diff --git a/src/configure b/src/configure
index db9bf1177f..711e1a810c 100755
--- a/src/configure
+++ b/src/configure
@@ -1339,7 +1339,7 @@ Optional Features:
   --enable-backtrace      3m: support GC backtrace dumps
   --enable-float          include support for single-precision floats
   --enable-floatinstead   compile to use single-precision by default
-  --enable-pthread        link with pthreads (sometimes needed for GL)
+  --enable-pthread        link with pthreads
   --enable-stackup        assume "up" if stack direction cannot be determined
   --enable-bigendian      assume "big" if endianness cannot be determined
   --enable-oskit          compile OSKit-based Racket kernel
@@ -5354,7 +5354,6 @@ case $OS in
       DYN_CFLAGS=""
       enable_xrender=no
       enable_cairo=no
-      enable_gl=no
       enable_pthread=no
       if test "${enable_libfw}" = "yes" ; then
         FRAMEWORK_INSTALL_DIR=/Library/Frameworks
@@ -9007,306 +9006,6 @@ if test "${enable_jit}" = "no" ; then
    PREFLAGS="${PREFLAGS} -DMZ_DONT_USE_JIT"
 fi
 
-################ X OpenGL ##################
-
-if test "${enable_gl}" = "" ; then
-  enable_gl=yes
-fi
-
-if test "${enable_gl}" = "yes" ; then
-  # Check for header
-  if test "${ac_cv_header_GL_glx_h+set}" = set; then
-  { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking for GL/glx.h" >&5
-echo $ECHO_N "checking for GL/glx.h... $ECHO_C" >&6; }
-if test "${ac_cv_header_GL_glx_h+set}" = set; then
-  echo $ECHO_N "(cached) $ECHO_C" >&6
-fi
-{ echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: $ac_cv_header_GL_glx_h" >&5
-echo "${ECHO_T}$ac_cv_header_GL_glx_h" >&6; }
-else
-  # Is the header compilable?
-{ echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking GL/glx.h usability" >&5
-echo $ECHO_N "checking GL/glx.h usability... $ECHO_C" >&6; }
-cat >conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
-/* confdefs.h.  */
-_ACEOF
-cat confdefs.h >>conftest.$ac_ext
-cat >>conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
-/* end confdefs.h.  */
-$ac_includes_default
-#include <GL/glx.h>
-_ACEOF
-rm -f conftest.$ac_objext
-if { (ac_try="$ac_compile"
-case "(($ac_try" in
-  *\"* | *\`* | *\\*) ac_try_echo=\$ac_try;;
-  *) ac_try_echo=$ac_try;;
-esac
-eval "echo \"\$as_me:$LINENO: $ac_try_echo\"") >&5
-  (eval "$ac_compile") 2>conftest.er1
-  ac_status=$?
-  grep -v '^ *+' conftest.er1 >conftest.err
-  rm -f conftest.er1
-  cat conftest.err >&5
-  echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
-  (exit $ac_status); } && {
-	 test -z "$ac_c_werror_flag" ||
-	 test ! -s conftest.err
-       } && test -s conftest.$ac_objext; then
-  ac_header_compiler=yes
-else
-  echo "$as_me: failed program was:" >&5
-sed 's/^/| /' conftest.$ac_ext >&5
-
-	ac_header_compiler=no
-fi
-
-rm -f core conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext conftest.$ac_ext
-{ echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: $ac_header_compiler" >&5
-echo "${ECHO_T}$ac_header_compiler" >&6; }
-
-# Is the header present?
-{ echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking GL/glx.h presence" >&5
-echo $ECHO_N "checking GL/glx.h presence... $ECHO_C" >&6; }
-cat >conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
-/* confdefs.h.  */
-_ACEOF
-cat confdefs.h >>conftest.$ac_ext
-cat >>conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
-/* end confdefs.h.  */
-#include <GL/glx.h>
-_ACEOF
-if { (ac_try="$ac_cpp conftest.$ac_ext"
-case "(($ac_try" in
-  *\"* | *\`* | *\\*) ac_try_echo=\$ac_try;;
-  *) ac_try_echo=$ac_try;;
-esac
-eval "echo \"\$as_me:$LINENO: $ac_try_echo\"") >&5
-  (eval "$ac_cpp conftest.$ac_ext") 2>conftest.er1
-  ac_status=$?
