diff --git a/neo/framework/Common.cpp b/neo/framework/Common.cpp
index 75efa286..77d4a698 100644
--- a/neo/framework/Common.cpp
+++ b/neo/framework/Common.cpp
@@ -721,7 +721,7 @@ void idCommonLocal::FatalError( const char *fmt, ... ) {
 		cmdSystem->BufferCommandText( CMD_EXEC_NOW, "vid_restart partial windowed\n" );
 	}
 
-	Sys_SetFatalError( errorMessage );
+	Sys_Printf( "shutting down: %s\n", errorMessage );
 
 	Shutdown();
 
diff --git a/neo/sys/posix/posix_signal.cpp b/neo/sys/posix/posix_signal.cpp
index 2b06494f..774c5f7c 100644
--- a/neo/sys/posix/posix_signal.cpp
+++ b/neo/sys/posix/posix_signal.cpp
@@ -64,8 +64,6 @@ const char *signames[] = {
 	//	"SIGTTOUT"
 };
 
-static char fatalError[ 1024 ];
-
 /*
 ================
 Posix_ClearSigs
@@ -107,10 +105,6 @@ static void sig_handler( int signum, siginfo_t *info, void *context ) {
 	// NOTE: see sigaction man page, could verbose the whole siginfo_t and print human readable si_code
 	Sys_Printf( "signal caught: %s\nsi_code %d\n", strsignal( signum ), info->si_code );
 
-	if ( fatalError[ 0 ] ) {
-		Sys_Printf( "Was in fatal error shutdown: %s\n", fatalError );
-	}
-
 	Sys_Printf( "Trying to exit gracefully..\n" );
 
 	Posix_SetExit( signum );
@@ -127,8 +121,6 @@ void Posix_InitSigs( ) {
 	struct sigaction action;
 	int i;
 
-	fatalError[0] = '\0';
-
 	/* Set up the structure */
 	action.sa_sigaction = sig_handler;
 	sigemptyset( &action.sa_mask );
@@ -147,12 +139,3 @@ void Posix_InitSigs( ) {
 	signal( SIGTTIN, SIG_IGN );
 	signal( SIGTTOU, SIG_IGN );
 }
-
-/*
-==================
-Sys_SetFatalError
-==================
-*/
-void Sys_SetFatalError( const char *error ) {
-	strncpy( fatalError, error, sizeof( fatalError ) );
-}
diff --git a/neo/sys/sys_public.h b/neo/sys/sys_public.h
index 88e8aebc..150b16f1 100644
--- a/neo/sys/sys_public.h
+++ b/neo/sys/sys_public.h
@@ -197,9 +197,6 @@ bool			Sys_GetPath(sysPath_t type, idStr &path);
 // returns -1 if directory was not found (the list is cleared)
 int				Sys_ListFiles( const char *directory, const char *extension, idList<class idStr> &list );
 
-// know early if we are performing a fatal error shutdown so the error message doesn't get lost
-void			Sys_SetFatalError( const char *error );
-
 /*
 ==============================================================
 
diff --git a/neo/sys/win32/win_main.cpp b/neo/sys/win32/win_main.cpp
index 9650a366..efac9a19 100644
--- a/neo/sys/win32/win_main.cpp
+++ b/neo/sys/win32/win_main.cpp
@@ -784,11 +784,3 @@ void idSysLocal::StartProcess( const char *exePath, bool doexit ) {
 		cmdSystem->BufferCommandText( CMD_EXEC_APPEND, "quit\n" );
 	}
 }
-
-/*
-==================
-Sys_SetFatalError
-==================
-*/
-void Sys_SetFatalError( const char *error ) {
-}