diff --git a/playbooks/roles/base/server/tasks/Debian.yaml b/playbooks/roles/base/server/tasks/Debian.yaml
index 1c8053f4a2..c93fd00a20 100644
--- a/playbooks/roles/base/server/tasks/Debian.yaml
+++ b/playbooks/roles/base/server/tasks/Debian.yaml
@@ -56,22 +56,6 @@
     src: debian_limits.conf
     dest: /etc/security/limits.d/60-nofile-limit.conf
 
-# NOTE(ianw): 2020-10-08: custom file no longer required; remove this
-# reinstall after this has applied.
-- name: Custom rsyslog config to disable /dev/xconsole noise
-  file:
-    path: /etc/rsyslog.d/50-default.conf
-    state: absent
-- name: Purge rsyslog config
-  apt:
-    name: rsyslog
-    state: absent
-    purge: yes
-- name: Reinstall rsyslog to get default config back
-  apt:
-    name: rsyslog
-    state: present
-
 - name: Install apt-daily 10periodic file for unattended-upgrades
   copy:
      mode: 0444