diff --git a/contrib/README b/contrib/README
index 91a99e901a..84b2762160 100644
--- a/contrib/README
+++ b/contrib/README
@@ -17,8 +17,7 @@ be fixed as time permits.
 
     - scripts/
 
-      Assorted useful scripts, including 'nanny' which monitors
-      named and restarts it in the event of a crash, 'zone-edit'
+      Assorted useful scripts, including 'zone-edit'
       which enables editing of a dynamic zone, and others.
 
     - dlz/modules
diff --git a/contrib/scripts/nanny.pl b/contrib/scripts/nanny.pl
deleted file mode 100644
index 02e7ed1636..0000000000
--- a/contrib/scripts/nanny.pl
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,49 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/perl
-#
-# Copyright (C) Internet Systems Consortium, Inc. ("ISC")
-#
-# SPDX-License-Identifier: MPL-2.0
-#
-# This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
-# License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
-# file, you can obtain one at https://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
-#
-# See the COPYRIGHT file distributed with this work for additional
-# information regarding copyright ownership.
-
-# A simple nanny to make sure named stays running.
-
-$pid_file_location = '/var/run/named.pid';
-$nameserver_location = 'localhost';
-$dig_program = 'dig';
-$named_program =  'named';
-
-fork() && exit();
-
-for (;;) {
-	$pid = 0;
-	open(FILE, $pid_file_location) || goto restart;
-	$pid = <FILE>;
-	close(FILE);
-	chomp($pid);
-
-	$res = kill 0, $pid;
-
-	goto restart if ($res == 0);
-
-	$dig_command =
-	       "$dig_program +short . \@$nameserver_location > /dev/null";
-	$return = system($dig_command);
-	goto restart if ($return == 9);
-
-	sleep 30;
-	next;
-
- restart:
-	if ($pid != 0) {
-		kill 15, $pid;
-		sleep 30;
-	}
-	system ($named_program);
-	sleep 120;
-}
diff --git a/util/nanny.pl b/util/nanny.pl
deleted file mode 100644
index 9c37a3cfd3..0000000000
--- a/util/nanny.pl
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,56 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/perl
-
-# Copyright (C) Internet Systems Consortium, Inc. ("ISC")
-#
-# SPDX-License-Identifier: MPL-2.0
-#
-# This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
-# License, v. 2.0.  If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
-# file, you can obtain one at https://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
-#
-# See the COPYRIGHT file distributed with this work for additional
-# information regarding copyright ownership.
-
-# A simple nanny to make sure named stays running.
-
-$pid_file_location = '/var/run/named.pid';
-$nameserver_location = 'localhost';
-$dig_program = 'dig';
-$named_program =  'named';
-
-fork() && exit();
-
-for (;;) {
-  $pid = 0;
-  open(FILE, $pid_file_location) || goto restart;
-  $pid = <FILE>;
-  close(FILE);
-  chomp($pid);
-
-  $ps_command = "ps -axw | grep named | grep $pid | grep -v grep |";
-  # ps_command MUST end in a pipe (|) character!
-
-  # Make sure there's a named on the pid we just got.  Since there is no
-  # good way to test this, use the output from ps.
-  open(PIPE, $ps_command) || die($ps_command);
-  $line = <PIPE>;
-  close(PIPE);
-  chomp($line);
-
-  goto restart if ($line eq "");
-
-  $dig_command = "$dig_program +short . \@$nameserver_location > /dev/null";
-  $return = system($dig_command);
-  goto restart if ($return == 9);
-
-  sleep 30;
-  next;
-
- restart:
-  if ($pid != 0) {
-    kill 15, $pid;
-    sleep 30;
-  }
-  system ($named_program);
-  sleep 120;
-}