diff --git a/m4/ax_pkg_check_vars.m4 b/m4/ax_pkg_check_vars.m4
deleted file mode 100644
index b8922dd01..000000000
--- a/m4/ax_pkg_check_vars.m4
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,22 +0,0 @@
-# ax_pkg_check_var.m4 - Macros to locate and utilise variables from pkg-config.            -*- Autoconf -*-
-
-m4_ifndef([AS_VAR_COPY],
-[m4_define([AS_VAR_COPY],
-[AS_LITERAL_IF([$1[]$2], [$1=$$2], [eval $1=\$$2])])])
-
-# PKG_CHECK_VAR(VARIABLE, MODULE, CONFIG-VARIABLE,
-# [ACTION-IF-FOUND], [ACTION-IF-NOT-FOUND])
-# -------------------------------------------
-# Retrieves the value of the pkg-config variable for the given module.
-
-m4_ifndef([PKG_CHECK_VAR],[
-AC_DEFUN([PKG_CHECK_VAR],
-[AC_REQUIRE([PKG_PROG_PKG_CONFIG])dnl
-AC_ARG_VAR([$1], [value of $3 for $2, overriding pkg-config])dnl
-
-_PKG_CONFIG([$1], [variable="][$3]["], [$2])
-AS_VAR_COPY([$1], [pkg_cv_][$1])
-
-AS_VAR_IF([$1], [""], [$5], [$4])dnl
-])# PKG_CHECK_VAR
-])