diff --git a/src/mesa/drivers/dri/i965/brw_draw_upload.c b/src/mesa/drivers/dri/i965/brw_draw_upload.c
index 2162624cede..5a12439e8f3 100644
--- a/src/mesa/drivers/dri/i965/brw_draw_upload.c
+++ b/src/mesa/drivers/dri/i965/brw_draw_upload.c
@@ -502,10 +502,7 @@ brw_prepare_vertices(struct brw_context *brw)
 	 /* This is a common place to reach if the user mistakenly supplies
 	  * a pointer in place of a VBO offset.  If we just let it go through,
 	  * we may end up dereferencing a pointer beyond the bounds of the
-	  * GTT.  We would hope that the VBO's max_index would save us, but
-	  * Mesa appears to hand us min/max values not clipped to the
-	  * array object's _MaxElement, and _MaxElement frequently appears
-	  * to be wrong anyway.
+	  * GTT.
 	  *
 	  * The VBO spec allows application termination in this case, and it's
 	  * probably a service to the poor programmer to do so rather than
diff --git a/src/mesa/drivers/dri/swrast/swrast.c b/src/mesa/drivers/dri/swrast/swrast.c
index e28991b0cb6..e8a2c12d71c 100644
--- a/src/mesa/drivers/dri/swrast/swrast.c
+++ b/src/mesa/drivers/dri/swrast/swrast.c
@@ -772,9 +772,6 @@ dri_create_context(gl_api api,
 
     driContextSetFlags(mesaCtx, flags);
 
-    /* do bounds checking to prevent segfaults and server crashes! */
-    mesaCtx->Const.CheckArrayBounds = GL_TRUE;
-
     /* create module contexts */
     _swrast_CreateContext( mesaCtx );
     _vbo_CreateContext( mesaCtx );
diff --git a/src/mesa/main/api_validate.c b/src/mesa/main/api_validate.c
index 8f0b1998dad..51a3d1f01ce 100644
--- a/src/mesa/main/api_validate.c
+++ b/src/mesa/main/api_validate.c
@@ -159,47 +159,6 @@ check_valid_to_render(struct gl_context *ctx, const char *function)
 }
 
 
-/**
- * Do bounds checking on array element indexes.  Check that the vertices
- * pointed to by the indices don't lie outside buffer object bounds.
- * \return GL_TRUE if OK, GL_FALSE if any indexed vertex goes is out of bounds
- */
-static GLboolean
-check_index_bounds(struct gl_context *ctx, GLsizei count, GLenum type,
-		   const GLvoid *indices, GLint basevertex)
-{
-   struct _mesa_prim prim;
-   struct _mesa_index_buffer ib;
-   GLuint min, max;
-
-   /* Only the X Server needs to do this -- otherwise, accessing outside
-    * array/BO bounds allows application termination.
-    */
-   if (!ctx->Const.CheckArrayBounds)
-      return GL_TRUE;
-
-   memset(&prim, 0, sizeof(prim));
-   prim.count = count;
-
-   memset(&ib, 0, sizeof(ib));
-   ib.type = type;
-   ib.ptr = indices;
-   ib.obj = ctx->Array.VAO->IndexBufferObj;
-
-   vbo_get_minmax_indices(ctx, &prim, &ib, &min, &max, 1);
-
-   if ((int)(min + basevertex) < 0 ||
-       max + basevertex >= ctx->Array.VAO->_MaxElement) {
-      /* the max element is out of bounds of one or more enabled arrays */
-      _mesa_warning(ctx, "glDrawElements() index=%u is out of bounds (max=%u)",
-                    max, ctx->Array.VAO->_MaxElement);
-      return GL_FALSE;
-   }
-
-   return GL_TRUE;
-}
-
-
 /**
  * Is 'mode' a valid value for glBegin(), glDrawArrays(), glDrawElements(),
  * etc?  The set of legal values depends on whether geometry shaders/programs
@@ -453,9 +412,6 @@ _mesa_validate_DrawElements(struct gl_context *ctx,
          return GL_FALSE;
    }
 
-   if (!check_index_bounds(ctx, count, type, indices, basevertex))
-      return GL_FALSE;
-
    if (count == 0)
       return GL_FALSE;
 
