diff --git a/repos/base-nova/src/lib/base/sleep.cc b/repos/base-nova/src/lib/base/sleep.cc
deleted file mode 100644
index 3c183522d92..00000000000
--- a/repos/base-nova/src/lib/base/sleep.cc
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,37 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * \brief  Lay back and relax
- * \author Norman Feske
- * \author Christian Helmuth
- * \date   2006-07-19
- */
-
-/*
- * Copyright (C) 2006-2017 Genode Labs GmbH
- *
- * This file is part of the Genode OS framework, which is distributed
- * under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License version 3.
- */
-
-/* Genode includes */
-#include <base/sleep.h>
-
-/* base-internal includes */
-#include <base/internal/native_thread.h>
-
-/* NOVA includes */
-#include <nova/syscalls.h>
-#include <nova/util.h>
-
-void Genode::sleep_forever()
-{
-	using namespace Nova;
-
-	Thread *myself = Thread::myself();
-	addr_t sem = myself ? (addr_t)SM_SEL_EC + myself->native_thread().exc_pt_sel
-	                    : (addr_t)SM_SEL_EC;
-
-	while (1) {
-		if (Nova::sm_ctrl(sem, SEMAPHORE_DOWNZERO))
-			nova_die();
-	}
-}