diff --git a/src/util/subprocess.hpp b/src/util/subprocess.hpp
index 0fcc9397ea7..96444ad1e75 100644
--- a/src/util/subprocess.hpp
+++ b/src/util/subprocess.hpp
@@ -431,26 +431,6 @@ namespace util
   }
 
 
-  /*!
-   * Function: join
-   * Parameters:
-   * [in] vec : Vector of strings which needs to be joined to form
-   *            a single string with words separated by a separator char.
-   *  [in] sep : String used to separate 2 words in the joined string.
-   *             Default constructed to ' ' (space).
-   *  [out] string: Joined string.
-   */
-  static inline
-  std::string join(const std::vector<std::string>& vec,
-                   const std::string& sep = " ")
-  {
-    std::string res;
-    for (auto& elem : vec) res.append(elem + sep);
-    res.erase(--res.end());
-    return res;
-  }
-
-
 #ifndef __USING_WINDOWS__
   /*!
    * Function: set_clo_on_exec
@@ -696,11 +676,6 @@ struct session_leader {
   bool leader_ = false;
 };
 
-struct shell {
-  explicit shell(bool s): shell_(s) {}
-  bool shell_ = false;
-};
-
 /*!
  * Base class for all arguments involving string value.
  */
@@ -1011,7 +986,6 @@ struct ArgumentDeducer
   void set_option(bufsize&& bsiz);
   void set_option(environment&& env);
   void set_option(defer_spawn&& defer);
-  void set_option(shell&& sh);
   void set_option(input&& inp);
   void set_option(output&& out);
   void set_option(error&& err);
@@ -1350,7 +1324,6 @@ private:
   bool defer_process_start_ = false;
   bool close_fds_ = false;
   bool has_preexec_fn_ = false;
-  bool shell_ = false;
   bool session_leader_ = false;
 
   std::string exe_name_;
@@ -1492,10 +1465,6 @@ inline void Popen::kill(int sig_num)
 inline void Popen::execute_process() noexcept(false)
 {
 #ifdef __USING_WINDOWS__
-  if (this->shell_) {
-    throw OSError("shell not currently supported on windows", 0);
-  }
-
   void* environment_string_table_ptr = nullptr;
   env_vector_t environment_string_vector;
   if(this->env_.size()){
@@ -1588,14 +1557,6 @@ inline void Popen::execute_process() noexcept(false)
   int err_rd_pipe, err_wr_pipe;
   std::tie(err_rd_pipe, err_wr_pipe) = util::pipe_cloexec();
 
-  if (shell_) {
-    auto new_cmd = util::join(vargs_);
-    vargs_.clear();
-    vargs_.insert(vargs_.begin(), {"/bin/sh", "-c"});
-    vargs_.push_back(new_cmd);
-    populate_c_argv();
-  }
-
   if (exe_name_.length()) {
     vargs_.insert(vargs_.begin(), exe_name_);
     populate_c_argv();
@@ -1678,10 +1639,6 @@ namespace detail {
     popen_->defer_process_start_ = defer.defer;
   }
 
-  inline void ArgumentDeducer::set_option(shell&& sh) {
-    popen_->shell_ = sh.shell_;
-  }
-
   inline void ArgumentDeducer::set_option(session_leader&& sleader) {
     popen_->session_leader_ = sleader.leader_;
   }