diff --git a/src/drivers/drv_accel.h b/src/drivers/drv_accel.h
index 6cd0ae52d6..63886530dc 100644
--- a/src/drivers/drv_accel.h
+++ b/src/drivers/drv_accel.h
@@ -73,12 +73,6 @@ struct accel_calibration_s {
 #define _ACCELIOCBASE		(0x2100)
 #define _ACCELIOC(_n)		(_PX4_IOC(_ACCELIOCBASE, _n))
 
-
-/** set the accel internal sample rate to at least (arg) Hz */
-#define ACCELIOCSSAMPLERATE	_ACCELIOC(0)
-
-#define ACCEL_SAMPLERATE_DEFAULT    1000003	/**< default sample rate */
-
 /** set the accel scaling constants to the structure pointed to by (arg) */
 #define ACCELIOCSSCALE		_ACCELIOC(5)
 
diff --git a/src/drivers/imu/adis16448/adis16448.cpp b/src/drivers/imu/adis16448/adis16448.cpp
index b7ff2d7256..d2ba484f3e 100644
--- a/src/drivers/imu/adis16448/adis16448.cpp
+++ b/src/drivers/imu/adis16448/adis16448.cpp
@@ -1068,10 +1068,6 @@ ADIS16448::ioctl(struct file *filp, int cmd, unsigned long arg)
 			return OK;
 		}
 
-	case ACCELIOCSSAMPLERATE:
-		_set_sample_rate(arg);
-		return OK;
-
 	case ACCELIOCSSCALE: {
 			/* copy scale, but only if off by a few percent */
 			struct accel_calibration_s *s = (struct accel_calibration_s *) arg;
diff --git a/src/drivers/imu/adis16477/ADIS16477.cpp b/src/drivers/imu/adis16477/ADIS16477.cpp
index 804b33e025..e9ea40d3b2 100644
--- a/src/drivers/imu/adis16477/ADIS16477.cpp
+++ b/src/drivers/imu/adis16477/ADIS16477.cpp
@@ -407,10 +407,6 @@ ADIS16477::ioctl(struct file *filp, int cmd, unsigned long arg)
 
 		return 1000000 / _call_interval;
 
-	case ACCELIOCSSAMPLERATE:
-		_set_sample_rate(arg);
-		return OK;
-
 	case ACCELIOCSSCALE: {
 			/* copy scale, but only if off by a few percent */
 			struct accel_calibration_s *s = (struct accel_calibration_s *) arg;
diff --git a/src/drivers/imu/bma180/bma180.cpp b/src/drivers/imu/bma180/bma180.cpp
index 7d552ee4b9..6c01df7b2d 100644
--- a/src/drivers/imu/bma180/bma180.cpp
+++ b/src/drivers/imu/bma180/bma180.cpp
@@ -473,9 +473,6 @@ BMA180::ioctl(struct file *filp, int cmd, unsigned long arg)
 		/* XXX implement */
 		return -EINVAL;
 
-	case ACCELIOCSSAMPLERATE:	/* sensor sample rate is not (really) adjustable */
-		return -EINVAL;
-
 	case ACCELIOCSSCALE:
 		/* copy scale in */
 		memcpy(&_accel_scale, (struct accel_calibration_s *) arg, sizeof(_accel_scale));
diff --git a/src/drivers/imu/bmi055/BMI055_accel.cpp b/src/drivers/imu/bmi055/BMI055_accel.cpp
index 1c7fdbb7f2..9fd44f464d 100644
--- a/src/drivers/imu/bmi055/BMI055_accel.cpp
+++ b/src/drivers/imu/bmi055/BMI055_accel.cpp
@@ -415,9 +415,6 @@ BMI055_accel::ioctl(struct file *filp, int cmd, unsigned long arg)
 			return OK;
 		}
 
-	case ACCELIOCSSAMPLERATE:
-		return accel_set_sample_rate(arg);
-
 	case ACCELIOCSSCALE: {
 			/* copy scale, but only if off by a few percent */
 			struct accel_calibration_s *s = (struct accel_calibration_s *) arg;
diff --git a/src/drivers/imu/bmi160/bmi160.cpp b/src/drivers/imu/bmi160/bmi160.cpp
index cf3891a98d..487ba2017a 100644
--- a/src/drivers/imu/bmi160/bmi160.cpp
+++ b/src/drivers/imu/bmi160/bmi160.cpp
@@ -651,9 +651,6 @@ BMI160::ioctl(struct file *filp, int cmd, unsigned long arg)
 			return OK;
 		}
 
