diff --git a/tests/unit/tabs/tabs_deprecated.js b/tests/unit/tabs/tabs_deprecated.js
index bc2caab29dd..9d359949486 100644
--- a/tests/unit/tabs/tabs_deprecated.js
+++ b/tests/unit/tabs/tabs_deprecated.js
@@ -66,67 +66,6 @@ test( "tabTemplate + panelTemplate", function() {
 	ok( element.find( "#new" ).hasClass( "customPanel" ), "panel custom class" );
 });
 
-module( "tabs (deprecated): events" );
-
-asyncTest( "load", function() {
-	expect( 15 );
-
-	var tab, anchor, panelId, panel,
-		element = $( "#tabs2" );
-
-	// init
-	element.one( "tabsload", function( event, ui ) {
-		tab = element.find( ".ui-tabs-nav li" ).eq( 2 );
-		anchor = tab.find( ".ui-tabs-anchor" );
-		panelId = tab.attr( "aria-controls" );
-		panel = $( "#" + panelId );
-
-		ok( !( "originalEvent" in event ), "originalEvent" );
-		strictEqual( ui.tab, anchor[ 0 ], "tab" );
-		strictEqual( ui.panel, panel[ 0 ], "panel" );
-		equal( $( ui.panel ).find( "p" ).length, 1, "panel html" );
-		state( element, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0 );
-		tabsload1();
-	});
-	element.tabs({ active: 2 });
-
-	function tabsload1() {
-		// .option()
-		element.one( "tabsload", function( event, ui ) {
-			tab = element.find( ".ui-tabs-nav li" ).eq( 3 );
-			anchor = tab.find( ".ui-tabs-anchor" );
-			panelId = tab.attr( "aria-controls" );
-			panel = $( "#" + panelId );
-
-			ok( !( "originalEvent" in event ), "originalEvent" );
-			strictEqual( ui.tab, anchor[ 0 ], "tab" );
-			strictEqual( ui.panel, panel[ 0 ], "panel" );
-			equal( $( ui.panel ).find( "p" ).length, 1, "panel html" );
-			state( element, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0 );
-			tabsload2();
-		});
-		element.tabs( "option", "active", 3 );
-	}
-
-	function tabsload2() {
-		// click, change panel content
-		element.one( "tabsload", function( event, ui ) {
-			tab = element.find( ".ui-tabs-nav li" ).eq( 4 );
-			anchor = tab.find( ".ui-tabs-anchor" );
-			panelId = tab.attr( "aria-controls" );
-			panel = $( "#" + panelId );
-
-			equal( event.originalEvent.type, "click", "originalEvent" );
-			strictEqual( ui.tab, anchor[ 0 ], "tab" );
-			strictEqual( ui.panel, panel[ 0 ], "panel" );
-			equal( $( ui.panel ).find( "p" ).length, 1, "panel html" );
-			state( element, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1 );
-			start();
-		});
-		element.find( ".ui-tabs-nav .ui-tabs-anchor" ).eq( 4 ).click();
-	}
-});
-
 module( "tabs (deprecated): methods" );
 
 test( "add", function() {
diff --git a/tests/unit/tabs/tabs_events.js b/tests/unit/tabs/tabs_events.js
index 57011bdad8b..f9b1755f778 100644
--- a/tests/unit/tabs/tabs_events.js
+++ b/tests/unit/tabs/tabs_events.js
@@ -253,16 +253,33 @@ test( "beforeLoad", function() {
 	equal( panel.html().toLowerCase(), "<p>testing</p>", "panel html after" );
 });
 
-if ( $.uiBackCompat === false ) {
-	asyncTest( "load", function() {
-		expect( 21 );
+asyncTest( "load", function() {
+	expect( 21 );
 
-		var tab, panelId, panel,
-			element = $( "#tabs2" );
+	var tab, panelId, panel,
+		element = $( "#tabs2" );
+
+	// init
+	element.one( "tabsload", function( event, ui ) {
+		tab = element.find( ".ui-tabs-nav li" ).eq( 2 );
+		panelId = tab.attr( "aria-controls" );
+		panel = $( "#" + panelId );
+
+		ok( !( "originalEvent" in event ), "originalEvent" );
+		equal( ui.tab.length, 1, "tab length" );
+		strictEqual( ui.tab[ 0 ], tab[ 0 ], "tab" );
+		equal( ui.panel.length, 1, "panel length" );
+		strictEqual( ui.panel[ 0 ], panel[ 0 ], "panel" );
+		equal( ui.panel.find( "p" ).length, 1, "panel html" );
+		state( element, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0 );
+		tabsload1();
+	});
+	element.tabs({ active: 2 });
 
-		// init
+	function tabsload1() {
+		// .option()
 		element.one( "tabsload", function( event, ui ) {
-			tab = element.find( ".ui-tabs-nav li" ).eq( 2 );
+			tab = element.find( ".ui-tabs-nav li" ).eq( 3 );
 			panelId = tab.attr( "aria-controls" );
 			panel = $( "#" + panelId );
 
