diff --git a/src/main/java/net/sf/jabref/gui/desktop/JabRefDesktop.java b/src/main/java/net/sf/jabref/gui/desktop/JabRefDesktop.java
index 58fc3547ec8..c2c1ec07401 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/sf/jabref/gui/desktop/JabRefDesktop.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/sf/jabref/gui/desktop/JabRefDesktop.java
@@ -71,8 +71,6 @@ public static void openExternalViewer(MetaData metaData, String link, String fie
         } else if ("eprint".equals(fieldName)) {
             fieldName = "url";
 
-            link = URLUtil.sanitizeUrl(link);
-
             // Check to see if link field already contains a well formated URL
             if (!link.startsWith("http://")) {
                 link = Util.ARXIV_LOOKUP_PREFIX + link;
@@ -427,7 +425,6 @@ private static void openFolderAndSelectFileOnWindows(String link) throws IOExcep
      * @throws IOException
      */
     public static void openBrowser(String url) throws IOException {
-        url = URLUtil.sanitizeUrl(url);
         ExternalFileType fileType = Globals.prefs.getExternalFileTypeByExt("html");
         openExternalFilePlatformIndependent(fileType, url);
     }
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/sf/jabref/logic/util/io/URLUtil.java b/src/main/java/net/sf/jabref/logic/util/io/URLUtil.java
index 5f44631973f..30be4ea7f05 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/sf/jabref/logic/util/io/URLUtil.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/sf/jabref/logic/util/io/URLUtil.java
@@ -79,44 +79,4 @@ public static String cleanGoogleSearchURL(String url) {
         }
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Make sure an URL is "portable", in that it doesn't contain bad characters that break the open command in some
-     * OSes. A call to this method will also remove \\url{} enclosings.
-     *
-     * It does:
-     * - trim whitespace
-     * - remove Latex \\url{} tags
-     *
-     * @param link the URL to sanitize.
-     * @return the sanitized URL
-     */
-    public static String sanitizeUrl(String link) {
-        // remove whitespace
-        link = link.trim();
-
-        // Remove \\url{}
-        if (link.startsWith("\\url{") && link.endsWith("}")) {
-            link = link.substring(5, link.length() - 1);
-        }
-
-        // FIXME: everything below is really flawed atm
-        link = link.replaceAll("\\+", "%2B");
-
-        try {
-            link = URLDecoder.decode(link, StandardCharsets.UTF_8.name());
-        } catch (UnsupportedEncodingException ignored) {
-            // Ignored
-        }
-
-        /**
-         * Fix for: [ 1574773 ] sanitizeUrl() breaks ftp:// and file:///
-         *
-         * http://sourceforge.net/tracker/index.php?func=detail&aid=1574773&group_id=92314&atid=600306
-         */
-        try {
-            return new URI(null, link, null).toASCIIString();
-        } catch (URISyntaxException e) {
-            return link;
-        }
-    }
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/net/sf/jabref/logic/util/io/URLUtilTest.java b/src/test/java/net/sf/jabref/logic/util/io/URLUtilTest.java
index cbb4f693450..d1214ed280e 100644
--- a/src/test/java/net/sf/jabref/logic/util/io/URLUtilTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/net/sf/jabref/logic/util/io/URLUtilTest.java
@@ -59,19 +59,4 @@ public void cleanGoogleSearchURL() throws Exception {
                 URLUtil.cleanGoogleSearchURL("https://www.google.fr/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCEQFjAAahUKEwjJurHd2sfHAhWBsxQKHSrEAaM&url=ftp%3A%2F%2Fmoz.com%2Fugc%2Fthe-ultimate-guide-to-the-google-search-parameters&ei=0THeVYmOJIHnUqqIh5gK&usg=AFQjCNHnid_r_d2LP8_MqvI7lQnTC3lB_g&sig2=ICzxDroG2ENTJSUGmdhI2w")
         );
     }
-
-    @Test
-    public void testSanitizeUrl() {
-        Assert.assertEquals("http://www.vg.no", URLUtil.sanitizeUrl("http://www.vg.no"));
-        Assert.assertEquals("http://www.vg.no/fil%20e.html", URLUtil.sanitizeUrl("http://www.vg.no/fil e.html"));
-        Assert.assertEquals("http://www.vg.no/fil%20e.html", URLUtil.sanitizeUrl("http://www.vg.no/fil%20e.html"));
-        Assert.assertEquals("www.vg.no/fil%20e.html", URLUtil.sanitizeUrl("www.vg.no/fil%20e.html"));
-        Assert.assertEquals("www.vg.no/fil%20e.html", URLUtil.sanitizeUrl("\\url{www.vg.no/fil%20e.html}"));
-        Assert.assertEquals("ftp://www.vg.no", URLUtil.sanitizeUrl("ftp://www.vg.no"));
-        Assert.assertEquals("file://doof.txt", URLUtil.sanitizeUrl("file://doof.txt"));
-        Assert.assertEquals("file:///", URLUtil.sanitizeUrl("file:///"));
-        Assert.assertEquals("/src/doof.txt", URLUtil.sanitizeUrl("/src/doof.txt"));
-        Assert.assertEquals("/", URLUtil.sanitizeUrl("/"));
-        Assert.assertEquals("/home/user/example.txt", URLUtil.sanitizeUrl("/home/user/example.txt"));
-    }
 }