-	case ACCELIOCSSAMPLERATE:
-		return accel_set_sample_rate(arg);
-
 	case ACCELIOCSSCALE: {
 			/* copy scale, but only if off by a few percent */
 			struct accel_calibration_s *s = (struct accel_calibration_s *) arg;
diff --git a/src/drivers/imu/fxos8701cq/fxos8701cq.cpp b/src/drivers/imu/fxos8701cq/fxos8701cq.cpp
index 1a14beda21..652d51b520 100644
--- a/src/drivers/imu/fxos8701cq/fxos8701cq.cpp
+++ b/src/drivers/imu/fxos8701cq/fxos8701cq.cpp
@@ -882,9 +882,6 @@ FXOS8701CQ::ioctl(struct file *filp, int cmd, unsigned long arg)
 		reset();
 		return OK;
 
-	case ACCELIOCSSAMPLERATE:
-		return accel_set_samplerate(arg);
-
 	case ACCELIOCSSCALE: {
 			/* copy scale, but only if off by a few percent */
 			struct accel_calibration_s *s = (struct accel_calibration_s *) arg;
@@ -1137,7 +1134,7 @@ FXOS8701CQ::accel_set_samplerate(unsigned frequency)
 
 	uint8_t  active      = read_reg(FXOS8701CQ_CTRL_REG1) & CTRL_REG1_ACTIVE;
 
-	if (frequency == 0 || frequency == ACCEL_SAMPLERATE_DEFAULT) {
+	if (frequency == 0) {
 		frequency = FXOS8701C_ACCEL_DEFAULT_RATE;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/drivers/imu/lsm303d/lsm303d.cpp b/src/drivers/imu/lsm303d/lsm303d.cpp
index 267a5b8459..c6462d21aa 100644
--- a/src/drivers/imu/lsm303d/lsm303d.cpp
+++ b/src/drivers/imu/lsm303d/lsm303d.cpp
@@ -894,9 +894,6 @@ LSM303D::ioctl(struct file *filp, int cmd, unsigned long arg)
 		reset();
 		return OK;
 
-	case ACCELIOCSSAMPLERATE:
-		return accel_set_samplerate(arg);
-
 	case ACCELIOCSSCALE: {
 			/* copy scale, but only if off by a few percent */
 			struct accel_calibration_s *s = (struct accel_calibration_s *) arg;
@@ -1214,7 +1211,7 @@ LSM303D::accel_set_samplerate(unsigned frequency)
 	uint8_t setbits = 0;
 	uint8_t clearbits = REG1_RATE_BITS_A;
 
-	if (frequency == 0 || frequency == ACCEL_SAMPLERATE_DEFAULT) {
+	if (frequency == 0) {
 		frequency = 1600;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/drivers/imu/mpu6000/mpu6000.cpp b/src/drivers/imu/mpu6000/mpu6000.cpp
index 5139a84e76..2953132ec6 100644
--- a/src/drivers/imu/mpu6000/mpu6000.cpp
+++ b/src/drivers/imu/mpu6000/mpu6000.cpp
@@ -909,8 +909,7 @@ void
 MPU6000::_set_sample_rate(unsigned desired_sample_rate_hz)
 {
 	if (desired_sample_rate_hz == 0 ||
-	    desired_sample_rate_hz == GYRO_SAMPLERATE_DEFAULT ||
-	    desired_sample_rate_hz == ACCEL_SAMPLERATE_DEFAULT) {
+	    desired_sample_rate_hz == GYRO_SAMPLERATE_DEFAULT) {
 		desired_sample_rate_hz = MPU6000_GYRO_DEFAULT_RATE;
 	}
 
@@ -1367,10 +1366,6 @@ MPU6000::ioctl(struct file *filp, int cmd, unsigned long arg)
 			return OK;
 		}
 
