diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/IndicesOptions.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/IndicesOptions.java
index 25e7a25335d66..e830ed8795608 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/IndicesOptions.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/IndicesOptions.java
@@ -118,42 +118,6 @@ private IndicesOptions(Collection<Option> options, Collection<WildcardStates> ex
             expandWildcards.isEmpty() ? WildcardStates.NONE : EnumSet.copyOf(expandWildcards));
     }
 
-    // Package visible for testing
-    static IndicesOptions fromByte(final byte id) {
-        // IGNORE_UNAVAILABLE = 1;
-        // ALLOW_NO_INDICES = 2;
-        // EXPAND_WILDCARDS_OPEN = 4;
-        // EXPAND_WILDCARDS_CLOSED = 8;
-        // FORBID_ALIASES_TO_MULTIPLE_INDICES = 16;
-        // FORBID_CLOSED_INDICES = 32;
-        // IGNORE_ALIASES = 64;
-
-        Set<Option> opts = new HashSet<>();
-        Set<WildcardStates> wildcards = new HashSet<>();
-        if ((id & 1) != 0) {
-            opts.add(Option.IGNORE_UNAVAILABLE);
-        }
-        if ((id & 2) != 0) {
-            opts.add(Option.ALLOW_NO_INDICES);
-        }
-        if ((id & 4) != 0) {
-            wildcards.add(WildcardStates.OPEN);
-        }
-        if ((id & 8) != 0) {
-            wildcards.add(WildcardStates.CLOSED);
-        }
-        if ((id & 16) != 0) {
-            opts.add(Option.FORBID_ALIASES_TO_MULTIPLE_INDICES);
-        }
-        if ((id & 32) != 0) {
-            opts.add(Option.FORBID_CLOSED_INDICES);
-        }
-        if ((id & 64) != 0) {
-            opts.add(Option.IGNORE_ALIASES);
-        }
-        return new IndicesOptions(opts, wildcards);
-    }
-
     /**
      * @return Whether specified concrete indices should be ignored when unavailable (missing or closed)
      */
diff --git a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/IndicesOptionsTests.java b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/IndicesOptionsTests.java
index 10edb0b30d6cc..f28873e155102 100644
--- a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/IndicesOptionsTests.java
+++ b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/IndicesOptionsTests.java
@@ -160,31 +160,6 @@ public void testFromParameters() {
         assertEquals(defaultOptions.ignoreAliases(), updatedOptions.ignoreAliases());
     }
 
-    public void testSimpleByteBWC() {
-        Map<Byte, IndicesOptions> old = new HashMap<>();
-        // These correspond to each individual option (bit) in the old byte-based IndicesOptions
-        old.put((byte) 0, IndicesOptions.fromOptions(false, false, false, false, true, false, false, false));
-        old.put((byte) 1, IndicesOptions.fromOptions(true, false, false, false, true, false, false, false));
-        old.put((byte) 2, IndicesOptions.fromOptions(false, true, false, false, true, false, false, false));
-        old.put((byte) 4, IndicesOptions.fromOptions(false, false, true, false, true, false, false, false));
-        old.put((byte) 8, IndicesOptions.fromOptions(false, false, false, true, true, false, false, false));
-        old.put((byte) 16, IndicesOptions.fromOptions(false, false, false, false, false, false, false, false));
-        old.put((byte) 32, IndicesOptions.fromOptions(false, false, false, false, true, true, false, false));
-        old.put((byte) 64, IndicesOptions.fromOptions(false, false, false, false, true, false, true, false));
-        // Test a few multi-selected options
-        old.put((byte) 13, IndicesOptions.fromOptions(true, false, true, true, true, false, false, false));
-        old.put((byte) 19, IndicesOptions.fromOptions(true, true, false, false, false, false, false, false));
-        old.put((byte) 24, IndicesOptions.fromOptions(false, false, false, true, false, false, false, false));
-        old.put((byte) 123, IndicesOptions.fromOptions(true, true, false, true, false, true, true, false));
-
-        for (Map.Entry<Byte, IndicesOptions> entry : old.entrySet()) {
-            IndicesOptions indicesOptions2 = IndicesOptions.fromByte(entry.getKey());
-            logger.info("--> 1 {}", entry.getValue().toString());
-            logger.info("--> 2 {}", indicesOptions2.toString());
-            assertThat("IndicesOptions for byte " + entry.getKey() + " differ for conversion",indicesOptions2, equalTo(entry.getValue()));
-        }
-    }
-
     public void testEqualityAndHashCode() {
         IndicesOptions indicesOptions = IndicesOptions.fromOptions(
             randomBoolean(), randomBoolean(), randomBoolean(), randomBoolean(), randomBoolean(), randomBoolean(), randomBoolean(),