diff --git a/cmd/tendermint/commands/run_node.go b/cmd/tendermint/commands/run_node.go
index 163e4a6fad1..fa63b4944e8 100644
--- a/cmd/tendermint/commands/run_node.go
+++ b/cmd/tendermint/commands/run_node.go
@@ -41,7 +41,6 @@ func AddNodeFlags(cmd *cobra.Command) {
 
 	// consensus flags
 	cmd.Flags().Bool("consensus.create_empty_blocks", config.Consensus.CreateEmptyBlocks, "Set this to false to only produce blocks when there are txs or when the AppHash changes")
-	cmd.Flags().Bool("consensus.readonly", config.Consensus.Readonly, "Set this to true to make validator skip producing blocks")
 }
 
 // NewRunNodeCmd returns the command that allows the CLI to start a node.
diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index 6233c3c83b8..6c4654fedcf 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -682,8 +682,6 @@ type ConsensusConfig struct {
 	// Reactor sleep duration parameters
 	PeerGossipSleepDuration     time.Duration `mapstructure:"peer_gossip_sleep_duration"`
 	PeerQueryMaj23SleepDuration time.Duration `mapstructure:"peer_query_maj23_sleep_duration"`
-
-	Readonly bool `mapstructure:"readonly"`
 }
 
 // DefaultConsensusConfig returns a default configuration for the consensus service
@@ -702,7 +700,6 @@ func DefaultConsensusConfig() *ConsensusConfig {
 		CreateEmptyBlocksInterval:   0 * time.Second,
 		PeerGossipSleepDuration:     100 * time.Millisecond,
 		PeerQueryMaj23SleepDuration: 2000 * time.Millisecond,
-		Readonly:										 false,
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/config/toml.go b/config/toml.go
index a62f4ea4a0a..b1541c05ad9 100644
--- a/config/toml.go
+++ b/config/toml.go
@@ -310,9 +310,6 @@ create_empty_blocks_interval = "{{ .Consensus.CreateEmptyBlocksInterval }}"
 peer_gossip_sleep_duration = "{{ .Consensus.PeerGossipSleepDuration }}"
 peer_query_maj23_sleep_duration = "{{ .Consensus.PeerQueryMaj23SleepDuration }}"
 
-# Do not produce blocks, just observe (for validator)
-readonly = {{ .Consensus.Readonly }}
-
 ##### transactions indexer configuration options #####
 [tx_index]
 
diff --git a/consensus/state.go b/consensus/state.go
index 211db614665..2f9de62e583 100644
--- a/consensus/state.go
+++ b/consensus/state.go
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import (
 	"runtime/debug"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
-	"strconv"
 
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 
@@ -138,8 +137,6 @@ type ConsensusState struct {
 
 	// for reporting metrics
 	metrics *Metrics
-
-	readonly bool
 }
 
 // StateOption sets an optional parameter on the ConsensusState.
@@ -172,7 +169,6 @@ func NewConsensusState(
 		evpool:           evpool,
 		evsw:             tmevents.NewEventSwitch(),
 		metrics:          NopMetrics(),
-		readonly:         config.Readonly,
 	}
 	// set function defaults (may be overwritten before calling Start)
 	cs.decideProposal = cs.defaultDecideProposal
@@ -771,24 +767,6 @@ func (cs *ConsensusState) handleTxsAvailable() {
 	cs.enterPropose(cs.Height, 0)
 }
 
-func (cs *ConsensusState) SetReadonly(readonly bool) {
-	cs.Logger.Info("[SetReadonly]: Set to " + strconv.FormatBool(readonly) + " " + strconv.FormatBool(cs.readonly))
-	cs.mtx.Lock()
-	cs.readonly = readonly
-	cs.mtx.Unlock()
-
-	if (!cs.readonly) {
-		if (cs.LastCommit.HasAll()) {
-			// Fix consensus stalling after readOnly switch with no other validators in the network
-			cs.scheduleTimeout(5000, cs.Height, cs.Round, cstypes.RoundStepPrevoteWait)
-		}
-	}
-}
-
-func (cs *ConsensusState) IsReadonly() bool {
-	return cs.readonly;
-}
-
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // State functions
 // Used internally by handleTimeout and handleMsg to make state transitions
@@ -911,12 +889,6 @@ func (cs *ConsensusState) enterPropose(height int64, round int) {
 	if cs.isProposer(address) {
 		logger.Info("enterPropose: Our turn to propose", "proposer", cs.Validators.GetProposer().Address, "privValidator", cs.privValidator)
 
