: flush-gl-context ( handle -- )
 
-HOOK: offscreen-pixels ui-backend ( world -- alien w h )
-
 HOOK: (with-ui) ui-backend ( quot -- )
 
 HOOK: (grab-input) ui-backend ( handle -- )
diff --git a/basis/ui/backend/cocoa/cocoa.factor b/basis/ui/backend/cocoa/cocoa.factor
index fb050e863c..7835c50d51 100644
--- a/basis/ui/backend/cocoa/cocoa.factor
+++ b/basis/ui/backend/cocoa/cocoa.factor
@@ -15,10 +15,8 @@ IN: ui.backend.cocoa
 
 TUPLE: handle ;
 TUPLE: window-handle < handle view window ;
-TUPLE: offscreen-handle < handle context buffer ;
 
 C: <window-handle> window-handle
-C: <offscreen-handle> offscreen-handle
 
 SINGLETON: cocoa-ui-backend
 
@@ -181,31 +179,8 @@ M: cocoa-ui-backend raise-window* ( world -- )
         NSApp 1 -> activateIgnoringOtherApps:
     ] when* ;
 
-: pixel-size ( pixel-format -- size )
-    color-bits (pixel-format-attribute) -3 shift ;
-
-: offscreen-buffer ( world pixel-format -- alien w h pitch )
-    [ dim>> first2 ] [ pixel-size ] bi*
-    { [ * * malloc ] [ 2drop ] [ drop nip ] [ nip * ] } 3cleave ;
-
-:: gadget-offscreen-context ( world -- context buffer )
-    world [
-        nip :> pf
-        NSOpenGLContext -> alloc pf handle>> f -> initWithFormat:shareContext:
-        dup world pf offscreen-buffer
-        4 npick [ -> setOffScreen:width:height:rowbytes: ] dip
-    ] with-world-pixel-format ;
-
-M: cocoa-ui-backend (open-offscreen-buffer) ( world -- )
-    dup gadget-offscreen-context <offscreen-handle> >>handle drop ;
-
-M: cocoa-ui-backend (close-offscreen-buffer) ( handle -- )
-    [ context>> -> release ]
-    [ buffer>> free ] bi ;
-
 GENERIC: (gl-context) ( handle -- context )
 M: window-handle (gl-context) view>> -> openGLContext ;
-M: offscreen-handle (gl-context) context>> ;
 
 M: handle select-gl-context ( handle -- )
     (gl-context) -> makeCurrentContext ;
@@ -213,9 +188,6 @@ M: handle select-gl-context ( handle -- )
 M: handle flush-gl-context ( handle -- )
     (gl-context) -> flushBuffer ;
 
-M: cocoa-ui-backend offscreen-pixels ( world -- alien w h )
-    [ handle>> buffer>> ] [ dim>> first2 neg ] bi ;
-
 M: cocoa-ui-backend beep ( -- )
     NSBeep ;
 
diff --git a/basis/ui/backend/windows/windows.factor b/basis/ui/backend/windows/windows.factor
index 47da2ecaa7..0209f7f5b0 100755
--- a/basis/ui/backend/windows/windows.factor
+++ b/basis/ui/backend/windows/windows.factor
@@ -22,9 +22,7 @@ SINGLETON: windows-ui-backend
 
 TUPLE: win-base hDC hRC ;
 TUPLE: win < win-base hWnd world title ;
-TUPLE: win-offscreen < win-base hBitmap bits ;
 C: <win> win
-C: <win-offscreen> win-offscreen
 
 <PRIVATE
 
@@ -734,20 +732,6 @@ M: win-base select-gl-context ( handle -- )
 M: win-base flush-gl-context ( handle -- )
     hDC>> SwapBuffers win32-error=0/f ;
 
-: setup-offscreen-gl ( world -- )
-    dup [ handle>> ] [ dim>> ] bi make-offscreen-dc-and-bitmap
-    [ >>hDC ] [ >>hBitmap ] [ >>bits ] tri* drop [
-        swap [ handle>> hDC>> set-pixel-format ] [ get-rc ] bi
-    ] with-world-pixel-format ;
-
-M: windows-ui-backend (open-offscreen-buffer) ( world -- )
-    win-offscreen new >>handle
-    setup-offscreen-gl ;
-
-M: windows-ui-backend (close-offscreen-buffer) ( handle -- )
-    [ hDC>> DeleteDC drop ]
-    [ hBitmap>> DeleteObject drop ] bi ;
-
 ! Windows 32-bit bitmaps don't actually use the alpha byte of
 ! each pixel; it's left as zero
 
@@ -759,9 +743,6 @@ M: windows-ui-backend (close-offscreen-buffer) ( handle -- )
 : (opaque-pixels) ( world -- pixels )
     [ handle>> bits>> ] [ dim>> ] bi bitmap>byte-array (make-opaque) ;
 
-M: windows-ui-backend offscreen-pixels ( world -- alien w h )
-    [ (opaque-pixels) ] [ dim>> first2 ] bi ;
-
 M: windows-ui-backend raise-window* ( world -- )
     handle>> [ hWnd>> SetFocus drop ] when* ;
 
diff --git a/basis/ui/backend/x11/x11.factor b/basis/ui/backend/x11/x11.factor
index 104bf3463c..e030d2d418 100644
--- a/basis/ui/backend/x11/x11.factor
+++ b/basis/ui/backend/x11/x11.factor
@@ -50,10 +50,8 @@ SINGLETON: x11-ui-backend
 
 TUPLE: x11-handle-base glx ;
 TUPLE: x11-handle < x11-handle-base window xic ;
-TUPLE: x11-pixmap-handle < x11-handle-base pixmap glx-pixmap ;
 
 C: <x11-handle> x11-handle
-C: <x11-pixmap-handle> x11-pixmap-handle
 
 M: world expose-event nip relayout ;
 
@@ -367,27 +365,6 @@ M: x11-handle select-gl-context ( handle -- )
 M: x11-handle flush-gl-context ( handle -- )
     dpy get swap window>> glXSwapBuffers ;
 
-M: x11-pixmap-handle select-gl-context ( handle -- )
-    dpy get swap
-    [ glx-pixmap>> ] [ glx>> ] bi glXMakeCurrent
-    [ "Failed to set current GLX context" throw ] unless ;
-
-M: x11-pixmap-handle flush-gl-context ( handle -- )
-    drop ;
-
-M: x11-ui-backend (open-offscreen-buffer) ( world -- )
-    dup [ [ dim>> ] [ handle>> ] bi* glx-pixmap ] with-world-pixel-format
-    <x11-pixmap-handle> >>handle drop ;
-
-M: x11-ui-backend (close-offscreen-buffer) ( handle -- )
-    dpy get swap
-    [ glx-pixmap>> glXDestroyGLXPixmap ]
-    [ pixmap>> XFreePixmap drop ]
-    [ glx>> glXDestroyContext ] 2tri ;
-
-M: x11-ui-backend offscreen-pixels ( world -- alien w h )
-    [ [ dim>> ] [ handle>> pixmap>> ] bi pixmap-bits ] [ dim>> first2 ] bi ;
-
 M: x11-ui-backend (with-ui) ( quot -- )
     [
         f [