diff --git a/src/plugins/streamers/lefdef/lay_plugin/layLEFDEFImportDialogs.cc b/src/plugins/streamers/lefdef/lay_plugin/layLEFDEFImportDialogs.cc
index 1b0e6d2c2..765640e43 100644
--- a/src/plugins/streamers/lefdef/lay_plugin/layLEFDEFImportDialogs.cc
+++ b/src/plugins/streamers/lefdef/lay_plugin/layLEFDEFImportDialogs.cc
@@ -340,26 +340,6 @@ END_PROTECTED
 // -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 //  LEFDEF technology components editor
 
-static void
-indicate_error (QWidget *le, const tl::Exception *ex)
-{
-  //  by the way, update the foreground color of the cell edit box as well (red, if not valid)
-  QPalette pl = le->palette ();
-  if (ex) {
-    pl.setColor (QPalette::Active, QPalette::Text, Qt::red);
-    pl.setColor (QPalette::Active, QPalette::Base, QColor (Qt::red).lighter (180));
-    le->setToolTip (tl::to_qstring (ex->msg ()));
-  } else {
-    QWidget *pw = dynamic_cast<QWidget *> (le->parent ());
-    tl_assert (pw != 0);
-    pl.setColor (QPalette::Active, QPalette::Text, pw->palette ().color (QPalette::Text));
-    pl.setColor (QPalette::Active, QPalette::Base, pw->palette ().color (QPalette::Base));
-    le->setToolTip (QString ());
-  }
-  le->setPalette (pl);
-}
-
-
 LEFDEFReaderOptionsEditor::LEFDEFReaderOptionsEditor (QWidget *parent)
   : lay::StreamReaderOptionsPage (parent), mp_tech (0)
 {