diff --git a/src/jni_internal.cc b/src/jni_internal.cc
index e457edc..50b28b8 100644
--- a/src/jni_internal.cc
+++ b/src/jni_internal.cc
@@ -62,17 +62,10 @@
 static const size_t kPinTableMax = 1024; // Arbitrary sanity check.
 
 static size_t gGlobalsInitial = 512; // Arbitrary.
-static size_t gGlobalsMax = 51200; // Arbitrary sanity check.
+static size_t gGlobalsMax = 51200; // Arbitrary sanity check. (Must fit in 16 bits.)
 
 static const size_t kWeakGlobalsInitial = 16; // Arbitrary.
-static const size_t kWeakGlobalsMax = 51200; // Arbitrary sanity check.
-
-void SetJniGlobalsMax(size_t max) {
-  if (max != 0) {
-    gGlobalsMax = max;
-    gGlobalsInitial = std::min(gGlobalsInitial, gGlobalsMax);
-  }
-}
+static const size_t kWeakGlobalsMax = 51200; // Arbitrary sanity check. (Must fit in 16 bits.)
 
 static jweak AddWeakGlobalReference(ScopedObjectAccess& soa, Object* obj)
     SHARED_LOCKS_REQUIRED(Locks::mutator_lock_) {
diff --git a/src/jni_internal.h b/src/jni_internal.h
index dc6ca4a..7b43f95 100644
--- a/src/jni_internal.h
+++ b/src/jni_internal.h
@@ -48,7 +48,6 @@
 class ScopedObjectAccess;
 class Thread;
 
-void SetJniGlobalsMax(size_t max);
 void JniAbortF(const char* jni_function_name, const char* fmt, ...)
     __attribute__((__format__(__printf__, 2, 3)));
 void RegisterNativeMethods(JNIEnv* env, const char* jni_class_name, const JNINativeMethod* methods,
diff --git a/src/runtime.cc b/src/runtime.cc
index 3a528a1..e5fb46f 100644
--- a/src/runtime.cc
+++ b/src/runtime.cc
@@ -345,7 +345,6 @@
   parsed->interpreter_only_ = false;
   parsed->is_concurrent_gc_enabled_ = true;
 
-  parsed->jni_globals_max_ = 0;
   parsed->lock_profiling_threshold_ = 0;
   parsed->hook_is_sensitive_thread_ = NULL;
 
@@ -535,7 +534,7 @@
         }
       }
     } else if (StartsWith(option, "-Xjnigreflimit:")) {
-      parsed->jni_globals_max_ = ParseIntegerOrDie(option);
+      // Silently ignored for backwards compatibility.
     } else if (StartsWith(option, "-Xlockprofthreshold:")) {
       parsed->lock_profiling_threshold_ = ParseIntegerOrDie(option);
     } else if (StartsWith(option, "-Xstacktracefile:")) {
@@ -791,7 +790,6 @@
 
   QuasiAtomic::Startup();
 
-  SetJniGlobalsMax(options->jni_globals_max_);
   Monitor::Init(options->lock_profiling_threshold_, options->hook_is_sensitive_thread_);
 
   host_prefix_ = options->host_prefix_;
diff --git a/src/runtime.h b/src/runtime.h
index 0b893a3..31b3a1b 100644
--- a/src/runtime.h
+++ b/src/runtime.h
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@
  public:
   typedef std::vector<std::pair<std::string, const void*> > Options;
 
-  // In small mode, apps with fewer than this number of methods will be compiled 
+  // In small mode, apps with fewer than this number of methods will be compiled
   // anyways.
   // TODO: come up with a reasonable default.
   static const size_t kDefaultSmallModeMethodThreshold = 0;
@@ -96,7 +96,6 @@
     size_t heap_max_free_;
     double heap_target_utilization_;
     size_t stack_size_;
-    size_t jni_globals_max_;
     size_t lock_profiling_threshold_;
     std::string stack_trace_file_;
     bool method_trace_;