@@ -272,49 +289,30 @@ if ( $.uiBackCompat === false ) {
 			equal( ui.panel.length, 1, "panel length" );
 			strictEqual( ui.panel[ 0 ], panel[ 0 ], "panel" );
 			equal( ui.panel.find( "p" ).length, 1, "panel html" );
-			state( element, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0 );
-			tabsload1();
+			state( element, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0 );
+			tabsload2();
 		});
-		element.tabs({ active: 2 });
-
-		function tabsload1() {
-			// .option()
-			element.one( "tabsload", function( event, ui ) {
-				tab = element.find( ".ui-tabs-nav li" ).eq( 3 );
-				panelId = tab.attr( "aria-controls" );
-				panel = $( "#" + panelId );
-
-				ok( !( "originalEvent" in event ), "originalEvent" );
-				equal( ui.tab.length, 1, "tab length" );
-				strictEqual( ui.tab[ 0 ], tab[ 0 ], "tab" );
-				equal( ui.panel.length, 1, "panel length" );
-				strictEqual( ui.panel[ 0 ], panel[ 0 ], "panel" );
-				equal( ui.panel.find( "p" ).length, 1, "panel html" );
-				state( element, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0 );
-				tabsload2();
-			});
-			element.tabs( "option", "active", 3 );
-		}
+		element.tabs( "option", "active", 3 );
+	}
 
-		function tabsload2() {
-			// click, change panel content
-			element.one( "tabsload", function( event, ui ) {
-				tab = element.find( ".ui-tabs-nav li" ).eq( 4 );
-				panelId = tab.attr( "aria-controls" );
-				panel = $( "#" + panelId );
-
-				equal( event.originalEvent.type, "click", "originalEvent" );
-				equal( ui.tab.length, 1, "tab length" );
-				strictEqual( ui.tab[ 0 ], tab[ 0 ], "tab" );
-				equal( ui.panel.length, 1, "panel length" );
-				strictEqual( ui.panel[ 0 ], panel[ 0 ], "panel" );
-				equal( ui.panel.find( "p" ).length, 1, "panel html" );
-				state( element, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1 );
-				start();
-			});
-			element.find( ".ui-tabs-nav .ui-tabs-anchor" ).eq( 4 ).click();
-		}
-	});
-}
+	function tabsload2() {
+		// click, change panel content
+		element.one( "tabsload", function( event, ui ) {
+			tab = element.find( ".ui-tabs-nav li" ).eq( 4 );
+			panelId = tab.attr( "aria-controls" );
+			panel = $( "#" + panelId );
+
+			equal( event.originalEvent.type, "click", "originalEvent" );
+			equal( ui.tab.length, 1, "tab length" );
+			strictEqual( ui.tab[ 0 ], tab[ 0 ], "tab" );
+			equal( ui.panel.length, 1, "panel length" );
+			strictEqual( ui.panel[ 0 ], panel[ 0 ], "panel" );
+			equal( ui.panel.find( "p" ).length, 1, "panel html" );
+			state( element, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1 );
+			start();
+		});
+		element.find( ".ui-tabs-nav .ui-tabs-anchor" ).eq( 4 ).click();
+	}
+});
 
 }( jQuery ) );
diff --git a/tests/unit/tabs/tabs_methods.js b/tests/unit/tabs/tabs_methods.js
index fa6535158e3..076c3f379da 100644
--- a/tests/unit/tabs/tabs_methods.js
+++ b/tests/unit/tabs/tabs_methods.js
@@ -198,11 +198,7 @@ asyncTest( "load", function() {
 
 		ok( !( "originalEvent" in event ), "originalEvent" );
 		equal( uiTab.length, 1, "tab length" );
-		if ( $.uiBackCompat === false ) {
-			strictEqual( uiTab[ 0 ], tab[ 0 ], "tab" );
-		} else {
-			strictEqual( uiTab[ 0 ], tab.find( ".ui-tabs-anchor" )[ 0 ], "tab" );
-		}
+		strictEqual( uiTab[ 0 ], tab[ 0 ], "tab" );
 		equal( uiPanel.length, 1, "panel length" );
 		strictEqual( uiPanel[ 0 ], panel[ 0 ], "panel" );
 		equal( uiPanel.find( "p" ).length, 1, "panel html" );
@@ -249,11 +245,7 @@ asyncTest( "load", function() {
 
 			ok( !( "originalEvent" in event ), "originalEvent" );
 			equal( uiTab.length, 1, "tab length" );
-			if ( $.uiBackCompat === false ) {
-				strictEqual( uiTab[ 0 ], tab[ 0 ], "tab" );
-			} else {
-				strictEqual( uiTab[ 0 ], tab.find( ".ui-tabs-anchor" )[ 0 ], "tab" );
-			}
+			strictEqual( uiTab[ 0 ], tab[ 0 ], "tab" );
 			equal( uiPanel.length, 1, "panel length" );
 			strictEqual( uiPanel[ 0 ], panel[ 0 ], "panel" );
 			state( element, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0 );
diff --git a/ui/jquery.ui.tabs.js b/ui/jquery.ui.tabs.js
index 8d6e3bfa727..70a827acec5 100644
--- a/ui/jquery.ui.tabs.js
+++ b/ui/jquery.ui.tabs.js
@@ -974,18 +974,6 @@ if ( $.uiBackCompat !== false ) {
 				.data( "ui-tabs-destroy", true );
 		}
 	});
-
-	// load event
-	$.widget( "ui.tabs", $.ui.tabs, {
-		_trigger: function( type, event, data ) {
-			var _data = $.extend( {}, data );
-			if ( type === "load" ) {
-				_data.panel = _data.panel[ 0 ];
-				_data.tab = _data.tab.find( ".ui-tabs-anchor" )[ 0 ];
-			}
-			return this._super( type, event, _data );
-		}
-	});
 }
 
 })( jQuery );