diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 56c703b8e..0223121cf 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -364,13 +364,6 @@ Each element can use the following files to define or affect dependencies:
   file and A and C are included when building an image, then B is not used.
 
 
-### First-boot files ###
-
-* first-boot.d: **DEPRECATED** Runs inside the image before
-  rc.local. Scripts from here are good for doing per-instance
-  configuration based on cloud metadata. **This will be removed in a
-  future release of diskimage-builder. The os-refresh-config element in
-  tripleo-image-elements is recommended as a replacement.**
 
 ### Ramdisk Elements ###
 
@@ -435,23 +428,12 @@ possible approach to this would be to label elements as either a "driver",
                10-user             - common Nova user accts
                50-my-pack          - install packages from my PPA
                60-nova             - install nova and some dependencies
-            first-boot.d/
-               60-nova             - do some post-install config for nova
 
 - In the general case, configuration should probably be handled either by the
-  meta-data service (eg, during first-boot.d) or via normal CM tools
+  meta-data service (eg, o-r-c) or via normal CM tools
   (eg, salt). That being said, it may occasionally be desirable to create a
   set of elements which express a distinct configuration of the same software
-  components. For example, if one were to bake a region-specific SSL cert into
-  the images deployed in each region, one might express it like this:
-
-      elements/
-         config-az1/
-            first-boot.d/
-               20-ssl      - add the az1 certificate
-         config-az2/
-            first-boot.d/
-               20-ssl      - add the az2 certificate
+  components.
 
 In this way, depending on the hardware and in which availability zone it is
 to be deployed, an image would be composed of:
@@ -486,8 +468,7 @@ comma-delimited string. Some examples:
 * break=before-block-device-size will break before the block device size hooks
   are called.
 
-* break=after-first-boot,before-pre-install will break after the first-boot
-  hooks and before the pre-install hooks.
+* break=before-pre-install will break before the pre-install hooks.
 
 * break=after-error will break after an error during a in target hookpoint.
 
diff --git a/bin/disk-image-create b/bin/disk-image-create
index 7ea65c4dc..946c24093 100755
--- a/bin/disk-image-create
+++ b/bin/disk-image-create
@@ -160,7 +160,6 @@ do_extra_package_install
 # Call install scripts to pull in the software users want.
 run_d_in_target install
 run_d_in_target post-install
-prepare_first_boot
 # ensure we do not have a lost+found directory in the root folder
 # that could cause copy to fail (it will be created again later
 # when creating the file system, if it needs such directory)
diff --git a/elements/base/dib-first-boot b/elements/base/dib-first-boot
deleted file mode 100755
index 7d9e2f98d..000000000
--- a/elements/base/dib-first-boot
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-set -eu
-set -o pipefail
-set -o xtrace
-
-touch /var/log/first-boot.d.log
-chmod 0600 /var/log/first-boot.d.log
-
-/usr/local/bin/dib-run-parts /etc/first-boot.d >> /var/log/first-boot.d.log 2>&1
-rm -fr /etc/first-boot.d
-# delete itself
-rm $0
diff --git a/elements/base/finalise.d/01-install-dib-first-boot b/elements/base/finalise.d/01-install-dib-first-boot
deleted file mode 100755
index 37bac7371..000000000
--- a/elements/base/finalise.d/01-install-dib-first-boot
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-set -eu
-set -o pipefail
-
-if [ -d /etc/first-boot.d ]; then
-    install -m 0755 -o root -g root $(dirname $0)/../dib-first-boot /usr/sbin/
-fi
diff --git a/elements/redhat-common/finalise.d/99-redhat-setup-first-boot b/elements/redhat-common/finalise.d/99-redhat-setup-first-boot
deleted file mode 100755
index d8db35a5e..000000000
--- a/elements/redhat-common/finalise.d/99-redhat-setup-first-boot
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,34 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-set -eu
-set -o pipefail
-
-if [ -d /etc/first-boot.d ]; then
-    rc_local=/etc/rc.d/rc.local
-
-    FILE_EXISTED=
-    if [ -f $rc_local ]; then
-        FILE_EXISTED=1
-        mv $rc_local $rc_local.REAL
-    fi
-
-    dd of=$rc_local <<EOF
-#!/bin/bash
-set -e
-set -o xtrace
-
-dib-first-boot
-EOF
-
-if [ $FILE_EXISTED ]; then
-    echo "mv $rc_local.REAL $rc_local" >> $rc_local
-else
-    echo "rm \$0" >> $rc_local
-fi
-
-echo "exit 0" >> $rc_local
-
-chmod 755 $rc_local
-
-# Enable the service
-systemctl enable rc-local.service
-fi
diff --git a/elements/ubuntu/finalise.d/99-ubuntu-setup-first-boot b/elements/ubuntu/finalise.d/99-ubuntu-setup-first-boot
deleted file mode 100755
index 40a7f8c43..000000000
--- a/elements/ubuntu/finalise.d/99-ubuntu-setup-first-boot
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,22 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-set -eu
-set -o pipefail
-
-if [ -d /etc/first-boot.d ]; then
-    rc_local=/etc/rc.local
-
-    mv $rc_local $rc_local.REAL
-
-    dd of=$rc_local <<EOF
-#!/bin/bash
-set -e
-set -o xtrace
-
-dib-first-boot
-
-mv $rc_local.REAL $rc_local
-exit 0
-EOF
-
-chmod 755 $rc_local
-fi
diff --git a/lib/common-functions b/lib/common-functions
index 6bd1f9750..4d0805b14 100644
--- a/lib/common-functions
+++ b/lib/common-functions
@@ -60,43 +60,11 @@ function save_image () {
     finish_image $1
 }
 
