diff --git a/ffmpeg.c b/ffmpeg.c
index 80d2cca2b7..1ffb21102b 100644
--- a/ffmpeg.c
+++ b/ffmpeg.c
@@ -106,9 +106,7 @@ typedef struct AVChapterMap {
 static const OptionDef options[];
 
 #define MAX_FILES 100
-#if !FF_API_MAX_STREAMS
 #define MAX_STREAMS 1024    /* arbitrary sanity check value */
-#endif
 
 #define FFM_PACKET_SIZE 4096 //XXX a duplicate of the line in ffm.h
 
diff --git a/ffserver.c b/ffserver.c
index 36cd9cedbc..079be03994 100644
--- a/ffserver.c
+++ b/ffserver.c
@@ -95,9 +95,7 @@ static const char *http_state[] = {
     "RTSP_SEND_PACKET",
 };
 
-#if !FF_API_MAX_STREAMS
 #define MAX_STREAMS 20
-#endif
 
 #define IOBUFFER_INIT_SIZE 8192
 
@@ -2944,11 +2942,9 @@ static int prepare_sdp_description(FFStream *stream, uint8_t **pbuffer,
         snprintf(avc->filename, 1024, "rtp://0.0.0.0");
     }
 
-#if !FF_API_MAX_STREAMS
     if (avc->nb_streams >= INT_MAX/sizeof(*avc->streams) ||
         !(avc->streams = av_malloc(avc->nb_streams * sizeof(*avc->streams))))
         goto sdp_done;
-#endif
     if (avc->nb_streams >= INT_MAX/sizeof(*avs) ||
         !(avs = av_malloc(avc->nb_streams * sizeof(*avs))))
         goto sdp_done;
@@ -2961,9 +2957,7 @@ static int prepare_sdp_description(FFStream *stream, uint8_t **pbuffer,
     av_sdp_create(&avc, 1, *pbuffer, 2048);
 
  sdp_done:
-#if !FF_API_MAX_STREAMS
     av_free(avc->streams);
-#endif
     av_metadata_free(&avc->metadata);
     av_free(avc);
     av_free(avs);
diff --git a/libavformat/avformat.h b/libavformat/avformat.h
index 55808f13b8..6f7b6a5116 100644
--- a/libavformat/avformat.h
+++ b/libavformat/avformat.h
@@ -672,10 +672,6 @@ typedef struct AVChapter {
     AVMetadata *metadata;
 } AVChapter;
 
-#if FF_API_MAX_STREAMS
-#define MAX_STREAMS 20
-#endif
-
 /**
  * Format I/O context.
  * New fields can be added to the end with minor version bumps.
@@ -691,11 +687,7 @@ typedef struct AVFormatContext {
     void *priv_data;
     AVIOContext *pb;
     unsigned int nb_streams;
-#if FF_API_MAX_STREAMS
-    AVStream *streams[MAX_STREAMS];
-#else
     AVStream **streams;
-#endif
     char filename[1024]; /**< input or output filename */
     /* stream info */
     int64_t timestamp;
diff --git a/libavformat/mms.c b/libavformat/mms.c
index 5796663253..192e7039af 100644
--- a/libavformat/mms.c
+++ b/libavformat/mms.c
@@ -24,11 +24,7 @@
 #include "asf.h"
 #include "libavutil/intreadwrite.h"
 
-#if FF_API_MAX_STREAMS
-#define MMS_MAX_STREAMS MAX_STREAMS
-#else
 #define MMS_MAX_STREAMS 256    /**< arbitrary sanity check value */
-#endif
 
 int ff_mms_read_header(MMSContext *mms, uint8_t *buf, const int size)
 {
diff --git a/libavformat/mpegts.c b/libavformat/mpegts.c
index 62e9dcbbd9..d7f2c0c957 100644
--- a/libavformat/mpegts.c
+++ b/libavformat/mpegts.c
@@ -675,11 +675,6 @@ static int mpegts_push_data(MpegTSFilter *filter,
                         code == 0x1be) /* padding_stream */
                         goto skip;
 
-#if FF_API_MAX_STREAMS
-                    if (!pes->st && pes->stream->nb_streams == MAX_STREAMS)
-                        goto skip;
-#endif
-
                     /* stream not present in PMT */
                     if (!pes->st) {
                         pes->st = av_new_stream(ts->stream, pes->pid);
diff --git a/libavformat/nutdec.c b/libavformat/nutdec.c
index d3804f2993..0a1ed554e3 100644
--- a/libavformat/nutdec.c
+++ b/libavformat/nutdec.c
@@ -30,11 +30,7 @@
 #undef NDEBUG
 #include <assert.h>
 
-#if FF_API_MAX_STREAMS
-#define NUT_MAX_STREAMS MAX_STREAMS
-#else
 #define NUT_MAX_STREAMS 256    /* arbitrary sanity check value */
-#endif
 
 static int get_str(AVIOContext *bc, char *string, unsigned int maxlen){
     unsigned int len= ffio_read_varlen(bc);
diff --git a/libavformat/utils.c b/libavformat/utils.c
index 6b38e66bc5..a1336179f1 100644
--- a/libavformat/utils.c
+++ b/libavformat/utils.c
@@ -2660,13 +2660,6 @@ AVStream *av_new_stream(AVFormatContext *s, int id)
 {
     AVStream *st;
     int i;
-
-#if FF_API_MAX_STREAMS
-    if (s->nb_streams >= MAX_STREAMS){
-        av_log(s, AV_LOG_ERROR, "Too many streams\n");
-        return NULL;
-    }
-#else
     AVStream **streams;
 
     if (s->nb_streams >= INT_MAX/sizeof(*streams))
@@ -2675,7 +2668,6 @@ AVStream *av_new_stream(AVFormatContext *s, int id)
     if (!streams)
         return NULL;
     s->streams = streams;
-#endif
 
     st = av_mallocz(sizeof(AVStream));
     if (!st)
diff --git a/libavformat/version.h b/libavformat/version.h
index b21938aaef..bf1ae5bff8 100644
--- a/libavformat/version.h
+++ b/libavformat/version.h
@@ -41,9 +41,6 @@
  * Those FF_API_* defines are not part of public API.
  * They may change, break or disappear at any time.
  */
-#ifndef FF_API_MAX_STREAMS
-#define FF_API_MAX_STREAMS             (LIBAVFORMAT_VERSION_MAJOR < 53)
-#endif
 #ifndef FF_API_OLD_METADATA
 #define FF_API_OLD_METADATA            (LIBAVFORMAT_VERSION_MAJOR < 53)
 #endif