diff --git a/examples/embedding/embedding.c b/examples/embedding/embedding.c
index 1e66b91c1c2893..3fc8c80d673ecf 100644
--- a/examples/embedding/embedding.c
+++ b/examples/embedding/embedding.c
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ int main()
         jl_eval_string("this_function_does_not_exist()");
 
         if (jl_exception_occurred()) {
-            jl_show(jl_stderr_obj(), jl_exception_occurred());
+            jl_call2(jl_get_function(jl_base_module, "show"), jl_stderr_obj(), jl_exception_occurred());
             jl_printf(jl_stderr_stream(), "\n");
         }
 
diff --git a/src/jlapi.c b/src/jlapi.c
index f1c74e0406b3a0..096ae07c6227f0 100644
--- a/src/jlapi.c
+++ b/src/jlapi.c
@@ -83,7 +83,6 @@ JL_DLLEXPORT jl_value_t *jl_eval_string(const char *str)
         jl_exception_clear();
     }
     JL_CATCH {
-        //jl_show(jl_stderr_obj(), jl_exception_in_transit);
         r = NULL;
     }
     return r;
diff --git a/src/julia.h b/src/julia.h
index 40164830d8a315..434f3671f4eee8 100644
--- a/src/julia.h
+++ b/src/julia.h
@@ -1662,7 +1662,6 @@ JL_DLLEXPORT JL_STREAM *jl_stdin_stream(void);
 JL_DLLEXPORT JL_STREAM *jl_stderr_stream(void);
 
 // showing and std streams
-JL_DLLEXPORT void jl_show(jl_value_t *stream, jl_value_t *v);
 JL_DLLEXPORT void jl_flush_cstdio(void);
 JL_DLLEXPORT jl_value_t *jl_stdout_obj(void);
 JL_DLLEXPORT jl_value_t *jl_stderr_obj(void);
diff --git a/src/rtutils.c b/src/rtutils.c
index cb15ff3e4f8db5..66cb6bb3b7f39e 100644
--- a/src/rtutils.c
+++ b/src/rtutils.c
@@ -439,27 +439,6 @@ JL_DLLEXPORT jl_value_t *jl_stderr_obj(void)
     return stderr_obj;
 }
 
-static jl_function_t *jl_show_gf=NULL;
-
-JL_DLLEXPORT void jl_show(jl_value_t *stream, jl_value_t *v)
-{
-    if (jl_base_module) {
-        if (jl_show_gf == NULL) {
-            jl_show_gf = (jl_function_t*)jl_get_global(jl_base_module, jl_symbol("show"));
-        }
-        if (jl_show_gf==NULL || stream==NULL) {
-            jl_printf(JL_STDERR, " could not show value of type %s",
-                      jl_symbol_name(((jl_datatype_t*)jl_typeof(v))->name->name));
-            return;
-        }
-        jl_value_t *args[3] = {jl_show_gf,stream,v};
-        size_t last_age = jl_get_ptls_states()->world_age;
-        jl_get_ptls_states()->world_age = jl_get_world_counter();
-        jl_apply(args, 3);
-        jl_get_ptls_states()->world_age = last_age;
-    }
-}
-
 // toys for debugging ---------------------------------------------------------
 
 static size_t jl_show_svec(JL_STREAM *out, jl_svec_t *t, const char *head, const char *opn, const char *cls)
@@ -871,8 +850,7 @@ static size_t jl_static_show_x_(JL_STREAM *out, jl_value_t *v, jl_datatype_t *vt
 
 static size_t jl_static_show_x(JL_STREAM *out, jl_value_t *v, struct recur_list *depth)
 {
-    // mimic jl_show, but never calling a julia method and
-    // never allocate through julia gc
+    // show values without calling a julia method or allocating through the GC
     if (v == NULL) {
         return jl_printf(out, "#<null>");
     }
diff --git a/src/toplevel.c b/src/toplevel.c
index 8d70905d9e4946..37cf7f97e440f2 100644
--- a/src/toplevel.c
+++ b/src/toplevel.c
@@ -461,8 +461,6 @@ static jl_method_instance_t *jl_new_thunk(jl_code_info_t *src, jl_module_t *modu
 jl_value_t *jl_toplevel_eval_flex(jl_value_t *e, int fast, int expanded)
 {
     jl_ptls_t ptls = jl_get_ptls_states();
-    //jl_show(ex);
-    //jl_printf(JL_STDOUT, "\n");
     if (!jl_is_expr(e)) {
         if (jl_is_linenode(e)) {
             jl_lineno = jl_linenode_line(e);
diff --git a/ui/repl.c b/ui/repl.c
index 4c998ce2626955..5f8f066cccb46c 100644
--- a/ui/repl.c
+++ b/ui/repl.c
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ static int exec_program(char *program)
         jl_value_t *errs = jl_stderr_obj();
         jl_value_t *e = ptls->exception_in_transit;
         // Manually save and restore the backtrace so that we print the original
-        // one instead of the one caused by `jl_show`.
+        // one instead of the one caused by `show`.
         // We can't use safe_restore since that will cause any error
         // (including the ones that would have been caught) to abort.
         uintptr_t *volatile bt_data = NULL;
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ static int exec_program(char *program)
             if (errs) {
                 bt_data = (uintptr_t*)malloc(bt_size * sizeof(void*));
                 memcpy(bt_data, ptls->bt_data, bt_size * sizeof(void*));
-                jl_show(errs, e);
+                jl_call2(jl_get_function(jl_base_module, "show"), errs, e);
                 jl_printf(JL_STDERR, "\n");
                 free(bt_data);
             }