-  grep -v '^ *+' conftest.er1 >conftest.err
-  rm -f conftest.er1
-  cat conftest.err >&5
-  echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
-  (exit $ac_status); } >/dev/null && {
-	 test -z "$ac_c_preproc_warn_flag$ac_c_werror_flag" ||
-	 test ! -s conftest.err
-       }; then
-  ac_header_preproc=yes
-else
-  echo "$as_me: failed program was:" >&5
-sed 's/^/| /' conftest.$ac_ext >&5
-
-  ac_header_preproc=no
-fi
-
-rm -f conftest.err conftest.$ac_ext
-{ echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: $ac_header_preproc" >&5
-echo "${ECHO_T}$ac_header_preproc" >&6; }
-
-# So?  What about this header?
-case $ac_header_compiler:$ac_header_preproc:$ac_c_preproc_warn_flag in
-  yes:no: )
-    { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: WARNING: GL/glx.h: accepted by the compiler, rejected by the preprocessor!" >&5
-echo "$as_me: WARNING: GL/glx.h: accepted by the compiler, rejected by the preprocessor!" >&2;}
-    { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: WARNING: GL/glx.h: proceeding with the compiler's result" >&5
-echo "$as_me: WARNING: GL/glx.h: proceeding with the compiler's result" >&2;}
-    ac_header_preproc=yes
-    ;;
-  no:yes:* )
-    { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: WARNING: GL/glx.h: present but cannot be compiled" >&5
-echo "$as_me: WARNING: GL/glx.h: present but cannot be compiled" >&2;}
-    { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: WARNING: GL/glx.h:     check for missing prerequisite headers?" >&5
-echo "$as_me: WARNING: GL/glx.h:     check for missing prerequisite headers?" >&2;}
-    { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: WARNING: GL/glx.h: see the Autoconf documentation" >&5
-echo "$as_me: WARNING: GL/glx.h: see the Autoconf documentation" >&2;}
-    { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: WARNING: GL/glx.h:     section \"Present But Cannot Be Compiled\"" >&5
-echo "$as_me: WARNING: GL/glx.h:     section \"Present But Cannot Be Compiled\"" >&2;}
-    { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: WARNING: GL/glx.h: proceeding with the preprocessor's result" >&5
-echo "$as_me: WARNING: GL/glx.h: proceeding with the preprocessor's result" >&2;}
-    { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: WARNING: GL/glx.h: in the future, the compiler will take precedence" >&5
-echo "$as_me: WARNING: GL/glx.h: in the future, the compiler will take precedence" >&2;}
-
-    ;;
-esac
-{ echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking for GL/glx.h" >&5
-echo $ECHO_N "checking for GL/glx.h... $ECHO_C" >&6; }
-if test "${ac_cv_header_GL_glx_h+set}" = set; then
-  echo $ECHO_N "(cached) $ECHO_C" >&6
-else
-  ac_cv_header_GL_glx_h=$ac_header_preproc
-fi
-{ echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: $ac_cv_header_GL_glx_h" >&5
-echo "${ECHO_T}$ac_cv_header_GL_glx_h" >&6; }
-
-fi
-if test $ac_cv_header_GL_glx_h = yes; then
-  GLX_HEADER=yes
-else
-  GLX_HEADER=no
-fi
-
-
-  if test "${GLX_HEADER}" = "no" ; then
-    echo "could not find GL/glx.h header; disabling GL support"
-    enable_gl=no
-  fi
-fi
-
-if test "${enable_gl}" = "yes" ; then
-  { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking for glXChooseVisual in -lGL" >&5
-echo $ECHO_N "checking for glXChooseVisual in -lGL... $ECHO_C" >&6; }
-if test "${ac_cv_lib_GL_glXChooseVisual+set}" = set; then
-  echo $ECHO_N "(cached) $ECHO_C" >&6
-else
-  ac_check_lib_save_LIBS=$LIBS
-LIBS="-lGL $X_LIBS -lX11 -lXext $LIBS"
-cat >conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
-/* confdefs.h.  */
-_ACEOF
-cat confdefs.h >>conftest.$ac_ext
-cat >>conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
-/* end confdefs.h.  */
-
-/* Override any GCC internal prototype to avoid an error.
