diff --git a/Configurations.md b/Configurations.md
index 0064f561720..a13fe062d89 100644
--- a/Configurations.md
+++ b/Configurations.md
@@ -2442,10 +2442,6 @@ Break comments to fit on the line
 
 Internal option
 
-## `make_backup`
-
-Internal option, use `--backup`
-
 ## `print_misformatted_file_names`
 
 Internal option, use `-l` or `--files-with-diff`
diff --git a/src/bin/main.rs b/src/bin/main.rs
index ccbfb4052e2..4ecc81b2856 100644
--- a/src/bin/main.rs
+++ b/src/bin/main.rs
@@ -114,7 +114,6 @@ fn make_opts() -> Options {
         "[files|stdout]"
     };
     opts.optopt("", "emit", "What data to emit and how", emit_opts);
-    opts.optflag("", "backup", "Backup any modified files.");
     opts.optopt(
         "",
         "config-path",
@@ -505,7 +504,6 @@ struct GetOptsOptions {
     config_path: Option<PathBuf>,
     inline_config: HashMap<String, String>,
     emit_mode: Option<EmitMode>,
-    backup: bool,
     check: bool,
     edition: Option<Edition>,
     color: Option<Color>,
@@ -607,10 +605,6 @@ impl GetOptsOptions {
             options.edition = Some(edition_from_edition_str(edition_str)?);
         }
 
-        if matches.opt_present("backup") {
-            options.backup = true;
-        }
-
         if matches.opt_present("files-with-diff") {
             options.print_misformatted_file_names = true;
         }
@@ -674,9 +668,6 @@ impl CliOptions for GetOptsOptions {
         } else if let Some(emit_mode) = self.emit_mode {
             config.set().emit_mode(emit_mode);
         }
-        if self.backup {
-            config.set().make_backup(true);
-        }
         if let Some(color) = self.color {
             config.set().color(color);
         }
diff --git a/src/config/mod.rs b/src/config/mod.rs
index 94f390ceef4..698a3224591 100644
--- a/src/config/mod.rs
+++ b/src/config/mod.rs
@@ -151,7 +151,6 @@ create_config! {
         "'small' heuristic values";
     emit_mode: EmitMode, EmitMode::Files, false,
         "What emit Mode to use when none is supplied";
-    make_backup: bool, false, false, "Backup changed files";
     print_misformatted_file_names: bool, false, true,
         "Prints the names of mismatched files that were formatted. Prints the names of \
          files that would be formated when used with `--check` mode. ";
@@ -552,7 +551,6 @@ report_todo = "Never"
 report_fixme = "Never"
 ignore = []
 emit_mode = "Files"
-make_backup = false
 "#,
             env!("CARGO_PKG_VERSION")
         );
diff --git a/src/emitter.rs b/src/emitter.rs
index dc2c99a301e..25774a35855 100644
--- a/src/emitter.rs
+++ b/src/emitter.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 pub(crate) use self::checkstyle::*;
 pub(crate) use self::diff::*;
 pub(crate) use self::files::*;
-pub(crate) use self::files_with_backup::*;
 pub(crate) use self::json::*;
 pub(crate) use self::modified_lines::*;
 pub(crate) use self::stdout::*;
@@ -12,7 +11,6 @@ use std::path::Path;
 mod checkstyle;
 mod diff;
 mod files;
-mod files_with_backup;
 mod json;
 mod modified_lines;
 mod stdout;
diff --git a/src/emitter/files_with_backup.rs b/src/emitter/files_with_backup.rs
deleted file mode 100644
index 4c15f6fa5ec..00000000000
--- a/src/emitter/files_with_backup.rs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,31 +0,0 @@
-use super::*;
-use std::fs;
-
-#[derive(Debug, Default)]
-pub(crate) struct FilesWithBackupEmitter;
-
-impl Emitter for FilesWithBackupEmitter {
-    fn emit_formatted_file(
-        &mut self,
-        _output: &mut dyn Write,
-        FormattedFile {
-            filename,
-            original_text,
-            formatted_text,
-        }: FormattedFile<'_>,
-    ) -> Result<EmitterResult, io::Error> {
-        let filename = ensure_real_path(filename);
-        if original_text != formatted_text {
-            // Do a little dance to make writing safer - write to a temp file
-            // rename the original to a .bk, then rename the temp file to the
-            // original.
-            let tmp_name = filename.with_extension("tmp");
-            let bk_name = filename.with_extension("bk");
-
-            fs::write(&tmp_name, formatted_text)?;
-            fs::rename(filename, bk_name)?;
-            fs::rename(tmp_name, filename)?;
-        }
-        Ok(EmitterResult::default())
-    }
-}
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index dbd9469908e..eab23dffff0 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -478,9 +478,6 @@ impl<'b, T: Write + 'b> Session<'b, T> {
 
 pub(crate) fn create_emitter<'a>(config: &Config) -> Box<dyn Emitter + 'a> {
     match config.emit_mode() {
-        EmitMode::Files if config.make_backup() => {
-            Box::new(emitter::FilesWithBackupEmitter::default())
-        }
         EmitMode::Files => Box::new(emitter::FilesEmitter::new(
             config.print_misformatted_file_names(),
         )),