diff --git a/backup/converter/moodle1/handlerlib.php b/backup/converter/moodle1/handlerlib.php
index 2d74c6267794f..50294feb2f82b 100644
--- a/backup/converter/moodle1/handlerlib.php
+++ b/backup/converter/moodle1/handlerlib.php
@@ -441,7 +441,6 @@ public function on_root_element_end() {
             'users'            => 0, // @todo how to detect this from moodle.xml?
             'anonymize'        => 0,
             'role_assignments' => 0,
-            'user_files'       => 0,
             'activities'       => 1,
             'blocks'           => 1,
             'filters'          => 0,
diff --git a/backup/moodle2/backup_final_task.class.php b/backup/moodle2/backup_final_task.class.php
index d39a20e610a44..88f655dc08f44 100644
--- a/backup/moodle2/backup_final_task.class.php
+++ b/backup/moodle2/backup_final_task.class.php
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ public function build() {
         // done in a single pass
         $this->add_step(new backup_annotate_all_question_files('question_files'));
 
-        // Annotate all the user files (conditionally) (private, profile and icon files)
+        // Annotate all the user files (conditionally) (profile and icon files)
         // Because each user has its own context, we need a separate/specialised step here
         // This step also ensures that the contexts for all the users exist, so next
         // step can be safely executed (join between users and contexts)
diff --git a/backup/moodle2/backup_root_task.class.php b/backup/moodle2/backup_root_task.class.php
index 73519e0962265..30c811ba00794 100644
--- a/backup/moodle2/backup_root_task.class.php
+++ b/backup/moodle2/backup_root_task.class.php
@@ -69,13 +69,6 @@ protected function define_settings() {
         $this->add_setting($roleassignments);
         $users->add_dependency($roleassignments);
 
-        // Define user_files (dependent of users and anonymize)
-        $userfiles = new backup_user_files_setting('user_files', base_setting::IS_BOOLEAN, true);
-        $userfiles->set_ui(new backup_setting_ui_checkbox($userfiles, get_string('rootsettinguserfiles', 'backup')));
-        $this->add_setting($userfiles);
-        $users->add_dependency($userfiles);
-        $anonymize->add_dependency($userfiles, setting_dependency::DISABLED_TRUE);
-
         // Define activities
         $activities = new backup_activities_setting('activities', base_setting::IS_BOOLEAN, true);
         $activities->set_ui(new backup_setting_ui_checkbox($activities, get_string('rootsettingactivities', 'backup')));
diff --git a/backup/moodle2/backup_settingslib.php b/backup/moodle2/backup_settingslib.php
index 6614aee4e1416..29641ecbdfd2c 100644
--- a/backup/moodle2/backup_settingslib.php
+++ b/backup/moodle2/backup_settingslib.php
@@ -68,13 +68,6 @@ class backup_activities_setting extends backup_generic_setting {}
  */
 class backup_anonymize_setting extends root_backup_setting {}
 
-/**
- * root setting to control if backup will include
- * user files or no (images, local storage), depends of @backup_users_setting
- * exactly in the same way than @backup_anonymize_setting so we extend from it
- */
-class backup_user_files_setting extends backup_anonymize_setting {}
-
 /**
  * root setting to control if backup will include
  * role assignments or no (any level), depends of @backup_users_setting
diff --git a/backup/moodle2/backup_stepslib.php b/backup/moodle2/backup_stepslib.php
index d1b5d24490834..cdcb89f42f536 100644
--- a/backup/moodle2/backup_stepslib.php
+++ b/backup/moodle2/backup_stepslib.php
@@ -1759,10 +1759,6 @@ protected function define_execution() {
         // List of fileareas we are going to annotate
         $fileareas = array('profile', 'icon');
 
-        if ($this->get_setting_value('user_files')) { // private files only if enabled in settings
-            $fileareas[] = 'private';
-        }
-
         // Fetch all annotated (final) users
         $rs = $DB->get_recordset('backup_ids_temp', array(
             'backupid' => $this->get_backupid(), 'itemname' => 'userfinal'));
diff --git a/backup/moodle2/restore_root_task.class.php b/backup/moodle2/restore_root_task.class.php
index 04b7f4b5c3832..6ce20aace4015 100644
--- a/backup/moodle2/restore_root_task.class.php
+++ b/backup/moodle2/restore_root_task.class.php
@@ -117,19 +117,6 @@ protected function define_settings() {
         $this->add_setting($roleassignments);
         $users->add_dependency($roleassignments);
 