-   Use char because int might match the return type of a GCC
-   builtin and then its argument prototype would still apply.  */
-#ifdef __cplusplus
-extern "C"
-#endif
-char glXChooseVisual ();
-int
-main ()
-{
-return glXChooseVisual ();
-  ;
-  return 0;
-}
-_ACEOF
-rm -f conftest.$ac_objext conftest$ac_exeext
-if { (ac_try="$ac_link"
-case "(($ac_try" in
-  *\"* | *\`* | *\\*) ac_try_echo=\$ac_try;;
-  *) ac_try_echo=$ac_try;;
-esac
-eval "echo \"\$as_me:$LINENO: $ac_try_echo\"") >&5
-  (eval "$ac_link") 2>conftest.er1
-  ac_status=$?
-  grep -v '^ *+' conftest.er1 >conftest.err
-  rm -f conftest.er1
-  cat conftest.err >&5
-  echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
-  (exit $ac_status); } && {
-	 test -z "$ac_c_werror_flag" ||
-	 test ! -s conftest.err
-       } && test -s conftest$ac_exeext &&
-       $as_test_x conftest$ac_exeext; then
-  ac_cv_lib_GL_glXChooseVisual=yes
-else
-  echo "$as_me: failed program was:" >&5
-sed 's/^/| /' conftest.$ac_ext >&5
-
-	ac_cv_lib_GL_glXChooseVisual=no
-fi
-
-rm -f core conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext conftest_ipa8_conftest.oo \
-      conftest$ac_exeext conftest.$ac_ext
-LIBS=$ac_check_lib_save_LIBS
-fi
-{ echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: $ac_cv_lib_GL_glXChooseVisual" >&5
-echo "${ECHO_T}$ac_cv_lib_GL_glXChooseVisual" >&6; }
-if test $ac_cv_lib_GL_glXChooseVisual = yes; then
-  GLX_LINK=yes
-else
-  GLX_LINK=no
-fi
-
-  if test "${GL_LINK}" = "no" ; then
-    { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking for glXChooseVisual in -lGL" >&5
-echo $ECHO_N "checking for glXChooseVisual in -lGL... $ECHO_C" >&6; }
-if test "${ac_cv_lib_GL_glXChooseVisual+set}" = set; then
-  echo $ECHO_N "(cached) $ECHO_C" >&6
-else
-  ac_check_lib_save_LIBS=$LIBS
-LIBS="-lGL $X_LIBS -lX11 -lXext -pthread $LIBS"
-cat >conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
-/* confdefs.h.  */
-_ACEOF
-cat confdefs.h >>conftest.$ac_ext
-cat >>conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
-/* end confdefs.h.  */
-
-/* Override any GCC internal prototype to avoid an error.
-   Use char because int might match the return type of a GCC
-   builtin and then its argument prototype would still apply.  */
-#ifdef __cplusplus
-extern "C"
-#endif
-char glXChooseVisual ();
-int
-main ()
-{
-return glXChooseVisual ();
-  ;
-  return 0;
-}
-_ACEOF
-rm -f conftest.$ac_objext conftest$ac_exeext
-if { (ac_try="$ac_link"
-case "(($ac_try" in
-  *\"* | *\`* | *\\*) ac_try_echo=\$ac_try;;
-  *) ac_try_echo=$ac_try;;
-esac
-eval "echo \"\$as_me:$LINENO: $ac_try_echo\"") >&5
-  (eval "$ac_link") 2>conftest.er1
-  ac_status=$?
