diff --git a/src/caas.js b/src/caas.js
index d0b9e81ef..38cc98b8b 100644
--- a/src/caas.js
+++ b/src/caas.js
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ exports = module.exports = {
     setupDone: setupDone,
 
     changePlan: changePlan,
-    upgrade: upgrade,
     sendHeartbeat: sendHeartbeat,
     getBoxAndUserDetails: getBoxAndUserDetails,
     setPtrRecord: setPtrRecord,
@@ -56,7 +55,7 @@ CaasError.EXTERNAL_ERROR = 'External Error';
 var NOOP_CALLBACK = function (error) { if (error) debug(error); };
 
 function retire(reason, info, callback) {
-    assert(reason === 'migrate' || reason === 'upgrade');
+    assert(reason === 'migrate');
     info = info || { };
     callback = callback || NOOP_CALLBACK;
 
@@ -172,42 +171,6 @@ function changePlan(options, callback) {
     });
 }
 
-// this function expects a lock
-function upgrade(boxUpdateInfo, callback) {
-    assert(boxUpdateInfo !== null && typeof boxUpdateInfo === 'object');
-
-    function upgradeError(e) {
-        tasks.setProgress(tasks.TASK_MIGRATE, { percent: -1, result: e.message }, NOOP_CALLBACK);
-        callback(e);
-    }
-
-    tasks.setProgress(tasks.TASK_MIGRATE, { percent: 5, result: 'Backing up for upgrade' }, NOOP_CALLBACK);
-
-    backups.backupBoxAndApps({ userId: null, username: 'upgrader' }, function (error) {
-        if (error) return upgradeError(error);
-
-        getCaasConfig(function (error, result) {
-            if (error) return upgradeError(error);
-
-            superagent.post(config.apiServerOrigin() + '/api/v1/boxes/' + result.boxId + '/upgrade')
-                .query({ token: result.token })
-                .send({ version: boxUpdateInfo.version })
-                .timeout(30 * 1000)
-                .end(function (error, result) {
-                    if (error && !error.response) return upgradeError(new Error('Network error making upgrade request: ' + error));
-                    if (result.statusCode !== 202) return upgradeError(new Error(util.format('Server not ready to upgrade. statusCode: %s body: %j', result.status, result.body)));
-
-                    tasks.setProgress(tasks.TASK_MIGRATE, { percent: 10, result: 'Updating base system' }, NOOP_CALLBACK);
-
-                    // no need to unlock since this is the last thing we ever do on this box
-                    callback();
-
-                    retire('upgrade');
-                });
-        });
-    });
-}
-
 function sendHeartbeat() {
     assert(config.provider() === 'caas', 'Heartbeat is only sent for managed cloudrons');
 
diff --git a/src/cloudron.js b/src/cloudron.js
index 42e81a9f4..e3d212e73 100644
--- a/src/cloudron.js
+++ b/src/cloudron.js
@@ -82,7 +82,6 @@ CloudronError.EXTERNAL_ERROR = 'External Error';
 CloudronError.BAD_STATE = 'Bad state';
 CloudronError.ALREADY_UPTODATE = 'No Update Available';
 CloudronError.NOT_FOUND = 'Not found';
-CloudronError.SELF_UPGRADE_NOT_SUPPORTED = 'Self upgrade not supported';
 
 function initialize(callback) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
diff --git a/src/routes/cloudron.js b/src/routes/cloudron.js
index 0b5af5f3e..5342efc64 100644
--- a/src/routes/cloudron.js
+++ b/src/routes/cloudron.js
@@ -58,7 +58,6 @@ function update(req, res, next) {
     updater.updateToLatest(auditSource(req), function (error) {
         if (error && error.reason === UpdaterError.ALREADY_UPTODATE) return next(new HttpError(422, error.message));
         if (error && error.reason === UpdaterError.BAD_STATE) return next(new HttpError(409, error.message));
-        if (error && error.reason === UpdaterError.SELF_UPGRADE_NOT_SUPPORTED) return next(new HttpError(412, error.message));
         if (error) return next(new HttpError(500, error));
 
         next(new HttpSuccess(202, {}));
diff --git a/src/routes/sysadmin.js b/src/routes/sysadmin.js
index ec58304b0..89de0700e 100644
--- a/src/routes/sysadmin.js
+++ b/src/routes/sysadmin.js
@@ -42,7 +42,6 @@ function update(req, res, next) {
     updater.updateToLatest(auditSource, function (error) {
         if (error && error.reason === UpdaterError.ALREADY_UPTODATE) return next(new HttpError(422, error.message));
         if (error && error.reason === UpdaterError.BAD_STATE) return next(new HttpError(409, error.message));
-        if (error && error.reason === UpdaterError.SELF_UPGRADE_NOT_SUPPORTED) return next(new HttpError(412, error.message));
         if (error) return next(new HttpError(500, error));
 
         next(new HttpSuccess(202, {}));
diff --git a/src/updater.js b/src/updater.js
index 9310cdb61..99ca78338 100644
--- a/src/updater.js
+++ b/src/updater.js
@@ -54,7 +54,6 @@ UpdaterError.EXTERNAL_ERROR = 'External Error';
 UpdaterError.BAD_STATE = 'Bad state';
 UpdaterError.ALREADY_UPTODATE = 'No Update Available';
 UpdaterError.NOT_FOUND = 'Not found';
-UpdaterError.SELF_UPGRADE_NOT_SUPPORTED = 'Self upgrade not supported';
 UpdaterError.NOT_SIGNED = 'Not signed';
 
 function downloadUrl(url, file, callback) {
@@ -198,24 +197,13 @@ function update(boxUpdateInfo, auditSource, callback) {
     // ensure tools can 'wait' on progress
     tasks.setProgress(tasks.TASK_UPDATE, { percent: 0, message: 'Starting' }, NOOP_CALLBACK);
 
-    // initiate the update/upgrade but do not wait for it
-    if (boxUpdateInfo.upgrade) {
-        debug('Starting upgrade');
-        caas.upgrade(boxUpdateInfo, function (error) {
-            if (error) {
-                debug('Upgrade failed with error:', error);
-                locker.unlock(locker.OP_BOX_UPDATE);
-            }
-        });
-    } else {
-        debug('Starting update');
-        doUpdate(boxUpdateInfo, function (error) {
-            if (error) {
-                debug('Update failed with error:', error);
-                locker.unlock(locker.OP_BOX_UPDATE);
-            }
-        });
-    }
+    debug('Starting update');
+    doUpdate(boxUpdateInfo, function (error) {
+        if (error) {
+            debug('Update failed with error:', error);
+            locker.unlock(locker.OP_BOX_UPDATE);
+        }
+    });
 
     callback(null);
 }
@@ -228,7 +216,5 @@ function updateToLatest(auditSource, callback) {
     if (!boxUpdateInfo) return callback(new UpdaterError(UpdaterError.ALREADY_UPTODATE, 'No update available'));
     if (!boxUpdateInfo.sourceTarballUrl) return callback(new UpdaterError(UpdaterError.BAD_STATE, 'No automatic update available'));
 
-    if (boxUpdateInfo.upgrade && config.provider() !== 'caas') return callback(new UpdaterError(UpdaterError.SELF_UPGRADE_NOT_SUPPORTED));
-
     update(boxUpdateInfo, auditSource, callback);
 }