diff --git a/stepmania/src/RageDisplay.h b/stepmania/src/RageDisplay.h
index 16f0cde14c..88e5edd47c 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/RageDisplay.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/RageDisplay.h
@@ -170,12 +170,6 @@ public:
 
 	virtual bool SupportsTextureFormat( PixelFormat pixfmt, bool realtime=false ) = 0;
 
-	/* This really indicates whether 4-bit palettes will actually use less memory
-	 * than 8-bit ones.  Note that 4-bit palettes are uploaded as 8-bit paletted
-	 * surfaces with color index values in the range 0..15; not as 4-bit "packed
-	 * indexes". */
-	virtual bool Supports4BitPalettes() { return false; }
-
 	/* return 0 if failed or internal texture resource handle 
 	 * (unsigned in OpenGL, texture pointer in D3D) */
 	virtual unsigned CreateTexture( 
diff --git a/stepmania/src/RageDisplay_OGL.cpp b/stepmania/src/RageDisplay_OGL.cpp
index a4e3b48c3d..4f7fca354e 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/RageDisplay_OGL.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/RageDisplay_OGL.cpp
@@ -89,7 +89,6 @@ static bool g_bEXT_texture_env_combine = true;
 static bool g_bGL_EXT_bgra = true;
 
 static bool g_bReversePackedPixelsWorks = true;
-static bool g_b4BitPalettesWork = true;
 
 /* OpenGL system information that generally doesn't change at runtime. */
 
@@ -508,7 +507,7 @@ bool HasExtension(CString ext)
 	return g_glExts.find(ext) != g_glExts.end();
 }
 
-static void CheckPalettedTextures( bool LowColor )
+static void CheckPalettedTextures()
 {
 	CString error;
 	do
@@ -538,12 +537,6 @@ static void CheckPalettedTextures( bool LowColor )
 
 		int bits = 8;
 
-		if( LowColor )
-		{
-			glTexFormat = GL_COLOR_INDEX4_EXT;
-			bits = 4;
-		}
-
 		FlushGLErrors();
 #define GL_CHECK_ERROR(f) \
 { \
@@ -573,7 +566,7 @@ static void CheckPalettedTextures( bool LowColor )
 
 		GLubyte palette[256*4];
 		memset(palette, 0, sizeof(palette));
-		GLExt::glColorTableEXT(GL_PROXY_TEXTURE_2D, GL_RGBA8, 1 << bits, GL_RGBA, GL_UNSIGNED_BYTE, palette);
+		GLExt::glColorTableEXT(GL_PROXY_TEXTURE_2D, GL_RGBA8, 256, GL_RGBA, GL_UNSIGNED_BYTE, palette);
 		GL_CHECK_ERROR( "glColorTableEXT" );
 
 		GLint size = 0;
@@ -608,18 +601,11 @@ static void CheckPalettedTextures( bool LowColor )
 	if( error == "" )
 		return;
 
-	if( LowColor )
-	{
-		/* Disable 4-bit palettes, but allow 8-bit ones. */
-		g_b4BitPalettesWork = false;
-		LOG->Info("4-bit paletted textures disabled: %s.", error.c_str());
-	} else {
-		/* If 8-bit palettes don't work, disable them entirely--don't trust 4-bit
-		 * palettes if it can't even get 8-bit ones right. */
-		GLExt::glColorTableEXT = NULL;
-		GLExt::glGetColorTableParameterivEXT = NULL;
-		LOG->Info("Paletted textures disabled: %s.", error.c_str());
-	}
+	/* If 8-bit palettes don't work, disable them entirely--don't trust 4-bit
+	 * palettes if it can't even get 8-bit ones right. */
+	GLExt::glColorTableEXT = NULL;
+	GLExt::glGetColorTableParameterivEXT = NULL;
+	LOG->Info("Paletted textures disabled: %s.", error.c_str());
 }
 
 static void CheckReversePackedPixels()
@@ -668,9 +654,7 @@ void SetupExtensions()
 	GLExt::glDrawRangeElements = (PFNGLDRAWRANGEELEMENTSPROC) wind->GetProcAddress("glDrawRangeElements");
 	g_bEXT_texture_env_combine = HasExtension("GL_EXT_texture_env_combine");
 	g_bGL_EXT_bgra = HasExtension("GL_EXT_bgra");
-	CheckPalettedTextures( false );
-	if( g_b4BitPalettesWork ) // don't bother if the last one failed
-		CheckPalettedTextures( true );
+	CheckPalettedTextures();
 	CheckReversePackedPixels();
 }
 
