diff --git a/gazebo_plugins/include/gazebo_plugins/gazebo_ros_diff_drive.h b/gazebo_plugins/include/gazebo_plugins/gazebo_ros_diff_drive.h
index 8615f31fb..745f6723e 100644
--- a/gazebo_plugins/include/gazebo_plugins/gazebo_ros_diff_drive.h
+++ b/gazebo_plugins/include/gazebo_plugins/gazebo_ros_diff_drive.h
@@ -125,7 +125,6 @@ namespace gazebo {
       std::string odometry_frame_;
       std::string robot_base_frame_;
       bool publish_tf_;
-      bool legacy_mode_;
       // Custom Callback Queue
       ros::CallbackQueue queue_;
       boost::thread callback_queue_thread_;
diff --git a/gazebo_plugins/src/gazebo_ros_diff_drive.cpp b/gazebo_plugins/src/gazebo_ros_diff_drive.cpp
index f9e9e2792..f8e082998 100644
--- a/gazebo_plugins/src/gazebo_ros_diff_drive.cpp
+++ b/gazebo_plugins/src/gazebo_ros_diff_drive.cpp
@@ -88,19 +88,6 @@ void GazeboRosDiffDrive::Load ( physics::ModelPtr _parent, sdf::ElementPtr _sdf
     gazebo_ros_->getParameter<std::string> ( robot_base_frame_, "robotBaseFrame", "base_footprint" );
     gazebo_ros_->getParameterBoolean ( publishWheelTF_, "publishWheelTF", false );
     gazebo_ros_->getParameterBoolean ( publishWheelJointState_, "publishWheelJointState", false );
-    gazebo_ros_->getParameterBoolean ( legacy_mode_, "legacyMode", true );
-
-    if (!_sdf->HasElement("legacyMode"))
-    {
-      ROS_ERROR_NAMED("diff_drive", "GazeboRosDiffDrive Plugin missing <legacyMode>, defaults to true\n"
-	       "This setting assumes you have a old package, where the right and left wheel are changed to fix a former code issue\n"
-	       "To get rid of this error just set <legacyMode> to false if you just created a new package.\n"
-	       "To fix an old package you have to exchange left wheel by the right wheel.\n"
-	       "If you do not want to fix this issue in an old package or your z axis points down instead of the ROS standard defined in REP 103\n"
-	       "just set <legacyMode> to true.\n"
-      );
-    }
-
     gazebo_ros_->getParameter<double> ( wheel_separation_, "wheelSeparation", 0.34 );
     gazebo_ros_->getParameter<double> ( wheel_diameter_, "wheelDiameter", 0.15 );
     gazebo_ros_->getParameter<double> ( wheel_accel, "wheelAcceleration", 0.0 );
@@ -327,16 +314,8 @@ void GazeboRosDiffDrive::getWheelVelocities()
     double vr = x_;
     double va = rot_;
 
-    if(legacy_mode_)
-    {
-      wheel_speed_[LEFT] = vr + va * wheel_separation_ / 2.0;
-      wheel_speed_[RIGHT] = vr - va * wheel_separation_ / 2.0;
-    }
-    else
-    {
-      wheel_speed_[LEFT] = vr - va * wheel_separation_ / 2.0;
-      wheel_speed_[RIGHT] = vr + va * wheel_separation_ / 2.0;
-    }
+    wheel_speed_[LEFT] = vr - va * wheel_separation_ / 2.0;
+    wheel_speed_[RIGHT] = vr + va * wheel_separation_ / 2.0;
 }
 
 void GazeboRosDiffDrive::cmdVelCallback ( const geometry_msgs::Twist::ConstPtr& cmd_msg )
@@ -374,16 +353,7 @@ void GazeboRosDiffDrive::UpdateOdometryEncoder()
     double sr = vr * ( wheel_diameter_ / 2.0 ) * seconds_since_last_update;
     double ssum = sl + sr;
 
-    double sdiff;
-    if(legacy_mode_)
-    {
-      sdiff = sl - sr;
-    }
-    else
-    {
-
-      sdiff = sr - sl;
-    }
+    double sdiff = sr - sl;
 
     double dx = ( ssum ) /2.0 * cos ( pose_encoder_.theta + ( sdiff ) / ( 2.0*b ) );
     double dy = ( ssum ) /2.0 * sin ( pose_encoder_.theta + ( sdiff ) / ( 2.0*b ) );