@@ -517,12 +473,6 @@ _mesa_validate_MultiDrawElements(struct gl_context *ctx,
       }
    }
 
-   for (i = 0; i < primcount; i++) {
-      if (!check_index_bounds(ctx, count[i], type, indices[i],
-                              basevertex ? basevertex[i] : 0))
-         return GL_FALSE;
-   }
-
    return GL_TRUE;
 }
 
@@ -588,9 +538,6 @@ _mesa_validate_DrawRangeElements(struct gl_context *ctx, GLenum mode,
          return GL_FALSE;
    }
 
-   if (!check_index_bounds(ctx, count, type, indices, basevertex))
-      return GL_FALSE;
-
    if (count == 0)
       return GL_FALSE;
 
@@ -623,11 +570,6 @@ _mesa_validate_DrawArrays(struct gl_context *ctx,
    if (!check_valid_to_render(ctx, "glDrawArrays"))
       return GL_FALSE;
 
-   if (ctx->Const.CheckArrayBounds) {
-      if (start + count > (GLint) ctx->Array.VAO->_MaxElement)
-         return GL_FALSE;
-   }
-
    /* From the GLES3 specification, section 2.14.2 (Transform Feedback
     * Primitive Capture):
     *
@@ -692,11 +634,6 @@ _mesa_validate_DrawArraysInstanced(struct gl_context *ctx, GLenum mode, GLint fi
    if (!check_valid_to_render(ctx, "glDrawArraysInstanced(invalid to render)"))
       return GL_FALSE;
 
-   if (ctx->Const.CheckArrayBounds) {
-      if (first + count > (GLint) ctx->Array.VAO->_MaxElement)
-         return GL_FALSE;
-   }
-
    /* From the GLES3 specification, section 2.14.2 (Transform Feedback
     * Primitive Capture):
     *
@@ -791,9 +728,6 @@ _mesa_validate_DrawElementsInstanced(struct gl_context *ctx,
    if (count == 0)
       return GL_FALSE;
 
-   if (!check_index_bounds(ctx, count, type, indices, basevertex))
-      return GL_FALSE;
-
    return GL_TRUE;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/mesa/main/arrayobj.c b/src/mesa/main/arrayobj.c
index 1ea319a746e..0d77b112b31 100644
--- a/src/mesa/main/arrayobj.c
+++ b/src/mesa/main/arrayobj.c
@@ -291,52 +291,6 @@ remove_array_object( struct gl_context *ctx, struct gl_vertex_array_object *obj
 }
 
 
-
-/**
- * Helper for _mesa_update_vao_max_element().
- * \return  min(vao->_VertexAttrib[*]._MaxElement).
- */
-static GLuint
-compute_max_element(struct gl_vertex_array_object *vao, GLbitfield64 enabled)
-{
-   GLuint min = ~((GLuint)0);
-
-   while (enabled) {
-      struct gl_client_array *client_array;
-      GLint attrib = ffsll(enabled) - 1;
-      enabled ^= BITFIELD64_BIT(attrib);
-
-      client_array = &vao->_VertexAttrib[attrib];
-      assert(client_array->Enabled);
-      _mesa_update_array_max_element(client_array);
-      min = MIN2(min, client_array->_MaxElement);
-   }
-
-   return min;
-}
-
-
-/**
- * Examine vertex arrays to update the gl_vertex_array_object::_MaxElement field.
- */
-void
-_mesa_update_vao_max_element(struct gl_context *ctx,
-                                      struct gl_vertex_array_object *vao)
-{
-   GLbitfield64 enabled;
-
-   if (!ctx->VertexProgram._Current ||
-       ctx->VertexProgram._Current == ctx->VertexProgram._TnlProgram) {
-      enabled = _mesa_array_object_get_enabled_ff(vao);
-   } else {
-      enabled = _mesa_array_object_get_enabled_arb(vao);
-   }
-
-   /* _MaxElement is one past the last legal array element */
-   vao->_MaxElement = compute_max_element(vao, enabled);
-}
-
-
 /**
  * Updates the derived gl_client_arrays when a gl_vertex_attrib_array
  * or a gl_vertex_buffer_binding has changed.
diff --git a/src/mesa/main/arrayobj.h b/src/mesa/main/arrayobj.h
index d72761db15f..1819cd12a2b 100644
--- a/src/mesa/main/arrayobj.h
+++ b/src/mesa/main/arrayobj.h
@@ -74,10 +74,6 @@ _mesa_initialize_vao(struct gl_context *ctx,
                      struct gl_vertex_array_object *obj, GLuint name);
 
