diff --git a/ext/rugged/rugged.c b/ext/rugged/rugged.c
index b94eb31e5..faaf734aa 100644
--- a/ext/rugged/rugged.c
+++ b/ext/rugged/rugged.c
@@ -485,7 +485,6 @@ void Init_rugged(void)
 
 	Init_rugged_refdb();
 	Init_rugged_refdb_backend();
-	Init_rugged_refdb_backend_custom();
 	Init_rugged_refdb_backend_fs();
 
 	Init_rugged_odb();
diff --git a/ext/rugged/rugged.h b/ext/rugged/rugged.h
index ec3a9b4ba..bad8e71b9 100644
--- a/ext/rugged/rugged.h
+++ b/ext/rugged/rugged.h
@@ -82,7 +82,6 @@ void Init_rugged_cred(void);
 void Init_rugged_backend(void);
 void Init_rugged_refdb(void);
 void Init_rugged_refdb_backend(void);
-void Init_rugged_refdb_backend_custom(void);
 void Init_rugged_refdb_backend_fs(void);
 void Init_rugged_odb(void);
 void Init_rugged_odb_backend(void);
diff --git a/ext/rugged/rugged_refdb_backend_custom.c b/ext/rugged/rugged_refdb_backend_custom.c
deleted file mode 100644
index f2c45ddc5..000000000
--- a/ext/rugged/rugged_refdb_backend_custom.c
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,107 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * The MIT License
- *
- * Copyright (c) 2015 GitHub, Inc
- *
- * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
- * of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
- * in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
- * to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
- * copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
- * furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
- *
- * The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
- * all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
- *
- * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
- * IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
- * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
- * AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
- * LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
- * OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN
- * THE SOFTWARE.
- */
-
-#include "rugged.h"
-
-extern VALUE rb_cRuggedRefdbBackend;
-VALUE rb_cRuggedRefdbBackendCustom;
-
-typedef struct {
-	git_refdb_backend parent;
-	VALUE self;
-} rugged_refdb_backend_custom;
-
-static int rugged_refdb_backend_custom__exists(
-	int *exists,
-	git_refdb_backend *_backend,
-	const char *ref_name)
-{
-	rugged_refdb_backend_custom *backend = (rugged_refdb_backend_custom *)_backend;
-
-	// TODO: Proper exception handling
-	*exists = RTEST(rb_funcall(backend->self, rb_intern("exists"), 1, rb_str_new2(ref_name)));
-
-	return GIT_OK;
-}
-
-static int rugged_refdb_backend_custom__lookup(
-	git_reference **out,
-	git_refdb_backend *_backend,
-	const char *ref_name)
-{
-	rugged_refdb_backend_custom *backend = (rugged_refdb_backend_custom *)_backend;
-	git_oid oid;
-	VALUE rb_result;
-
-	// TODO: Proper exception handling
-	rb_result = rb_funcall(backend->self, rb_intern("lookup"), 1, rb_str_new2(ref_name));
-	if (TYPE(rb_result) == T_STRING) {
-		// TODO: Handle symbolic refs as well
-		// TODO: Proper exception handling
-		rugged_exception_check(git_oid_fromstr(&oid, StringValueCStr(rb_result)));
-		*out = git_reference__alloc(ref_name, &oid, NULL);
-		return GIT_OK;
-	} else {
-		// TODO: Better error handling
-		*out = NULL;
-		return GIT_ENOTFOUND;
-	}
-}
-
-static int rugged_refdb_backend_custom__compress(git_refdb_backend *_backend)
-{
-	rugged_refdb_backend_custom *backend = (rugged_refdb_backend_custom *)_backend;
-
-	// TODO: Proper exception handling
-	rb_funcall(backend->self, rb_intern("compress"), 0);
-
-	return GIT_OK;
-}
-
-static void rb_git_refdb_backend__free(git_refdb_backend *backend)
-{
-	if (backend) backend->free(backend);
-}
-
-static VALUE rb_git_refdb_backend_custom_new(VALUE self, VALUE rb_repo)
-{
-	rugged_refdb_backend_custom *backend;
-
-	backend = xcalloc(1, sizeof(rugged_refdb_backend_custom));
-
-	backend->parent.exists = &rugged_refdb_backend_custom__exists;
-	backend->parent.compress = &rugged_refdb_backend_custom__compress;
-	backend->parent.lookup = &rugged_refdb_backend_custom__lookup;
-	backend->parent.free = (void (*)(git_refdb_backend *)) &xfree;
-
-	backend->self = Data_Wrap_Struct(self, NULL, rb_git_refdb_backend__free, backend);
-	return backend->self;
-}
-
-void Init_rugged_refdb_backend_custom(void)
-{
-	rb_cRuggedRefdbBackendCustom = rb_define_class_under(rb_cRuggedRefdbBackend, "Custom", rb_cRuggedRefdbBackend);
-
-	rb_define_singleton_method(rb_cRuggedRefdbBackendCustom, "new", rb_git_refdb_backend_custom_new, 1);
-}
diff --git a/test/refdb_test.rb b/test/refdb_test.rb
index adf2fb6ed..a7d3e4758 100644
--- a/test/refdb_test.rb
+++ b/test/refdb_test.rb
@@ -24,42 +24,4 @@ def test_set_backend_reuse_error
       refdb.backend = backend
     end
   end
-
-  def test_custom_backend
-    refdb = Rugged::Refdb.new(@repo)
-
-    compress_calls = 0
-    backend = Rugged::Refdb::Backend::Custom.new(@repo)
-    backend.send(:define_singleton_method, :compress) do
-      compress_calls += 1
-    end
-
-    refdb.backend = backend
-    refdb.compress
-
-    assert_equal 1, compress_calls
-  end
-end
-
-class RefdbBackendCustomTest < Rugged::TestCase
-  def setup
-    @repo = FixtureRepo.from_rugged("testrepo.git")
-    @refdb = Rugged::Refdb.new(@repo)
-    @backend = Rugged::Refdb::Backend::Custom.new(@repo)
-    @refdb.backend = @backend
-    @repo.refdb = @refdb
-  end
-
-  def test_lookup
-    @backend.send(:define_singleton_method, :lookup) do |ref_name|
-      "1385f264afb75a56a5bec74243be9b367ba4ca08" if ref_name == "refs/heads/master"
-    end
-
-    ref = @repo.references["refs/heads/master"]
-    assert ref
-    assert_equal "refs/heads/master", ref.name
-    assert_equal "1385f264afb75a56a5bec74243be9b367ba4ca08", ref.target_id
-
-    assert_nil @repo.references["refs/heads/development"]
-  end
 end