diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index b5dc0ad9..04b84203 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -980,57 +980,6 @@ AC_LINK_IFELSE([AC_LANG_PROGRAM([[
 LIBS="$TEMP_LIBS"
 CPPFLAGS="$TEMP_CPPFLAGS"
 
-dnl Boost >= 1.50 uses sleep_for rather than the now-deprecated sleep, however
-dnl it was broken from 1.50 to 1.52 when backed by nanosleep. Use sleep_for if
-dnl a working version is available, else fall back to sleep. sleep was removed
-dnl after 1.56.
-dnl If neither is available, abort.
-TEMP_LIBS="$LIBS"
-LIBS="$BOOST_LIBS $LIBS"
-TEMP_CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS"
-CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS $BOOST_CPPFLAGS"
-AC_LINK_IFELSE([AC_LANG_PROGRAM([[
-  #include <boost/thread/thread.hpp>
-  #include <boost/version.hpp>
-  ]],[[
-  #if BOOST_VERSION >= 105000 && (!defined(BOOST_HAS_NANOSLEEP) || BOOST_VERSION >= 105200)
-      boost::this_thread::sleep_for(boost::chrono::milliseconds(0));
-  #else
-   choke me
-  #endif
-  ]])],
-  [boost_sleep=yes;
-     AC_DEFINE(HAVE_WORKING_BOOST_SLEEP_FOR, 1, [Define this symbol if boost sleep_for works])],
-  [boost_sleep=no])
-LIBS="$TEMP_LIBS"
-CPPFLAGS="$TEMP_CPPFLAGS"
-
-if test x$boost_sleep != xyes; then
-TEMP_LIBS="$LIBS"
-LIBS="$BOOST_LIBS $LIBS"
-TEMP_CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS"
-CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS $BOOST_CPPFLAGS"
-AC_LINK_IFELSE([AC_LANG_PROGRAM([[
-  #include <boost/version.hpp>
-  #include <boost/thread.hpp>
-  #include <boost/date_time/posix_time/posix_time_types.hpp>
-  ]],[[
-  #if BOOST_VERSION <= 105600
-      boost::this_thread::sleep(boost::posix_time::milliseconds(0));
-  #else
-   choke me
-  #endif
-  ]])],
-  [boost_sleep=yes; AC_DEFINE(HAVE_WORKING_BOOST_SLEEP, 1, [Define this symbol if boost sleep works])],
-  [boost_sleep=no])
-LIBS="$TEMP_LIBS"
-CPPFLAGS="$TEMP_CPPFLAGS"
-fi
-
-if test x$boost_sleep != xyes; then
-  AC_MSG_ERROR(No working boost sleep implementation found.)
-fi
-
 fi
 
 if test x$use_pkgconfig = xyes; then