@@ -831,11 +815,6 @@ void RageDisplay_OGL::EndFrame()
 	ProcessStatsOnFlip();
 }
 
-bool RageDisplay_OGL::Supports4BitPalettes()
-{
-	return g_b4BitPalettesWork;
-}
-
 SDL_Surface* RageDisplay_OGL::CreateScreenshot()
 {
 	int width = wind->GetVideoModeParams().width;
@@ -1667,16 +1646,6 @@ unsigned RageDisplay_OGL::CreateTexture(
 	GLenum glImageFormat = GL_PIXFMT_INFO[imgpixfmt].format;
 	GLenum glImageType = GL_PIXFMT_INFO[imgpixfmt].type;
 
-	/* If we support 4-bit palettes, and this image fits in 4 bits, then change
-	 * internalformat to GL_COLOR_INDEX4_EXT.  We'll still upload it as 256 colors,
-	 * but OpenGL can discard the extra bits. */
-	if( (img->unused1 & FOUR_BIT_PALETTE) && Supports4BitPalettes() )
-	{
-		LOG->Trace("did 4 bit");
-		glTexFormat = GL_COLOR_INDEX4_EXT;
-	}
-
-	
 	// HACK:  OpenGL 1.2 types aren't available in GLU 1.3.  Don't call GLU for mip
 	// mapping if we're using an OGL 1.2 type and don't have >= GLU 1.3.
 	// http://pyopengl.sourceforge.net/documentation/manual/gluBuild2DMipmaps.3G.html
diff --git a/stepmania/src/RageDisplay_OGL.h b/stepmania/src/RageDisplay_OGL.h
index 20428ec901..c2f8d8a20d 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/RageDisplay_OGL.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/RageDisplay_OGL.h
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ public:
 	VideoModeParams GetVideoModeParams() const;
 	void SetBlendMode( BlendMode mode );
 	bool SupportsTextureFormat( PixelFormat pixfmt, bool realtime=false );
-	bool Supports4BitPalettes();
 	unsigned CreateTexture( 
 		PixelFormat pixfmt, 
 		SDL_Surface* img,
diff --git a/stepmania/src/SDL_utils.cpp b/stepmania/src/SDL_utils.cpp
index 715db4c356..6b8e6b1b6b 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/SDL_utils.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/SDL_utils.cpp
@@ -1062,9 +1062,6 @@ SDL_Surface *mySDL_Palettize( SDL_Surface *src_surf, int GrayBits, int AlphaBits
 	const int Amask = ((1 << AlphaBits) - 1) << Ashift;	// alpha mask
 	const int Aloss = 8-AlphaBits;
 
-	if( TotalColors <= 16 )
-		dst_surf->unused1 |= FOUR_BIT_PALETTE;
-
 	for( int index = 0; index < TotalColors; ++index )
 	{
 		const int I = (index & Imask) >> Ishift;
diff --git a/stepmania/src/SDL_utils.h b/stepmania/src/SDL_utils.h
index 75df3adc42..03a657b9d8 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/SDL_utils.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/SDL_utils.h
@@ -76,10 +76,6 @@ void mySDL_BlitTransform( const SDL_Surface *src, SDL_Surface *dst,
 void mySDL_BlitSurface( 
 	SDL_Surface *src, SDL_Surface *dst, int width, int height, bool ckey);
 
-/* Use the "unused1" field in surfaces to mark paletted surfaces that only use
- * 16 palette values. */
-enum { FOUR_BIT_PALETTE = 0x1 };
-
 SDL_Surface *mySDL_Palettize( SDL_Surface *src_surf, int GrayBits, int AlphaBits );
 
 SDL_Surface *SDL_LoadImage( const CString &sPath );