diff --git a/doc/handbook/words.facts b/doc/handbook/words.facts
index 3dd37ed5b4..4a96a5f01b 100644
--- a/doc/handbook/words.facts
+++ b/doc/handbook/words.facts
@@ -128,5 +128,4 @@ $terpri
 { $subsection set-word-def }
 "A lower-level facility for inspecting the machine code address of a word:"
 { $subsection word-xt }
-{ $subsection set-word-xt }
 { $subsection update-xt } ;
diff --git a/library/words.factor b/library/words.factor
index 3aa5c0a2b9..8cfde47435 100644
--- a/library/words.factor
+++ b/library/words.factor
@@ -52,9 +52,6 @@ M: symbol definer drop \ SYMBOL: ;
 GENERIC: word-xt ( word -- xt )
 M: word word-xt 7 integer-slot ;
 
-GENERIC: set-word-xt ( xt word -- )
-M: word set-word-xt 7 set-integer-slot ;
-
 SYMBOL: vocabularies
 
 : vocab ( name -- vocab ) vocabularies get hash ;
diff --git a/library/words.facts b/library/words.facts
index 2d2f71a5c4..bda92f9101 100644
--- a/library/words.facts
+++ b/library/words.facts
@@ -70,12 +70,6 @@ HELP: word-xt
 { $values { "word" "a word" } { "xt" "an execution token integer" } }
 { $description "Outputs the machine code address of the word's definition." } ;
 
-HELP: set-word-xt
-{ $values { "xt" "an execution token integer" } { "word" "a word" } }
-{ $description "Sets the machine code address of the word's definition." }
-{ $warning "This word is unsafe. Specifying an invalid address can corrupt memory and crash the runtime." }
-{ $notes "This word is used by the compiler." } ;
-
 HELP: uses
 { $values { "word" "a word" } { "seq" "a sequence of words" } }
 { $description "Outputs a sequence of words directory called by the given word." }