diff --git a/gdb/objfile-flags.h b/gdb/objfile-flags.h
index 9dee2ee51a0..74aea1a88d3 100644
--- a/gdb/objfile-flags.h
+++ b/gdb/objfile-flags.h
@@ -44,10 +44,6 @@ enum objfile_flag : unsigned
        add-symbol-file command.  */
     OBJF_USERLOADED = 1 << 2,	/* User loaded */
 
-    /* Set if we have tried to read partial symtabs for this objfile.
-       This is used to allow lazy reading of partial symtabs.  */
-    OBJF_PSYMTABS_READ = 1 << 3,
-
     /* Set if this is the main symbol file (as opposed to symbol file
        for dynamically loaded code).  */
     OBJF_MAINLINE = 1 << 4,
diff --git a/gdb/objfiles.h b/gdb/objfiles.h
index c0ca9de6874..13ee58d7454 100644
--- a/gdb/objfiles.h
+++ b/gdb/objfiles.h
@@ -612,9 +612,6 @@ struct objfile
 					       domain_enum domain,
 					       bool *symbol_found_p);
 
-  /* See quick_symbol_functions.  */
-  void require_partial_symbols (bool verbose);
-
   /* Return the relocation offset applied to SECTION.  */
   CORE_ADDR section_offset (bfd_section *section) const
   {
@@ -699,17 +696,6 @@ struct objfile
 	     section_iterator (sections_end, sections_end)));
   }
 
-private:
-
-  /* Ensure that partial symbols have been read and return the "quick" (aka
-     partial) symbol functions for this symbol reader.  */
-  const std::forward_list<quick_symbol_functions_up> &
-  qf_require_partial_symbols ()
-  {
-    this->require_partial_symbols (true);
-    return qf;
-  }
-
 public:
 
   /* The object file's original name as specified by the user,
diff --git a/gdb/psymtab.c b/gdb/psymtab.c
index 41ecf31424b..0a470d68342 100644
--- a/gdb/psymtab.c
+++ b/gdb/psymtab.c
@@ -81,7 +81,6 @@ psymtab_storage::install_psymtab (partial_symtab *pst)
 psymtab_storage::partial_symtab_range
 psymbol_functions::partial_symbols (struct objfile *objfile)
 {
-  gdb_assert ((objfile->flags & OBJF_PSYMTABS_READ) != 0);
   return m_partial_symtabs->range ();
 }
 
diff --git a/gdb/quick-symbol.h b/gdb/quick-symbol.h
index 49505aef64a..f03e4cc1c1a 100644
--- a/gdb/quick-symbol.h
+++ b/gdb/quick-symbol.h
@@ -220,20 +220,6 @@ struct quick_symbol_functions
   virtual void compute_main_name (struct objfile *objfile)
   {
   }
-
-  /* Return true if this class can lazily read the symbols.  This may
-     only return true if there are in fact symbols to be read, because
-     this is used in the implementation of 'has_partial_symbols'.  */
-  virtual bool can_lazily_read_symbols ()
-  {
-    return false;
-  }
-
-  /* Read the partial symbols for OBJFILE.  This will only ever be
-     called if can_lazily_read_symbols returns true.  */
-  virtual void read_partial_symbols (struct objfile *objfile)
-  {
-  }
 };
 
 typedef std::unique_ptr<quick_symbol_functions> quick_symbol_functions_up;
diff --git a/gdb/symfile-debug.c b/gdb/symfile-debug.c
index 4b27d9eb406..1ed80d0737a 100644
--- a/gdb/symfile-debug.c
+++ b/gdb/symfile-debug.c
@@ -85,11 +85,7 @@ objfile::has_partial_symbols ()
      not be present in this objfile.  */
   for (const auto &iter : qf)
     {
-      if ((flags & OBJF_PSYMTABS_READ) == 0
-	  && iter->can_lazily_read_symbols ())
-	retval = true;
-      else
-	retval = iter->has_symbols (this);
+      retval = iter->has_symbols (this);
       if (retval)
 	break;
     }
@@ -110,7 +106,7 @@ objfile::has_unexpanded_symtabs ()
 		objfile_debug_name (this));
 
   bool result = false;
-  for (const auto &iter : qf_require_partial_symbols ())
+  for (const auto &iter : qf)
     {
       if (iter->has_unexpanded_symtabs (this))
 	{
@@ -135,7 +131,7 @@ objfile::find_last_source_symtab ()
     gdb_printf (gdb_stdlog, "qf->find_last_source_symtab (%s)\n",
 		objfile_debug_name (this));
 