-  grep -v '^ *+' conftest.er1 >conftest.err
-  rm -f conftest.er1
-  cat conftest.err >&5
-  echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
-  (exit $ac_status); } && {
-	 test -z "$ac_c_werror_flag" ||
-	 test ! -s conftest.err
-       } && test -s conftest$ac_exeext &&
-       $as_test_x conftest$ac_exeext; then
-  ac_cv_lib_GL_glXChooseVisual=yes
-else
-  echo "$as_me: failed program was:" >&5
-sed 's/^/| /' conftest.$ac_ext >&5
-
-	ac_cv_lib_GL_glXChooseVisual=no
-fi
-
-rm -f core conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext conftest_ipa8_conftest.oo \
-      conftest$ac_exeext conftest.$ac_ext
-LIBS=$ac_check_lib_save_LIBS
-fi
-{ echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: $ac_cv_lib_GL_glXChooseVisual" >&5
-echo "${ECHO_T}$ac_cv_lib_GL_glXChooseVisual" >&6; }
-if test $ac_cv_lib_GL_glXChooseVisual = yes; then
-  GLX_LINK=pthread
-else
-  GLX_LINK=no
-fi
-
-  fi
-  if test "${GLX_LINK}" = "no" ; then
-    echo "could not link to the GLX library; disabling GL support"
-    enable_gl=no
-  fi
-  if test "${GLX_LINK}" = "pthread" ; then
-    if test "${enable_pthread}" = "no" ; then
-      echo "could not link to GLX without pthreads; use --enable-pthread to enable GL"
-      enable_gl=no
-    fi
-  fi
-fi
-
-if test "${enable_gl}" = "yes" ; then
-  X_EXTRA_LIBS="$X_EXTRA_LIBS -lGL"
-  MROPTIONS="$MROPTIONS -DUSE_GL"
-fi
-
 ############## docs ################
 
 if test "${enable_docs}" = "no" ; then
diff --git a/src/racket/configure.ac b/src/racket/configure.ac
index 20c31f8e46..16068325cd 100644
--- a/src/racket/configure.ac
+++ b/src/racket/configure.ac
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE(backtrace, [  --enable-backtrace      3m: support GC backtrace dum
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(float,   [  --enable-float          include support for single-precision floats])
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(floatinstead, [  --enable-floatinstead   compile to use single-precision by default])
 
-AC_ARG_ENABLE(pthread, [  --enable-pthread        link with pthreads (sometimes needed for GL)])
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(pthread, [  --enable-pthread        link with pthreads])
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(stackup, [  --enable-stackup        assume "up" if stack direction cannot be determined])
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(bigendian, [  --enable-bigendian      assume "big" if endianness cannot be determined])
 
@@ -686,7 +686,6 @@ case $OS in
       DYN_CFLAGS=""
       enable_xrender=no
       enable_cairo=no
-      enable_gl=no
       enable_pthread=no
       if test "${enable_libfw}" = "yes" ; then
         FRAMEWORK_INSTALL_DIR=/Library/Frameworks
@@ -1032,43 +1031,6 @@ if test "${enable_jit}" = "no" ; then
    PREFLAGS="${PREFLAGS} -DMZ_DONT_USE_JIT"
 fi
 
-################ X OpenGL ##################
-
-if test "${enable_gl}" = "" ; then
-  enable_gl=yes
-fi
-
-if test "${enable_gl}" = "yes" ; then  
-  # Check for header
-  AC_CHECK_HEADER(GL/glx.h, GLX_HEADER=yes, GLX_HEADER=no)
-  if test "${GLX_HEADER}" = "no" ; then  
-    echo "could not find GL/glx.h header; disabling GL support"
-    enable_gl=no
-  fi
-fi
-
-if test "${enable_gl}" = "yes" ; then 
-  AC_CHECK_LIB(GL, glXChooseVisual, GLX_LINK=yes, GLX_LINK=no, $X_LIBS -lX11 -lXext)
-  if test "${GL_LINK}" = "no" ; then
-    AC_CHECK_LIB(GL, glXChooseVisual, GLX_LINK=pthread, GLX_LINK=no, $X_LIBS -lX11 -lXext -pthread)
-  fi
-  if test "${GLX_LINK}" = "no" ; then
-    echo "could not link to the GLX library; disabling GL support"
-    enable_gl=no
-  fi
-  if test "${GLX_LINK}" = "pthread" ; then
-    if test "${enable_pthread}" = "no" ; then
-      echo "could not link to GLX without pthreads; use --enable-pthread to enable GL"
-      enable_gl=no
-    fi
-  fi 
-fi
-
-if test "${enable_gl}" = "yes" ; then
-  X_EXTRA_LIBS="$X_EXTRA_LIBS -lGL"
-  MROPTIONS="$MROPTIONS -DUSE_GL"
-fi
-
 ############## docs ################
 
 if test "${enable_docs}" = "no" ; then