 
-extern void
-_mesa_update_vao_max_element(struct gl_context *ctx,
-                             struct gl_vertex_array_object *vao);
-
 extern void
 _mesa_update_vao_client_arrays(struct gl_context *ctx,
                                struct gl_vertex_array_object *vao);
diff --git a/src/mesa/main/attrib.c b/src/mesa/main/attrib.c
index 2e289b6f1cb..ef98ba7fd39 100644
--- a/src/mesa/main/attrib.c
+++ b/src/mesa/main/attrib.c
@@ -1458,7 +1458,6 @@ copy_array_object(struct gl_context *ctx,
    /* _Enabled must be the same than on push */
    dest->_Enabled = src->_Enabled;
    dest->NewArrays = src->NewArrays;
-   dest->_MaxElement = src->_MaxElement;
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/mesa/main/context.c b/src/mesa/main/context.c
index 4c2c32e7b7a..682b9c79718 100644
--- a/src/mesa/main/context.c
+++ b/src/mesa/main/context.c
@@ -628,9 +628,6 @@ _mesa_init_constants(struct gl_constants *consts, gl_api api)
     */
    consts->VertexID_is_zero_based = false;
 
-   /* CheckArrayBounds is overriden by drivers/x11 for X server */
-   consts->CheckArrayBounds = GL_FALSE;
-
    /* GL_ARB_draw_buffers */
    consts->MaxDrawBuffers = MAX_DRAW_BUFFERS;
 
diff --git a/src/mesa/main/mtypes.h b/src/mesa/main/mtypes.h
index 0d50be842fb..553a216672a 100644
--- a/src/mesa/main/mtypes.h
+++ b/src/mesa/main/mtypes.h
@@ -1526,7 +1526,6 @@ struct gl_client_array
    GLuint _ElementSize;         /**< size of each element in bytes */
 
    struct gl_buffer_object *BufferObj;/**< GL_ARB_vertex_buffer_object */
-   GLuint _MaxElement;          /**< max element index into array buffer + 1 */
 };
 
 
@@ -1629,12 +1628,6 @@ struct gl_vertex_array_object
    /** Mask of VERT_BIT_* values indicating changed/dirty arrays */
    GLbitfield64 NewArrays;
 
-   /**
-    * Min of all enabled arrays' _MaxElement.  When arrays reside inside VBOs
-    * we can determine the max legal (in bounds) glDrawElements array index.
-    */
-   GLuint _MaxElement;
-
    /** The index buffer (also known as the element array buffer in OpenGL). */
    struct gl_buffer_object *IndexBufferObj;
 };
@@ -3432,9 +3425,6 @@ struct gl_constants
       GLuint PrimitivesWritten;
    } QueryCounterBits;
 
-   /** vertex array / buffer object bounds checking */
-   GLboolean CheckArrayBounds;
-
    GLuint MaxDrawBuffers;    /**< GL_ARB_draw_buffers */
 
    GLuint MaxColorAttachments;   /**< GL_EXT_framebuffer_object */
diff --git a/src/mesa/main/state.c b/src/mesa/main/state.c
index c122c16aae3..80287c47062 100644
--- a/src/mesa/main/state.c
+++ b/src/mesa/main/state.c
@@ -419,11 +419,6 @@ _mesa_update_state_locked( struct gl_context *ctx )
    if (new_state & _NEW_ARRAY)
       _mesa_update_vao_client_arrays(ctx, ctx->Array.VAO);
 