-  for (const auto &iter : qf_require_partial_symbols ())
+  for (const auto &iter : qf)
     {
       retval = iter->find_last_source_symtab (this);
       if (retval != nullptr)
@@ -168,7 +164,7 @@ objfile::forget_cached_source_info ()
 	}
     }
 
-  for (const auto &iter : qf_require_partial_symbols ())
+  for (const auto &iter : qf)
     iter->forget_cached_source_info (this);
 }
 
@@ -215,7 +211,7 @@ objfile::map_symtabs_matching_filename
     return result;
   };
 
-  for (const auto &iter : qf_require_partial_symbols ())
+  for (const auto &iter : qf)
     {
       if (!iter->expand_symtabs_matching (this,
 					  match_one_filename,
@@ -280,7 +276,7 @@ objfile::lookup_symbol (block_enum kind, const char *name, domain_enum domain)
     return true;
   };
 
-  for (const auto &iter : qf_require_partial_symbols ())
+  for (const auto &iter : qf)
     {
       if (!iter->expand_symtabs_matching (this,
 					  nullptr,
@@ -311,7 +307,7 @@ objfile::print_stats (bool print_bcache)
     gdb_printf (gdb_stdlog, "qf->print_stats (%s, %d)\n",
 		objfile_debug_name (this), print_bcache);
 
-  for (const auto &iter : qf_require_partial_symbols ())
+  for (const auto &iter : qf)
     iter->print_stats (this, print_bcache);
 }
 
@@ -337,7 +333,7 @@ objfile::expand_symtabs_for_function (const char *func_name)
   lookup_name_info base_lookup (func_name, symbol_name_match_type::FULL);
   lookup_name_info lookup_name = base_lookup.make_ignore_params ();
 
-  for (const auto &iter : qf_require_partial_symbols ())
+  for (const auto &iter : qf)
     iter->expand_symtabs_matching (this,
 				   nullptr,
 				   &lookup_name,
@@ -356,7 +352,7 @@ objfile::expand_all_symtabs ()
     gdb_printf (gdb_stdlog, "qf->expand_all_symtabs (%s)\n",
 		objfile_debug_name (this));
 
-  for (const auto &iter : qf_require_partial_symbols ())
+  for (const auto &iter : qf)
     iter->expand_all_symtabs (this);
 }
 
@@ -374,7 +370,7 @@ objfile::expand_symtabs_with_fullname (const char *fullname)
     return filename_cmp (basenames ? basename : fullname, filename) == 0;
   };
 
-  for (const auto &iter : qf_require_partial_symbols ())
+  for (const auto &iter : qf)
     iter->expand_symtabs_matching (this,
 				   file_matcher,
 				   nullptr,
@@ -399,7 +395,7 @@ objfile::expand_matching_symbols
 		domain_name (domain), global,
 		host_address_to_string (ordered_compare));
 
-  for (const auto &iter : qf_require_partial_symbols ())
+  for (const auto &iter : qf)
     iter->expand_matching_symbols (this, name, domain, global,
 				   ordered_compare);
 }
@@ -426,7 +422,7 @@ objfile::expand_symtabs_matching
 		host_address_to_string (&expansion_notify),
 		search_domain_name (kind));
 
