diff --git a/arangod/Aql/ModificationBlocks.cpp b/arangod/Aql/ModificationBlocks.cpp
index 43579eeb90..6598548c4a 100644
--- a/arangod/Aql/ModificationBlocks.cpp
+++ b/arangod/Aql/ModificationBlocks.cpp
@@ -174,21 +174,6 @@ int ModificationBlock::extractKey(AqlValue const& value,
   return TRI_ERROR_ARANGO_DOCUMENT_KEY_MISSING;
 }
 
-////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-/// @brief check whether a shard key value has changed
-////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-
-bool ModificationBlock::isShardKeyChange(TRI_json_t const* oldJson,
-                                         TRI_json_t const* newJson,
-                                         bool isPatch) const {
-  TRI_ASSERT(_isDBServer);
-
-  auto planId = _collection->documentCollection()->_info.planId();
-  auto vocbase = static_cast<ModificationNode const*>(_exeNode)->_vocbase;
-  return arangodb::shardKeysChanged(vocbase->_name, std::to_string(planId),
-                                    oldJson, newJson, isPatch);
-}
-
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 /// @brief check whether the _key attribute is specified when it must not be
 /// specified
diff --git a/arangod/Aql/ModificationBlocks.h b/arangod/Aql/ModificationBlocks.h
index 8469bee4bd..d14b5f29f7 100644
--- a/arangod/Aql/ModificationBlocks.h
+++ b/arangod/Aql/ModificationBlocks.h
@@ -66,13 +66,6 @@ class ModificationBlock : public ExecutionBlock {
 
   int extractKey(AqlValue const&, std::string&);
 
-  //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-  /// @brief check whether a shard key value has changed
-  //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-
-  bool isShardKeyChange(struct TRI_json_t const*, struct TRI_json_t const*,
-                        bool) const;
-
   //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
   /// @brief check whether a shard key was set when it must not be set
   //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
diff --git a/arangod/Cluster/ClusterMethods.cpp b/arangod/Cluster/ClusterMethods.cpp
index ad66006f21..461eaa579e 100644
--- a/arangod/Cluster/ClusterMethods.cpp
+++ b/arangod/Cluster/ClusterMethods.cpp
@@ -178,58 +178,6 @@ bool shardKeysChanged(std::string const& dbname, std::string const& collname,
   return false;
 }
 
-////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-/// @brief check if a list of attributes have the same values in two JSON
-/// documents
-////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-
-bool shardKeysChanged(std::string const& dbname, std::string const& collname,
-                      TRI_json_t const* oldJson, TRI_json_t const* newJson,
-                      bool isPatch) {
-  if (!TRI_IsObjectJson(oldJson) || !TRI_IsObjectJson(newJson)) {
-    // expecting two objects. everything else is an error
-    return true;
-  }
-
-  TRI_json_t nullJson;
-  TRI_InitNullJson(&nullJson);
-
-  ClusterInfo* ci = ClusterInfo::instance();
-  std::shared_ptr<CollectionInfo> c = ci->getCollection(dbname, collname);
-  std::vector<std::string> const& shardKeys = c->shardKeys();
-
-  for (size_t i = 0; i < shardKeys.size(); ++i) {
-    if (shardKeys[i] == TRI_VOC_ATTRIBUTE_KEY) {
-      continue;
-    }
-
-    TRI_json_t const* n = TRI_LookupObjectJson(newJson, shardKeys[i].c_str());
-
-    if (n == nullptr && isPatch) {
-      // attribute not set in patch document. this means no update
-      continue;
-    }
-
-    TRI_json_t const* o = TRI_LookupObjectJson(oldJson, shardKeys[i].c_str());
-
-    if (o == nullptr) {
-      // if attribute is undefined, use "null" instead
-      o = &nullJson;
-    }
-
-    if (n == nullptr) {
-      // if attribute is undefined, use "null" instead
-      n = &nullJson;
-    }
-
-    if (!TRI_CheckSameValueJson(o, n)) {
-      return true;
-    }
-  }
-
-  return false;
-}
-
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 /// @brief returns users
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
diff --git a/arangod/Cluster/ClusterMethods.h b/arangod/Cluster/ClusterMethods.h
index 8ad73fe3fb..c90455f0ba 100644
--- a/arangod/Cluster/ClusterMethods.h
+++ b/arangod/Cluster/ClusterMethods.h
@@ -59,15 +59,6 @@ void mergeResponseHeaders(arangodb::rest::HttpResponse* response,
 std::map<std::string, std::string> getForwardableRequestHeaders(
     arangodb::rest::HttpRequest* request);
 
-////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-/// @brief check if a list of attributes have the same values in two JSON
-/// documents
-////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-
-bool shardKeysChanged(std::string const& dbname, std::string const& collname,
-                      struct TRI_json_t const* oldJson,
-                      struct TRI_json_t const* newJson, bool isPatch);
-
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 /// @brief check if a list of attributes have the same values in two vpack
 /// documents