diff --git a/runtime/vm/compiler/frontend/kernel_translation_helper.cc b/runtime/vm/compiler/frontend/kernel_translation_helper.cc
index fcd1734..b999e21 100644
--- a/runtime/vm/compiler/frontend/kernel_translation_helper.cc
+++ b/runtime/vm/compiler/frontend/kernel_translation_helper.cc
@@ -922,14 +922,11 @@
 }
 
 FieldHelper::FieldHelper(KernelReaderHelper* helper, intptr_t offset)
-    : helper_(helper),
-      next_read_(kStart),
-      has_function_literal_initializer_(false) {
+    : helper_(helper), next_read_(kStart) {
   helper_->SetOffset(offset);
 }
 
-void FieldHelper::ReadUntilExcluding(Field field,
-                                     bool detect_function_literal_initializer) {
+void FieldHelper::ReadUntilExcluding(Field field) {
   if (field <= next_read_) return;
 
   // Ordered with fall-through.
@@ -982,20 +979,6 @@
       FALL_THROUGH;
     case kInitializer:
       if (helper_->ReadTag() == kSomething) {
-        if (detect_function_literal_initializer &&
-            helper_->PeekTag() == kFunctionExpression) {
-          AlternativeReadingScope alt(&helper_->reader_);
-          Tag tag = helper_->ReadTag();
-          ASSERT(tag == kFunctionExpression);
-          helper_->ReadPosition();  // read position.
-
-          FunctionNodeHelper helper(helper_);
-          helper.ReadUntilIncluding(FunctionNodeHelper::kEndPosition);
-
-          has_function_literal_initializer_ = true;
-          function_literal_start_ = helper.position_;
-          function_literal_end_ = helper.end_position_;
-        }
         helper_->SkipExpression();  // read initializer.
       }
       if (++next_read_ == field) return;
diff --git a/runtime/vm/compiler/frontend/kernel_translation_helper.h b/runtime/vm/compiler/frontend/kernel_translation_helper.h
index 4ca7a14..ad4898c 100644
--- a/runtime/vm/compiler/frontend/kernel_translation_helper.h
+++ b/runtime/vm/compiler/frontend/kernel_translation_helper.h
@@ -416,9 +416,7 @@
   };
 
   explicit FieldHelper(KernelReaderHelper* helper)
-      : helper_(helper),
-        next_read_(kStart),
-        has_function_literal_initializer_(false) {}
+      : helper_(helper), next_read_(kStart) {}
 
   FieldHelper(KernelReaderHelper* helper, intptr_t offset);
 
@@ -426,8 +424,7 @@
     ReadUntilExcluding(static_cast<Field>(static_cast<int>(field) + 1));
   }
 
-  void ReadUntilExcluding(Field field,
-                          bool detect_function_literal_initializer = false);
+  void ReadUntilExcluding(Field field);
 
   void SetNext(Field field) { next_read_ = field; }
   void SetJustRead(Field field) { next_read_ = field + 1; }
@@ -440,15 +437,6 @@
     return (flags_ & kIsGenericCovariantImpl) != 0;
   }
 
-  bool FieldHasFunctionLiteralInitializer(TokenPosition* start,
-                                          TokenPosition* end) {
-    if (has_function_literal_initializer_) {
-      *start = function_literal_start_;
-      *end = function_literal_end_;
-    }
-    return has_function_literal_initializer_;
-  }
-
   NameIndex canonical_name_;
   TokenPosition position_;
   TokenPosition end_position_;
@@ -460,10 +448,6 @@
   KernelReaderHelper* helper_;
   intptr_t next_read_;
 
-  bool has_function_literal_initializer_;
-  TokenPosition function_literal_start_;
-  TokenPosition function_literal_end_;
-
   DISALLOW_COPY_AND_ASSIGN(FieldHelper);
 };
 
diff --git a/runtime/vm/kernel.cc b/runtime/vm/kernel.cc
index 4f54e5d..ac4a5c7 100644
--- a/runtime/vm/kernel.cc
+++ b/runtime/vm/kernel.cc
@@ -17,25 +17,6 @@
 namespace dart {
 namespace kernel {
 
-bool FieldHasFunctionLiteralInitializer(const Field& field,
-                                        TokenPosition* start,
-                                        TokenPosition* end) {
-  Zone* zone = Thread::Current()->zone();
-  const Script& script = Script::Handle(zone, field.Script());
-
-  TranslationHelper translation_helper(Thread::Current());
-  translation_helper.InitFromScript(script);
-
-  KernelReaderHelper kernel_reader_helper(
-      zone, &translation_helper, Script::Handle(zone, field.Script()),
-      ExternalTypedData::Handle(zone, field.KernelData()),
-      field.KernelDataProgramOffset());
-  kernel_reader_helper.SetOffset(field.kernel_offset());
-  kernel::FieldHelper field_helper(&kernel_reader_helper);
-  field_helper.ReadUntilExcluding(kernel::FieldHelper::kEnd, true);
-  return field_helper.FieldHasFunctionLiteralInitializer(start, end);
-}
-
 KernelLineStartsReader::KernelLineStartsReader(
     const dart::TypedData& line_starts_data,
     dart::Zone* zone)
diff --git a/runtime/vm/kernel.h b/runtime/vm/kernel.h
index 0de9d5d..4e66b89 100644
--- a/runtime/vm/kernel.h
+++ b/runtime/vm/kernel.h
@@ -187,10 +187,6 @@
   DISALLOW_COPY_AND_ASSIGN(KernelLineStartsReader);
 };
 
-bool FieldHasFunctionLiteralInitializer(const Field& field,
-                                        TokenPosition* start,
-                                        TokenPosition* end);
-
 void CollectTokenPositionsFor(const Script& script);
 
 RawObject* EvaluateMetadata(const Field& metadata_field,