-   if (ctx->Const.CheckArrayBounds &&
-       new_state & (_NEW_ARRAY | _NEW_PROGRAM | _NEW_BUFFER_OBJECT)) {
-      _mesa_update_vao_max_element(ctx, ctx->Array.VAO);
-   }
-
  out:
    new_prog_state |= update_program_constants(ctx);
 
diff --git a/src/mesa/main/varray.c b/src/mesa/main/varray.c
index 7d169f9d49b..ead78649db8 100644
--- a/src/mesa/main/varray.c
+++ b/src/mesa/main/varray.c
@@ -1867,7 +1867,6 @@ _mesa_copy_client_array(struct gl_context *ctx,
    dst->InstanceDivisor = src->InstanceDivisor;
    dst->_ElementSize = src->_ElementSize;
    _mesa_reference_buffer_object(ctx, &dst->BufferObj, src->BufferObj);
-   dst->_MaxElement = src->_MaxElement;
 }
 
 void
@@ -1911,11 +1910,10 @@ print_array(const char *name, GLint index, const struct gl_client_array *array)
       printf("  %s[%d]: ", name, index);
    else
       printf("  %s: ", name);
-   printf("Ptr=%p, Type=0x%x, Size=%d, ElemSize=%u, Stride=%d, Buffer=%u(Size %lu), MaxElem=%u\n",
+   printf("Ptr=%p, Type=0x%x, Size=%d, ElemSize=%u, Stride=%d, Buffer=%u(Size %lu)\n",
 	  array->Ptr, array->Type, array->Size,
 	  array->_ElementSize, array->StrideB,
-	  array->BufferObj->Name, (unsigned long) array->BufferObj->Size,
-	  array->_MaxElement);
+	  array->BufferObj->Name, (unsigned long) array->BufferObj->Size);
 }
 
 
@@ -1928,8 +1926,6 @@ _mesa_print_arrays(struct gl_context *ctx)
    struct gl_vertex_array_object *vao = ctx->Array.VAO;
    GLuint i;
 
-   _mesa_update_vao_max_element(ctx, vao);
-
    printf("Array Object %u\n", vao->Name);
    if (vao->_VertexAttrib[VERT_ATTRIB_POS].Enabled)
       print_array("Vertex", -1, &vao->_VertexAttrib[VERT_ATTRIB_POS]);
@@ -1943,7 +1939,6 @@ _mesa_print_arrays(struct gl_context *ctx)
    for (i = 0; i < VERT_ATTRIB_GENERIC_MAX; i++)
       if (vao->_VertexAttrib[VERT_ATTRIB_GENERIC(i)].Enabled)
          print_array("Attrib", i, &vao->_VertexAttrib[VERT_ATTRIB_GENERIC(i)]);
-   printf("  _MaxElement = %u\n", vao->_MaxElement);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/mesa/main/varray.h b/src/mesa/main/varray.h
index d5d8b363d43..4e4bd5f80a7 100644
--- a/src/mesa/main/varray.h
+++ b/src/mesa/main/varray.h
@@ -34,39 +34,6 @@
 struct gl_client_array;
 struct gl_context;
 
-
-/**
- * Compute the index of the last array element that can be safely accessed in
- * a vertex array.  We can really only do this when the array lives in a VBO.
- * The array->_MaxElement field will be updated.
- * Later in glDrawArrays/Elements/etc we can do some bounds checking.
- */
-static inline void
-_mesa_update_array_max_element(struct gl_client_array *array)
-{
-   assert(array->Enabled);
-
-   if (array->BufferObj->Name) {
-      GLsizeiptrARB offset = (GLsizeiptrARB) array->Ptr;
-      GLsizeiptrARB bufSize = (GLsizeiptrARB) array->BufferObj->Size;
-
-      if (offset < bufSize) {
-         const GLuint stride = array->StrideB ?
-                                 array->StrideB : array->_ElementSize;
-         array->_MaxElement = (bufSize - offset + stride
-                                  - array->_ElementSize) / stride;
-      }
-      else {
-	 array->_MaxElement = 0;
-      }
-   }
-   else {
-      /* user-space array, no idea how big it is */
-      array->_MaxElement = 2 * 1000 * 1000 * 1000; /* just a big number */
-   }
-}
-
-
 /**
  * Returns a pointer to the vertex attribute data in a client array,
  * or the offset into the vertex buffer for an array that resides in
diff --git a/src/mesa/vbo/vbo_exec_array.c b/src/mesa/vbo/vbo_exec_array.c
index 22557e16844..111321bd7f2 100644
--- a/src/mesa/vbo/vbo_exec_array.c
+++ b/src/mesa/vbo/vbo_exec_array.c
@@ -1032,7 +1032,12 @@ vbo_exec_DrawRangeElementsBaseVertex(GLenum mode,
 {
    static GLuint warnCount = 0;
    GLboolean index_bounds_valid = GL_TRUE;
-   GLuint max_element;
+
+   /* This is only useful to catch invalid values in the "end" parameter
+    * like ~0.
+    */
+   GLuint max_element = 2 * 1000 * 1000 * 1000; /* just a big number */
+
    GET_CURRENT_CONTEXT(ctx);
 
