diff --git a/src/controllers/api.js b/src/controllers/api.js
index 28390f1c6f..3def1aff1f 100644
--- a/src/controllers/api.js
+++ b/src/controllers/api.js
@@ -97,7 +97,6 @@ apiController.loadConfig = function (req, callback) {
 			config.topicPostSort = settings.topicPostSort || config.topicPostSort;
 			config.categoryTopicSort = settings.categoryTopicSort || config.categoryTopicSort;
 			config.topicSearchEnabled = settings.topicSearchEnabled || false;
-			config.delayImageLoading = settings.delayImageLoading !== undefined ? settings.delayImageLoading : true;
 			config.bootswatchSkin = (meta.config.disableCustomUserSkins !== 1 && settings.bootswatchSkin && settings.bootswatchSkin !== '') ? settings.bootswatchSkin : '';
 			plugins.fireHook('filter:config.get', config, next);
 		},
diff --git a/src/user/settings.js b/src/user/settings.js
index 0a7be7559a..c59af120cd 100644
--- a/src/user/settings.js
+++ b/src/user/settings.js
@@ -77,7 +77,6 @@ module.exports = function (User) {
 				settings.upvoteNotifFreq = getSetting(settings, 'upvoteNotifFreq', 'all');
 				settings.restrictChat = parseInt(getSetting(settings, 'restrictChat', 0), 10) === 1;
 				settings.topicSearchEnabled = parseInt(getSetting(settings, 'topicSearchEnabled', 0), 10) === 1;
-				settings.delayImageLoading = parseInt(getSetting(settings, 'delayImageLoading', 1), 10) === 1;
 				settings.bootswatchSkin = settings.bootswatchSkin || '';
 				settings.scrollToMyPost = parseInt(getSetting(settings, 'scrollToMyPost', 1), 10) === 1;
 
@@ -131,7 +130,6 @@ module.exports = function (User) {
 			followTopicsOnReply: data.followTopicsOnReply,
 			restrictChat: data.restrictChat,
 			topicSearchEnabled: data.topicSearchEnabled,
-			delayImageLoading: data.delayImageLoading,
 			homePageRoute: ((data.homePageRoute === 'custom' ? data.homePageCustom : data.homePageRoute) || '').replace(/^\//, ''),
 			scrollToMyPost: data.scrollToMyPost,
 			notificationSound: data.notificationSound,
diff --git a/test/user.js b/test/user.js
index 7c49813c82..ef349acccd 100644
--- a/test/user.js
+++ b/test/user.js
@@ -1384,7 +1384,6 @@ describe('User', function () {
 					homePageCustom: '',
 					openOutgoingLinksInNewTab: 0,
 					scrollToMyPost: 1,
-					delayImageLoading: 1,
 					userLang: 'en-GB',
 					usePagination: 1,
 					topicsPerPage: '10',