-		// validator is readonly, do nothing
-		if (cs.readonly) {
-			logger.Info("enterPropose: Validator is in readonly mode. Skipping..")
-			return
-		}
-
 		if height % 32 == 0 {
 			rsp, err := cs.proxyApp.CheckBridgeSync(abci.RequestCheckBridge{Height: int32(round)})
 			if err != nil {
@@ -1771,12 +1743,6 @@ func (cs *ConsensusState) signAddVote(type_ types.SignedMsgType, hash []byte, he
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	// validator is readonly, do nothing
-	if (cs.readonly) {
-		cs.Logger.Info("signAddVote: Validator is in readonly mode")
-		return nil
-	}
-
 	vote, err := cs.signVote(type_, hash, header)
 	if err == nil {
 		cs.sendInternalMessage(msgInfo{&VoteMessage{vote}, ""})
diff --git a/rpc/core/pipe.go b/rpc/core/pipe.go
index c19dafcc504..28a492e6fb9 100644
--- a/rpc/core/pipe.go
+++ b/rpc/core/pipe.go
@@ -35,8 +35,6 @@ type Consensus interface {
 	GetLastHeight() int64
 	GetRoundStateJSON() ([]byte, error)
 	GetRoundStateSimpleJSON() ([]byte, error)
-	SetReadonly(readonly bool)
-	IsReadonly() bool
 }
 
 type transport interface {
diff --git a/rpc/core/routes.go b/rpc/core/routes.go
index f4c40006c0f..736ded60787 100644
--- a/rpc/core/routes.go
+++ b/rpc/core/routes.go
@@ -50,6 +50,4 @@ func AddUnsafeRoutes() {
 	Routes["unsafe_start_cpu_profiler"] = rpc.NewRPCFunc(UnsafeStartCPUProfiler, "filename")
 	Routes["unsafe_stop_cpu_profiler"] = rpc.NewRPCFunc(UnsafeStopCPUProfiler, "")
 	Routes["unsafe_write_heap_profile"] = rpc.NewRPCFunc(UnsafeWriteHeapProfile, "filename")
-
-	Routes["set_readonly"] = rpc.NewRPCFunc(SetReadonly, "readonly")
 }
diff --git a/rpc/core/status.go b/rpc/core/status.go
index 2e36325c879..aab86466786 100644
--- a/rpc/core/status.go
+++ b/rpc/core/status.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package core
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"time"
-	"strconv"
 
 	cmn "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/libs/common"
 	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/p2p"
@@ -112,7 +111,6 @@ func Status(ctx *rpctypes.Context) (*ctypes.ResultStatus, error) {
 			Address:     pubKey.Address(),
 			PubKey:      pubKey,
 			VotingPower: votingPower,
-			IsReadonly:	 consensusState.IsReadonly(),
 		},
 	}
 
@@ -144,9 +142,3 @@ func validatorAtHeight(h int64) *types.Validator {
 
 	return nil
 }
-
-func SetReadonly(ctx *rpctypes.Context, readonly bool) (*ctypes.ResultSetReadonly, error) {
-	consensusState.SetReadonly(readonly)
-
-	return &ctypes.ResultSetReadonly{Log: "Set validator as readonly: " + strconv.FormatBool(readonly)}, nil
-}
diff --git a/rpc/core/types/responses.go b/rpc/core/types/responses.go
index 151891df236..74457b38ae0 100644
--- a/rpc/core/types/responses.go
+++ b/rpc/core/types/responses.go
@@ -70,7 +70,6 @@ type ValidatorInfo struct {
 	Address     cmn.HexBytes  `json:"address"`
 	PubKey      crypto.PubKey `json:"pub_key"`
 	VotingPower int64         `json:"voting_power"`
-	IsReadonly  bool					`json:"is_readonly"`
 }
 
 // Node Status
@@ -106,10 +105,6 @@ type ResultDialPeers struct {
 	Log string `json:"log"`
 }
 
-type ResultSetReadonly struct {
-	Log string `json:"log"`
-}
-
 // A peer
 type Peer struct {
 	NodeInfo         p2p.DefaultNodeInfo  `json:"node_info"`