-        // Define user_files (dependent of users)
-        $defaultvalue = false;                      // Safer default
-        $changeable = false;
-        if (isset($rootsettings['user_files']) && $rootsettings['user_files']) { // Only enabled when available
-            $defaultvalue = true;
-            $changeable = true;
-        }
-        $userfiles = new restore_user_files_setting('user_files', base_setting::IS_BOOLEAN, $defaultvalue);
-        $userfiles->set_ui(new backup_setting_ui_checkbox($userfiles, get_string('rootsettinguserfiles', 'backup')));
-        $userfiles->get_ui()->set_changeable($changeable);
-        $this->add_setting($userfiles);
-        $users->add_dependency($userfiles);
-
         // Define activitites
         $defaultvalue = false;                      // Safer default
         $changeable = false;
diff --git a/backup/moodle2/restore_settingslib.php b/backup/moodle2/restore_settingslib.php
index 6d8b162609a80..899af5e896bd8 100644
--- a/backup/moodle2/restore_settingslib.php
+++ b/backup/moodle2/restore_settingslib.php
@@ -44,13 +44,6 @@ class restore_users_setting extends restore_generic_setting {}
  */
 class restore_role_assignments_setting extends root_backup_setting {}
 
-/**
- * root setting to control if restore will create
- * user files or no (images, local storage), depends of @restore_users_setting
- * exactly in the same way than @restore_role_assignments_setting so we extend from it
- */
-class restore_user_files_setting extends restore_role_assignments_setting {}
-
 /**
  * root setting to control if restore will create activities
  * A lot of other settings (_included at activity levels)
diff --git a/backup/moodle2/restore_stepslib.php b/backup/moodle2/restore_stepslib.php
index 091a7d92a2853..b5ab4390384cd 100644
--- a/backup/moodle2/restore_stepslib.php
+++ b/backup/moodle2/restore_stepslib.php
@@ -683,7 +683,7 @@ class restore_create_included_users extends restore_execution_step {
 
     protected function define_execution() {
 
-        restore_dbops::create_included_users($this->get_basepath(), $this->get_restoreid(), $this->get_setting_value('user_files'), $this->task->get_userid());
+        restore_dbops::create_included_users($this->get_basepath(), $this->get_restoreid(), $this->task->get_userid());
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/backup/util/dbops/restore_dbops.class.php b/backup/util/dbops/restore_dbops.class.php
index 608d2d6c64845..fa875d26b82a6 100644
--- a/backup/util/dbops/restore_dbops.class.php
+++ b/backup/util/dbops/restore_dbops.class.php
@@ -730,7 +730,7 @@ public static function send_files_to_pool($basepath, $restoreid, $component, $fi
      * ready to be created. Also, annotate their newids
      * once created for later reference
      */
-    public static function create_included_users($basepath, $restoreid, $userfiles, $userid) {
+    public static function create_included_users($basepath, $restoreid, $userid) {
         global $CFG, $DB;
 
         $authcache = array(); // Cache to get some bits from authentication plugins
@@ -871,10 +871,6 @@ public static function create_included_users($basepath, $restoreid, $userfiles,
                 // Create user files in pool (profile, icon, private) by context
                 restore_dbops::send_files_to_pool($basepath, $restoreid, 'user', 'icon', $recuser->parentitemid, $userid);
                 restore_dbops::send_files_to_pool($basepath, $restoreid, 'user', 'profile', $recuser->parentitemid, $userid);
-                if ($userfiles) { // private files only if enabled in settings
-                    restore_dbops::send_files_to_pool($basepath, $restoreid, 'user', 'private', $recuser->parentitemid, $userid);
-                }
-
             }
         }
         $rs->close();
diff --git a/backup/util/ui/renderer.php b/backup/util/ui/renderer.php
index 08454409e316c..b1e302c8681c7 100644
--- a/backup/util/ui/renderer.php
+++ b/backup/util/ui/renderer.php
@@ -97,7 +97,9 @@ public function backup_details($details, $nextstageurl) {
         $html .= html_writer::start_tag('div', array('class'=>'backup-section settings-section'));
         $html .= $this->output->heading(get_string('backupsettings', 'backup'), 2, array('class'=>'header'));
         foreach ($details->root_settings as $label=>$value) {
-            if ($label == 'filename') continue;
+            if ($label == 'filename' or $label == 'user_files') {
+                continue;
+            }
             $html .= $this->backup_detail_pair(get_string('rootsetting'.str_replace('_','',$label), 'backup'), $value?$yestick:$notick);
         }
         $html .= html_writer::end_tag('div');
diff --git a/lang/en/backup.php b/lang/en/backup.php
index 58c815e264e6f..74f7c5ca60f83 100644
--- a/lang/en/backup.php
+++ b/lang/en/backup.php
@@ -197,7 +197,6 @@
 $string['rootsettingusers'] = 'Include enrolled users';
 $string['rootsettinganonymize'] = 'Anonymize user information';
 $string['rootsettingroleassignments'] = 'Include user role assignments';
-$string['rootsettinguserfiles'] = 'Include user files';
 $string['rootsettingactivities'] = 'Include activities';
 $string['rootsettingblocks'] = 'Include blocks';
 $string['rootsettingfilters'] = 'Include filters';