-  for (const auto &iter : qf_require_partial_symbols ())
+  for (const auto &iter : qf)
     if (!iter->expand_symtabs_matching (this, file_matcher, lookup_name,
 					symbol_matcher, expansion_notify,
 					search_flags, domain, kind))
@@ -451,7 +447,7 @@ objfile::find_pc_sect_compunit_symtab (struct bound_minimal_symbol msymbol,
 		host_address_to_string (section),
 		warn_if_readin);
 
-  for (const auto &iter : qf_require_partial_symbols ())
+  for (const auto &iter : qf)
     {
       retval = iter->find_pc_sect_compunit_symtab (this, msymbol, pc, section,
 						   warn_if_readin);
@@ -479,7 +475,7 @@ objfile::map_symbol_filenames (gdb::function_view<symbol_filename_ftype> fun,
 		objfile_debug_name (this),
 		need_fullname);
 
-  for (const auto &iter : qf_require_partial_symbols ())
+  for (const auto &iter : qf)
     iter->map_symbol_filenames (this, fun, need_fullname);
 }
 
@@ -491,7 +487,7 @@ objfile::compute_main_name ()
 		"qf->compute_main_name (%s)\n",
 		objfile_debug_name (this));
 
-  for (const auto &iter : qf_require_partial_symbols ())
+  for (const auto &iter : qf)
     iter->compute_main_name (this);
 }
 
@@ -505,7 +501,7 @@ objfile::find_compunit_symtab_by_address (CORE_ADDR address)
 		hex_string (address));
 
   struct compunit_symtab *result = NULL;
-  for (const auto &iter : qf_require_partial_symbols ())
+  for (const auto &iter : qf)
     {
       result = iter->find_compunit_symtab_by_address (this, address);
       if (result != nullptr)
@@ -530,7 +526,7 @@ objfile::lookup_global_symbol_language (const char *name,
   enum language result = language_unknown;
   *symbol_found_p = false;
 
-  for (const auto &iter : qf_require_partial_symbols ())
+  for (const auto &iter : qf)
     {
       result = iter->lookup_global_symbol_language (this, name, domain,
 						    symbol_found_p);
@@ -541,35 +537,6 @@ objfile::lookup_global_symbol_language (const char *name,
   return result;
 }
 
-void
-objfile::require_partial_symbols (bool verbose)
-{
-  if ((flags & OBJF_PSYMTABS_READ) == 0)
-    {
-      flags |= OBJF_PSYMTABS_READ;
-
-      bool printed = false;
-      for (const auto &iter : qf)
-	{
-	  if (iter->can_lazily_read_symbols ())
-	    {
-	      if (verbose && !printed)
-		{
-		  gdb_printf (_("Reading symbols from %ps...\n"),
-			      styled_string (file_name_style.style (),
-					     objfile_name (this)));
-		  printed = true;
-		}
-	      iter->read_partial_symbols (this);
-	    }
-	}
-      if (printed && !objfile_has_symbols (this))
-	gdb_printf (_("(No debugging symbols found in %ps)\n"),
-		    styled_string (file_name_style.style (),
-				   objfile_name (this)));
-    }
-}
-
 
 /* Debugging version of struct sym_probe_fns.  */
 
diff --git a/gdb/symfile.c b/gdb/symfile.c
index eebc5ea44b9..a89876c6835 100644
--- a/gdb/symfile.c
+++ b/gdb/symfile.c
@@ -790,8 +790,6 @@ read_symbols (struct objfile *objfile, symfile_add_flags add_flags)
 				    add_flags | SYMFILE_NOT_FILENAME, objfile);
 	}
     }
-  if ((add_flags & SYMFILE_NO_READ) == 0)
-    objfile->require_partial_symbols (false);
 }
 
 /* Initialize entry point information for this objfile.  */
@@ -2621,8 +2619,6 @@ reread_symbols (int from_tty)
 	  (*objfile->sf->sym_init) (objfile);
 	  clear_complaints ();
 
-	  objfile->flags &= ~OBJF_PSYMTABS_READ;
-
 	  /* We are about to read new symbols and potentially also
 	     DWARF information.  Some targets may want to pass addresses
 	     read from DWARF DIE's through an adjustment function before