    if (MESA_VERBOSE & VERBOSE_DRAW)
@@ -1045,25 +1050,6 @@ vbo_exec_DrawRangeElementsBaseVertex(GLenum mode,
                                           type, indices, basevertex ))
       return;
 
-   if (ctx->Const.CheckArrayBounds) {
-      /* _MaxElement was computed, so we can use it.
-       * This path is used for drivers which need strict bounds checking.
-       */
-      max_element = ctx->Array.VAO->_MaxElement;
-   }
-   else {
-      /* Generally, hardware drivers don't need to know the buffer bounds
-       * if all vertex attributes are in VBOs.
-       * However, if none of vertex attributes are in VBOs, _MaxElement
-       * is always set to some random big number anyway, so bounds checking
-       * is mostly useless.
-       *
-       * This is only useful to catch invalid values in the "end" parameter
-       * like ~0.
-       */
-      max_element = 2 * 1000 * 1000 * 1000; /* just a big number */
-   }
-
    if ((int) end + basevertex < 0 ||
        start + basevertex >= max_element) {
       /* The application requested we draw using a range of indices that's
diff --git a/src/mesa/vbo/vbo_exec_draw.c b/src/mesa/vbo/vbo_exec_draw.c
index c454c6943b4..362cc10405c 100644
--- a/src/mesa/vbo/vbo_exec_draw.c
+++ b/src/mesa/vbo/vbo_exec_draw.c
@@ -159,7 +159,6 @@ vbo_exec_bind_arrays( struct gl_context *ctx )
    struct vbo_context *vbo = vbo_context(ctx);
    struct vbo_exec_context *exec = &vbo->exec;
    struct gl_client_array *arrays = exec->vtx.arrays;
-   const GLuint count = exec->vtx.vert_count;
    const GLuint *map;
    GLuint attr;
    GLbitfield64 varying_inputs = 0x0;
@@ -241,7 +240,6 @@ vbo_exec_bind_arrays( struct gl_context *ctx )
          _mesa_reference_buffer_object(ctx,
                                        &arrays[attr].BufferObj,
                                        exec->vtx.bufferobj);
-	 arrays[attr]._MaxElement = count; /* ??? */
 
          varying_inputs |= VERT_BIT(attr);
       }
diff --git a/src/mesa/vbo/vbo_save_draw.c b/src/mesa/vbo/vbo_save_draw.c
index 89fd30e0fb1..d0521d79485 100644
--- a/src/mesa/vbo/vbo_save_draw.c
+++ b/src/mesa/vbo/vbo_save_draw.c
@@ -203,7 +203,6 @@ static void vbo_bind_vertex_list(struct gl_context *ctx,
          _mesa_reference_buffer_object(ctx,
                                        &arrays[attr].BufferObj,
                                        node->vertex_store->bufferobj);
-	 arrays[attr]._MaxElement = node->count; /* ??? */
 	 
 	 assert(arrays[attr].BufferObj->Name);
 
diff --git a/src/mesa/vbo/vbo_split_copy.c b/src/mesa/vbo/vbo_split_copy.c
index 719ad651a89..ca752e81060 100644
--- a/src/mesa/vbo/vbo_split_copy.c
+++ b/src/mesa/vbo/vbo_split_copy.c
@@ -533,7 +533,6 @@ replay_init( struct copy_context *copy )
       dst->Integer = src->Integer;
       dst->BufferObj = ctx->Shared->NullBufferObj;
       dst->_ElementSize = src->_ElementSize;
-      dst->_MaxElement = copy->dstbuf_size; /* may be less! */
 
       offset += copy->varying[i].size;
    }