diff --git a/openstreetmap-cgimap.1 b/openstreetmap-cgimap.1
index 0862cc03..547dcb3b 100644
--- a/openstreetmap-cgimap.1
+++ b/openstreetmap-cgimap.1
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ openstreetmap-cgimap \- FCGI version of the OpenStreetMap API
 [\fB\-\-username \fIUSER\fR]
 [\fB\-\-password \fIPASS\fR]
 [\fB\-\-charset \fICHARSET\fR]
-[\fB\-\-readonly\fR]
 [\fB\-\-cachesize \fISIZE\fR]
 [\fB\-\-dbport \fIPORT\fR]
 ] [
@@ -98,9 +97,6 @@ Database password.
 Database character set.
 Default is utf8.
 .TP
-.BR \-\-readonly
-Use the database in read-only mode.
-.TP
 .BR \-\-cachesize =\fISIZE\fR
 Maximum size of changeset cache.
 Default is 1000.
diff --git a/src/backend/apidb/apidb.cpp b/src/backend/apidb/apidb.cpp
index 3b0bfbbb..39bf639c 100644
--- a/src/backend/apidb/apidb.cpp
+++ b/src/backend/apidb/apidb.cpp
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ struct apidb_backend : public backend {
       ("password", po::value<string>(), "database password")
       ("charset", po::value<string>()->default_value("utf8"),
        "database character set")
-      ("readonly", "(obsolete parameter, read only backend is always assumed)")
       ("disable-api-write", "disable API write operations")
       ("dbport", po::value<string>(),
        "database port number or UNIX socket file name")