diff --git a/changelog/4535.removal.rst b/changelog/4535.removal.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f899005871a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/4535.removal.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Removed deprecated ``PyCollector.makeitem`` method. This method was made public by mistake a long time ago.
diff --git a/doc/en/deprecations.rst b/doc/en/deprecations.rst
index ca72bfbfff7..3ee5ca0d4f9 100644
--- a/doc/en/deprecations.rst
+++ b/doc/en/deprecations.rst
@@ -58,17 +58,7 @@ Becomes:
         exec("assert(1, 2)")  # exec is used to avoid a top-level warning
 
 
-Using ``Class`` in custom Collectors
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
-.. deprecated:: 3.9
-
-Using objects named ``"Class"`` as a way to customize the type of nodes that are collected in ``Collector``
-subclasses has been deprecated. Users instead should use ``pytest_pycollect_makeitem`` to customize node types during
-collection.
-
-This issue should affect only advanced plugins who create new collection types, so if you see this warning
-message please contact the authors so they can change the code.
 
 
 ``Config.warn`` and ``Node.warn``
@@ -280,6 +270,18 @@ Removed Features
 As stated in our :ref:`backwards-compatibility` policy, deprecated features are removed only in major releases after
 an appropriate period of deprecation has passed.
 
+Using ``Class`` in custom Collectors
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+*Removed in version 4.0.*
+
+Using objects named ``"Class"`` as a way to customize the type of nodes that are collected in ``Collector``
+subclasses has been deprecated. Users instead should use ``pytest_pycollect_makeitem`` to customize node types during
+collection.
+
+This issue should affect only advanced plugins who create new collection types, so if you see this warning
+message please contact the authors so they can change the code.
+
 Metafunc.addcall
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
diff --git a/src/_pytest/deprecated.py b/src/_pytest/deprecated.py
index 0d3dc85cc62..30173e6b120 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/deprecated.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/deprecated.py
@@ -87,9 +87,6 @@
     '"record_xml_property" is now deprecated.'
 )
 
-COLLECTOR_MAKEITEM = RemovedInPytest4Warning(
-    "pycollector makeitem was removed as it is an accidentially leaked internal api"
-)
 
 PYTEST_PLUGINS_FROM_NON_TOP_LEVEL_CONFTEST = RemovedInPytest4Warning(
     "Defining pytest_plugins in a non-top-level conftest is deprecated, "
diff --git a/src/_pytest/python.py b/src/_pytest/python.py
index 3db36fb1982..a872a86ede5 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/python.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/python.py
@@ -378,10 +378,6 @@ def collect(self):
         values.sort(key=lambda item: item.reportinfo()[:2])
         return values
 
-    def makeitem(self, name, obj):
-        warnings.warn(deprecated.COLLECTOR_MAKEITEM, stacklevel=2)
-        self._makeitem(name, obj)
-
     def _makeitem(self, name, obj):
         # assert self.ihook.fspath == self.fspath, self
         return self.ihook.pytest_pycollect_makeitem(collector=self, name=name, obj=obj)
diff --git a/testing/deprecated_test.py b/testing/deprecated_test.py
index d54c868f290..111ff629f25 100644
--- a/testing/deprecated_test.py
+++ b/testing/deprecated_test.py
@@ -268,26 +268,6 @@ def fix():
         assert fix() == 1
 
 
-def test_pycollector_makeitem_is_deprecated():
-    from _pytest.python import PyCollector
-    from _pytest.warning_types import RemovedInPytest4Warning
-
-    class PyCollectorMock(PyCollector):
-        """evil hack"""
-
-        def __init__(self):
-            self.called = False
-
-        def _makeitem(self, *k):
-            """hack to disable the actual behaviour"""
-            self.called = True
-
-    collector = PyCollectorMock()
-    with pytest.warns(RemovedInPytest4Warning):
-        collector.makeitem("foo", "bar")
-    assert collector.called
-
-
 def test_fixture_named_request(testdir):
     testdir.copy_example()
     result = testdir.runpytest()
diff --git a/testing/python/collect.py b/testing/python/collect.py
index 2e534a25943..53b3bc18b04 100644
--- a/testing/python/collect.py
+++ b/testing/python/collect.py
@@ -808,7 +808,7 @@ def test_makeitem_non_underscore(self, testdir, monkeypatch):
         modcol = testdir.getmodulecol("def _hello(): pass")
         values = []
         monkeypatch.setattr(
-            pytest.Module, "makeitem", lambda self, name, obj: values.append(name)
+            pytest.Module, "_makeitem", lambda self, name, obj: values.append(name)
         )
         values = modcol.collect()
         assert "_hello" not in values