-	case ACCELIOCSSAMPLERATE:
-		_set_sample_rate(arg);
-		return OK;
-
 	case ACCELIOCSSCALE: {
 			/* copy scale, but only if off by a few percent */
 			struct accel_calibration_s *s = (struct accel_calibration_s *) arg;
diff --git a/src/drivers/imu/mpu9250/mpu9250.cpp b/src/drivers/imu/mpu9250/mpu9250.cpp
index 98511cf632..dfa9200e1e 100644
--- a/src/drivers/imu/mpu9250/mpu9250.cpp
+++ b/src/drivers/imu/mpu9250/mpu9250.cpp
@@ -553,8 +553,7 @@ void
 MPU9250::_set_sample_rate(unsigned desired_sample_rate_hz)
 {
 	if (desired_sample_rate_hz == 0 ||
-	    desired_sample_rate_hz == GYRO_SAMPLERATE_DEFAULT ||
-	    desired_sample_rate_hz == ACCEL_SAMPLERATE_DEFAULT) {
+	    desired_sample_rate_hz == GYRO_SAMPLERATE_DEFAULT) {
 		desired_sample_rate_hz = MPU9250_GYRO_DEFAULT_RATE;
 	}
 
@@ -827,10 +826,6 @@ MPU9250::ioctl(struct file *filp, int cmd, unsigned long arg)
 			return OK;
 		}
 
-	case ACCELIOCSSAMPLERATE:
-		_set_sample_rate(arg);
-		return OK;
-
 	case ACCELIOCSSCALE: {
 			/* copy scale, but only if off by a few percent */
 			struct accel_calibration_s *s = (struct accel_calibration_s *) arg;
diff --git a/src/modules/simulator/accelsim/accelsim.cpp b/src/modules/simulator/accelsim/accelsim.cpp
index 36752bb4ac..a25c84cf43 100644
--- a/src/modules/simulator/accelsim/accelsim.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/simulator/accelsim/accelsim.cpp
@@ -565,10 +565,6 @@ ACCELSIM::devIOCTL(unsigned long cmd, unsigned long arg)
 		// Nothing to do for simulator
 		return OK;
 
-	case ACCELIOCSSAMPLERATE:
-		// No need to set internal sampling rate for simulator
-		return OK;
-
 	case ACCELIOCSSCALE: {
 			/* copy scale, but only if off by a few percent */
 			struct accel_calibration_s *s = (struct accel_calibration_s *) arg;
diff --git a/src/modules/simulator/gyrosim/gyrosim.cpp b/src/modules/simulator/gyrosim/gyrosim.cpp
index 1c42e70399..0d6ca6df9b 100644
--- a/src/modules/simulator/gyrosim/gyrosim.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/simulator/gyrosim/gyrosim.cpp
@@ -513,8 +513,7 @@ GYROSIM::_set_sample_rate(unsigned desired_sample_rate_hz)
 	PX4_DEBUG("_set_sample_rate %u Hz", desired_sample_rate_hz);
 
 	if (desired_sample_rate_hz == 0 ||
-	    desired_sample_rate_hz == GYRO_SAMPLERATE_DEFAULT ||
-	    desired_sample_rate_hz == ACCEL_SAMPLERATE_DEFAULT) {
+	    desired_sample_rate_hz == GYRO_SAMPLERATE_DEFAULT) {
 		desired_sample_rate_hz = GYROSIM_GYRO_DEFAULT_RATE;
 	}
 
@@ -700,10 +699,6 @@ GYROSIM::devIOCTL(unsigned long cmd, unsigned long arg)
 			return OK;
 		}
 
-	case ACCELIOCSSAMPLERATE:
-		_set_sample_rate(arg);
-		return OK;
-
 	case ACCELIOCSSCALE: {
 			/* copy scale, but only if off by a few percent */
 			struct accel_calibration_s *s = (struct accel_calibration_s *) arg;
diff --git a/src/systemcmds/config/config.c b/src/systemcmds/config/config.c
index 78b0ff28c4..958550ecb3 100644
--- a/src/systemcmds/config/config.c
+++ b/src/systemcmds/config/config.c
@@ -312,17 +312,7 @@ do_accel(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 		int ret;
 
-		if (argc == 3 && !strcmp(argv[0], "sampling")) {
-
-			/* set the accel internal sampling rate up to at least i Hz */
-			ret = ioctl(fd, ACCELIOCSSAMPLERATE, strtoul(argv[2], NULL, 0));
-
-			if (ret) {
-				PX4_ERR("sampling rate could not be set");
-				return 1;
-			}
-
-		} else if (argc == 3 && !strcmp(argv[0], "rate")) {
+		if (argc == 3 && !strcmp(argv[0], "rate")) {
 
 			/* set the driver to poll at i Hz */
 			ret = ioctl(fd, SENSORIOCSPOLLRATE, strtoul(argv[2], NULL, 0));