diff --git a/Documentation/technical/api-parse-options.txt b/Documentation/technical/api-parse-options.txt
index 829b558110..2b036d7838 100644
--- a/Documentation/technical/api-parse-options.txt
+++ b/Documentation/technical/api-parse-options.txt
@@ -183,10 +183,6 @@ There are some macros to easily define options:
 	scale the provided value by 1024, 1024^2 or 1024^3 respectively.
 	The scaled value is put into `unsigned_long_var`.
 
-`OPT_DATE(short, long, &timestamp_t_var, description)`::
-	Introduce an option with date argument, see `approxidate()`.
-	The timestamp is put into `timestamp_t_var`.
-
 `OPT_EXPIRY_DATE(short, long, &timestamp_t_var, description)`::
 	Introduce an option with expiry date argument, see `parse_expiry_date()`.
 	The timestamp is put into `timestamp_t_var`.
diff --git a/parse-options-cb.c b/parse-options-cb.c
index e8236534ac..6a61166b26 100644
--- a/parse-options-cb.c
+++ b/parse-options-cb.c
@@ -28,13 +28,6 @@ int parse_opt_abbrev_cb(const struct option *opt, const char *arg, int unset)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int parse_opt_approxidate_cb(const struct option *opt, const char *arg,
-			     int unset)
-{
-	*(timestamp_t *)(opt->value) = approxidate(arg);
-	return 0;
-}
-
 int parse_opt_expiry_date_cb(const struct option *opt, const char *arg,
 			     int unset)
 {
diff --git a/parse-options.h b/parse-options.h
index dd14911a29..c3f2d2eceb 100644
--- a/parse-options.h
+++ b/parse-options.h
@@ -150,9 +150,6 @@ struct option {
 				      (h), 0, &parse_opt_string_list }
 #define OPT_UYN(s, l, v, h)         { OPTION_CALLBACK, (s), (l), (v), NULL, \
 				      (h), PARSE_OPT_NOARG, &parse_opt_tertiary }
-#define OPT_DATE(s, l, v, h) \
-	{ OPTION_CALLBACK, (s), (l), (v), N_("time"),(h), 0,	\
-	  parse_opt_approxidate_cb }
 #define OPT_EXPIRY_DATE(s, l, v, h) \
 	{ OPTION_CALLBACK, (s), (l), (v), N_("expiry-date"),(h), 0,	\
 	  parse_opt_expiry_date_cb }
@@ -232,7 +229,6 @@ extern struct option *parse_options_concat(struct option *a, struct option *b);
 
 /*----- some often used options -----*/
 extern int parse_opt_abbrev_cb(const struct option *, const char *, int);
-extern int parse_opt_approxidate_cb(const struct option *, const char *, int);
 extern int parse_opt_expiry_date_cb(const struct option *, const char *, int);
 extern int parse_opt_color_flag_cb(const struct option *, const char *, int);
 extern int parse_opt_verbosity_cb(const struct option *, const char *, int);
diff --git a/t/helper/test-parse-options.c b/t/helper/test-parse-options.c
index 9cb8a0ea0f..f0623bb42b 100644
--- a/t/helper/test-parse-options.c
+++ b/t/helper/test-parse-options.c
@@ -119,7 +119,6 @@ int cmd__parse_options(int argc, const char **argv)
 		OPT_INTEGER('j', NULL, &integer, "get a integer, too"),
 		OPT_MAGNITUDE('m', "magnitude", &magnitude, "get a magnitude"),
 		OPT_SET_INT(0, "set23", &integer, "set integer to 23", 23),
-		OPT_DATE('t', NULL, &timestamp, "get timestamp of <time>"),
 		OPT_CALLBACK('L', "length", &integer, "str",
 			"get length of <str>", length_callback),
 		OPT_FILENAME('F', "file", &file, "set file to <file>"),
diff --git a/t/t0040-parse-options.sh b/t/t0040-parse-options.sh
index 17d0c18feb..f5b10861c4 100755
--- a/t/t0040-parse-options.sh
+++ b/t/t0040-parse-options.sh
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ usage: test-tool parse-options <options>
     -j <n>                get a integer, too
     -m, --magnitude <n>   get a magnitude
     --set23               set integer to 23
-    -t <time>             get timestamp of <time>
     -L, --length <str>    get length of <str>
     -F, --file <file>     set file to <file>
 
@@ -245,27 +244,6 @@ test_expect_success 'keep some options as arguments' '
 	test-tool parse-options --expect="arg 00: --quux" --quux
 '
 
-cat >expect <<\EOF
-boolean: 0
-integer: 0
-magnitude: 0
-timestamp: 1
-string: (not set)
-abbrev: 7
-verbose: -1
-quiet: 1
-dry run: no
-file: (not set)
-arg 00: foo
-EOF
-
-test_expect_success 'OPT_DATE() works' '
-	test-tool parse-options -t "1970-01-01 00:00:01 +0000" \
-		foo -q >output 2>output.err &&
-	test_must_be_empty output.err &&
-	test_cmp expect output
-'
-
 cat >expect <<\EOF
 Callback: "four", 0
 boolean: 5