diff --git a/src/client/opamPinCommand.ml b/src/client/opamPinCommand.ml
index 0dfa97051d3..7b706ad5372 100644
--- a/src/client/opamPinCommand.ml
+++ b/src/client/opamPinCommand.ml
@@ -259,12 +259,6 @@ let edit st ?version name =
     |  Some o when OpamFile.OPAM.equal opam o ->
       (OpamConsole.msg "Package metadata unchanged.\n"; st)
     | _ ->
-      (* Remove obsolete auxiliary files, in case *)
-      OpamFilename.remove
-        (OpamFile.filename (path OpamPath.Switch.Overlay.url));
-      OpamFilename.remove
-        (OpamFile.filename (path OpamPath.Switch.Overlay.descr));
-
       let opam_extra =
         OpamStd.Option.default [] @@ OpamFile.OPAM.extra_files opam
       in
diff --git a/src/format/opamPath.ml b/src/format/opamPath.ml
index 2577dad21fd..625a41d1501 100644
--- a/src/format/opamPath.ml
+++ b/src/format/opamPath.ml
@@ -270,10 +270,6 @@ module Switch = struct
 
     let tmp_opam t a n = package t a n /- "opam_"
 
-    let url t a n = package t a n /- "url"
-
-    let descr t a n = package t a n /- "descr"
-
     let files t a n = package t a n / "files"
 
   end
diff --git a/src/format/opamPath.mli b/src/format/opamPath.mli
index 43a40e4862c..c853496f692 100644
--- a/src/format/opamPath.mli
+++ b/src/format/opamPath.mli
@@ -362,13 +362,6 @@ module Switch: sig
         $meta/overlay/$name.$version/opam_} *)
     val tmp_opam: t -> switch -> name -> OpamFile.OPAM.t OpamFile.t
 
-    (** URL overlay: {i
-        $meta/overlay/$name.$version/url} *)
-    val url: t -> switch -> name -> OpamFile.URL.t OpamFile.t
-
-    (** Descr orverlay *)
-    val descr: t -> switch -> name -> OpamFile.Descr.t OpamFile.t
-
     (** Files overlay *)
     val files: t -> switch -> name -> dirname
   end
diff --git a/src/state/opamFileTools.ml b/src/state/opamFileTools.ml
index c27ed93f5b7..eb08489abb6 100644
--- a/src/state/opamFileTools.ml
+++ b/src/state/opamFileTools.ml
@@ -1297,44 +1297,9 @@ let add_aux_files ?dir ?(files_subdir_hashes=false) opam =
   match dir with
   | None -> opam
   | Some dir ->
-    let (url_file: OpamFile.URL.t OpamFile.t) =
-      OpamFile.make (dir // "url")
-    in
-    let (descr_file: OpamFile.Descr.t OpamFile.t)  =
-      OpamFile.make (dir // "descr")
-    in
     let files_dir =
       OpamFilename.Op.(dir / "files")
     in
-    let opam =
-      match OpamFile.OPAM.url opam, try_read OpamFile.URL.read_opt url_file with
-      | None, (Some url, None) -> OpamFile.OPAM.with_url url opam
-      | Some opam_url, (Some url, errs) ->
-        if url = opam_url && errs = None then
-          log "Duplicate definition of url in '%s' and opam file"
-            (OpamFile.to_string url_file)
-        else
-          OpamConsole.warning
-            "File '%s' ignored (conflicting url already specified in the \
-             'opam' file)"
-            (OpamFile.to_string url_file);
-        opam
-      | _, (_, Some err) ->
-        OpamFile.OPAM.with_format_errors (err :: opam.format_errors) opam
-      | _, (None, None) -> opam
-    in
-    let opam =
-      match OpamFile.OPAM.descr opam,
-            try_read OpamFile.Descr.read_opt descr_file with
-      | None, (Some descr, None) -> OpamFile.OPAM.with_descr descr opam
-      | Some _, (Some _, _) ->
-        log "Duplicate descr in '%s' and opam file"
-          (OpamFile.to_string descr_file);
-        opam
-      | _, (_, Some err) ->
-        OpamFile.OPAM.with_format_errors (err :: opam.format_errors) opam
-      | _, (None, None)  -> opam
-    in
     let opam =
       let extra_files =
         OpamFilename.opt_dir files_dir >>| fun dir ->
diff --git a/src/state/opamUpdate.ml b/src/state/opamUpdate.ml
index c62a54eb23b..15fa75f62c0 100644
--- a/src/state/opamUpdate.ml
+++ b/src/state/opamUpdate.ml
@@ -331,12 +331,7 @@ let pinned_package st ?version ?(autolock=false) ?(working_dir=false) name =
     let save_overlay opam =
       OpamFilename.mkdir overlay_dir;
       let opam_file = OpamPath.Switch.Overlay.opam root st.switch name in
-      List.iter OpamFilename.remove
-        OpamPath.Switch.Overlay.([
-            OpamFile.filename opam_file;
-            OpamFile.filename (url root st.switch name);
-            OpamFile.filename (descr root st.switch name);
-          ]);
+      OpamFilename.remove (OpamFile.filename opam_file);
       let files_dir = OpamPath.Switch.Overlay.files root st.switch name in
       OpamFilename.rmdir files_dir;
       let opam =