diff --git a/rviz_common/include/rviz_common/message_filter_display.hpp b/rviz_common/include/rviz_common/message_filter_display.hpp
index 64d619705..bbb79efad 100644
--- a/rviz_common/include/rviz_common/message_filter_display.hpp
+++ b/rviz_common/include/rviz_common/message_filter_display.hpp
@@ -174,23 +174,18 @@ class MessageFilterDisplay : public _RosTopicDisplay
     reset();
   }
 
+  /// Incoming message callback.
+  /**
+   * Checks if the message pointer
+   * is valid, increments messages_received_, then calls
+   * processMessage().
+   */
   void incomingMessage(const typename MessageType::ConstSharedPtr msg)
   {
     if (!msg) {
       return;
     }
 
-    // Do not process message right away, tf2_ros::MessageFilter may be
-    // calling back from tf2_ros::TransformListener dedicated thread.
-    // Use type erased signal/slot machinery to ensure messages are
-    // processed in the main thread.
-    Q_EMIT typeErasedMessageTaken(std::static_pointer_cast<const void>(msg));
-  }
-
-  void processTypeErasedMessage(std::shared_ptr<const void> type_erased_msg)
-  {
-    auto msg = std::static_pointer_cast<const MessageType>(type_erased_msg);
-
     ++messages_received_;
     setStatus(
       properties::StatusProperty::Ok,
diff --git a/rviz_common/include/rviz_common/ros_topic_display.hpp b/rviz_common/include/rviz_common/ros_topic_display.hpp
index fdbce90b6..01fe05e44 100644
--- a/rviz_common/include/rviz_common/ros_topic_display.hpp
+++ b/rviz_common/include/rviz_common/ros_topic_display.hpp
@@ -51,12 +51,6 @@
 #include "rviz_common/ros_integration/ros_node_abstraction_iface.hpp"
 #include "rviz_common/visibility_control.hpp"
 
-// Required, in combination with
-// `qRegisterMetaType<std::shared_ptr<const void>>` so that this
-// type can be queued by Qt slots.
-// See: http://doc.qt.io/qt-5/qmetatype.html#qRegisterMetaType-1
-Q_DECLARE_METATYPE(std::shared_ptr<const void>)
-
 namespace rviz_common
 {
 
@@ -72,8 +66,6 @@ class RVIZ_COMMON_PUBLIC _RosTopicDisplay : public Display
   : rviz_ros_node_(),
     qos_profile(5)
   {
-    qRegisterMetaType<std::shared_ptr<const void>>();
-
     topic_property_ = new properties::RosTopicProperty(
       "Topic", "",
       "", "", this, SLOT(updateTopic()));
@@ -100,27 +92,9 @@ class RVIZ_COMMON_PUBLIC _RosTopicDisplay : public Display
         this->qos_profile = profile;
         updateTopic();
       });
-
-    // Useful to _ROSTopicDisplay subclasses to ensure GUI updates
-    // are performed by the main thread only.
-    connect(
-      this,
-      SIGNAL(typeErasedMessageTaken(std::shared_ptr<const void>)),
-      this,
-      SLOT(processTypeErasedMessage(std::shared_ptr<const void>)),
-      // Force queued connections regardless of QObject thread affinity
-      Qt::QueuedConnection);
   }
 
-Q_SIGNALS:
-  void typeErasedMessageTaken(std::shared_ptr<const void> type_erased_message);
-
 protected Q_SLOTS:
-  void processTypeErasedMessage(std::shared_ptr<const void> type_erased_message)
-  {
-    (void)type_erased_message;
-  }
-
   virtual void transformerChangedCallback()
   {
   }