-function element_pre_check() {
-    local element_dir=$1
-    [ -d $element_dir ] || return 1
-    if [ -d $element_dir/first-boot.d ] ; then
-      first_boot_deprecated_message $element_dir
-    fi
-}
-
-_DISPLAYED_FIRST_BOOT_DEPRECATED=0
-function first_boot_deprecated_message() {
-    local element_dir=$1
-    echo "WARNING: first-boot.d found in $element_dir"
-    if [ $_DISPLAYED_FIRST_BOOT_DEPRECATED -eq 1 ] ; then
-        return
-    fi
-    echo "***********************************************************"
-    echo "*                                                         *"
-    echo "*                                                         *"
-    echo "*                                                         *"
-    echo "*                                                         *"
-    echo "* WARNING: first-boot.d is DEPRECATED, it will be removed *"
-    echo "* from diskimage-builder in a future release.             *"
-    echo "*                                                         *"
-    echo "*                                                         *"
-    echo "*                                                         *"
-    echo "*                                                         *"
-    echo "***********************************************************"
-    echo Pausing 10 seconds....
-    sleep 10
-    _DISPLAYED_FIRST_BOOT_DEPRECATED=1
-}
-
 function generate_hooks () {
   mkdir -p $TMP_HOOKS_PATH
   for _ELEMENT in $IMAGE_ELEMENT ; do
     for dir in ${ELEMENTS_PATH//:/ } ; do
-      element_pre_check $dir/$_ELEMENT || continue
+      [ -d $dir/$_ELEMENT ] || continue
       cp -t $TMP_HOOKS_PATH -a $dir/$_ELEMENT/* ;
       break
     done
diff --git a/lib/img-functions b/lib/img-functions
index c65742f38..d31986cb7 100644
--- a/lib/img-functions
+++ b/lib/img-functions
@@ -81,14 +81,6 @@ function run_d_in_target () {
     fi
 }
 
-function prepare_first_boot () {
-    check_break before-first-boot run_in_target bash
-    if [ -d ${TMP_HOOKS_PATH}/first-boot.d ] ; then
-      sudo cp -t $TMP_MOUNT_PATH/etc/ -a $TMP_HOOKS_PATH/first-boot.d
-    fi
-    check_break after-first-boot run_in_target bash
-}
-
 function finalise_base () {
     TARGET_ROOT=$TMP_MOUNT_PATH run_d cleanup
     # If the file has been set immutable, we probably want to keep it