diff --git a/repos/base/include/trace_session/client.h b/repos/base/include/trace_session/client.h
index 42276e607e..406bfbd93e 100644
--- a/repos/base/include/trace_session/client.h
+++ b/repos/base/include/trace_session/client.h
@@ -116,10 +116,6 @@ struct Genode::Trace::Session_client : Genode::Rpc_client<Genode::Trace::Session
 		void trace(Subject_id s, Policy_id p, size_t buffer_size) override {
 			call<Rpc_trace>(s, p, buffer_size); }
 
-		void rule(Session_label const &label, Thread_name const &thread,
-		          Policy_id policy, size_t buffer_size) override {
-			call<Rpc_rule>(label, thread, policy, buffer_size); }
-
 		void pause(Subject_id subject) override {
 			call<Rpc_pause>(subject); }
 
diff --git a/repos/base/include/trace_session/trace_session.h b/repos/base/include/trace_session/trace_session.h
index 1657aad55b..3bd61ba442 100644
--- a/repos/base/include/trace_session/trace_session.h
+++ b/repos/base/include/trace_session/trace_session.h
@@ -64,12 +64,6 @@ struct Genode::Trace::Session : Genode::Session
 	 */
 	virtual void trace(Subject_id, Policy_id, size_t buffer_size) = 0;
 
-	/**
-	 * Install a matching rule for automatically tracing new threads
-	 */
-	virtual void rule(Session_label const &, Thread_name const &,
-	                  Policy_id, size_t buffer_size) = 0;
-
 	/**
 	 * Pause generation of tracing data
 	 *
@@ -124,10 +118,6 @@ struct Genode::Trace::Session : Genode::Session
 	                                  Nonexistent_policy,
 	                                  Traced_by_other_session),
 	                 Subject_id, Policy_id, size_t);
-	GENODE_RPC_THROW(Rpc_rule, void, rule,
-	                 GENODE_TYPE_LIST(Out_of_ram, Out_of_caps),
-	                 Session_label const &, Thread_name const &,
-	                 Policy_id, size_t);
 	GENODE_RPC_THROW(Rpc_pause, void, pause,
 	                 GENODE_TYPE_LIST(Nonexistent_subject), Subject_id);
 	GENODE_RPC_THROW(Rpc_resume, void, resume,
@@ -144,7 +134,7 @@ struct Genode::Trace::Session : Genode::Session
 	                 GENODE_TYPE_LIST(Nonexistent_subject), Subject_id);
 
 	GENODE_RPC_INTERFACE(Rpc_dataspace, Rpc_alloc_policy, Rpc_policy,
-	                     Rpc_unload_policy, Rpc_trace, Rpc_rule, Rpc_pause,
+	                     Rpc_unload_policy, Rpc_trace, Rpc_pause,
 	                     Rpc_resume, Rpc_subjects, Rpc_buffer,
 	                     Rpc_free, Rpc_subject_infos);
 };
diff --git a/repos/base/src/core/include/trace/session_component.h b/repos/base/src/core/include/trace/session_component.h
index d115784ff6..dbdafbb847 100644
--- a/repos/base/src/core/include/trace/session_component.h
+++ b/repos/base/src/core/include/trace/session_component.h
@@ -78,7 +78,6 @@ class Genode::Trace::Session_component
 		Dataspace_capability policy(Policy_id) override;
 		void unload_policy(Policy_id) override;
 		void trace(Subject_id, Policy_id, size_t) override;
-		void rule(Session_label const &, Thread_name const &, Policy_id, size_t) override;
 		void pause(Subject_id) override;
 		void resume(Subject_id) override;
 		Dataspace_capability buffer(Subject_id) override;
diff --git a/repos/base/src/core/trace_session_component.cc b/repos/base/src/core/trace_session_component.cc
index 58308242ef..235da3555e 100644
--- a/repos/base/src/core/trace_session_component.cc
+++ b/repos/base/src/core/trace_session_component.cc
@@ -127,13 +127,6 @@ void Session_component::trace(Subject_id subject_id, Policy_id policy_id,
 }
 
 
-void Session_component::rule(Session_label const &, Thread_name const &,
-                             Policy_id, size_t)
-{
-	/* not implemented yet */
-}
-
-
 void Session_component::pause(Subject_id subject_id)
 {
 	_subjects.lookup_by_id(subject_id).pause();