diff --git a/java/client/src/org/openqa/selenium/remote/RemoteWebDriver.java b/java/client/src/org/openqa/selenium/remote/RemoteWebDriver.java
index 18f4f797cad89..9558f69ce6759 100644
--- a/java/client/src/org/openqa/selenium/remote/RemoteWebDriver.java
+++ b/java/client/src/org/openqa/selenium/remote/RemoteWebDriver.java
@@ -126,18 +126,6 @@ public RemoteWebDriver(CommandExecutor executor, Capabilities capabilities) {
       ((NeedsLocalLogs)executor).setLocalLogs(localLogs);
     }
 
-    try {
-      startClient(capabilities);
-    } catch (RuntimeException e) {
-      try {
-        stopClient(capabilities);
-      } catch (Exception ignored) {
-        // Ignore the clean-up exception. We'll propagate the original failure.
-      }
-
-      throw e;
-    }
-
     try {
       startSession(capabilities);
     } catch (RuntimeException e) {
@@ -259,48 +247,6 @@ protected void startSession(Capabilities capabilities) {
     sessionId = new SessionId(response.getSessionId());
   }
 
-  /**
-   * Method called before {@link #startSession(Capabilities) starting a new session}. The default
-   * implementation is a no-op, but subtypes should override this method to define custom behavior.
-   *
-   * @deprecated No longer used, as behaviour is now in {@link CommandExecutor} instances.
-   */
-  @Deprecated
-  protected void startClient() {
-  }
-
-  /**
-   * Method called before {@link #startSession(Capabilities) starting a new session}. The default
-   * implementation is a no-op, but subtypes should override this method to define custom behavior.
-   *
-   * @deprecated No longer used, as behaviour is now in {@link CommandExecutor} instances.
-   */
-  @Deprecated
-  protected void startClient(Capabilities capabilities) {
-    startClient();
-  }
-
-  /**
-   * Method called after executing a {@link #quit()} command. The default implementation is a no-op,
-   * but subtypes should override this method to define custom behavior.
-   *
-   * @deprecated No longer used, as behaviour is now in {@link CommandExecutor} instances.
-   */
-  @Deprecated
-  protected void stopClient() {
-  }
-
-  /**
-   * Method called after executing a {@link #quit()} command. The default implementation is a no-op,
-   * but subtypes should override this method to define custom behavior.
-   *
-   * @deprecated No longer used, as behaviour is now in {@link CommandExecutor} instances.
-   */
-  @Deprecated
-  protected void stopClient(Capabilities capabilities) {
-    stopClient();
-  }
-
   public ErrorHandler getErrorHandler() {
     return errorHandler;
   }
@@ -497,7 +443,6 @@ public void quit() {
       execute(DriverCommand.QUIT);
     } finally {
       sessionId = null;
-      stopClient();
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/java/client/test/org/openqa/selenium/remote/RemoteWebDriverInitializationTest.java b/java/client/test/org/openqa/selenium/remote/RemoteWebDriverInitializationTest.java
index 3273637a7e2d7..dbd98c6d171d0 100644
--- a/java/client/test/org/openqa/selenium/remote/RemoteWebDriverInitializationTest.java
+++ b/java/client/test/org/openqa/selenium/remote/RemoteWebDriverInitializationTest.java
@@ -40,20 +40,8 @@
 
 @RunWith(JUnit4.class)
 public class RemoteWebDriverInitializationTest {
-  private boolean stopClientCalled = false;
   private boolean quitCalled = false;
 
-  @Test
-  public void testStopsClientIfStartClientFails() {
-    Throwable ex = TestUtilities.catchThrowable(
-        () -> new BadStartClientRemoteWebDriver(mock(CommandExecutor.class),
-                                                new ImmutableCapabilities()));
-
-    assertNotNull(ex);
-    assertThat(ex.getMessage(), containsString("Stub client that should fail"));
-    assertTrue(stopClientCalled);
-  }
-
   @Test
   public void testQuitsIfStartSessionFails() {
     Throwable ex = TestUtilities.catchThrowable(
@@ -75,23 +63,6 @@ public void canHandleNonStandardCapabilitiesReturnedByRemoteEnd() throws IOExcep
     assertThat(driver.getCapabilities().getCapability("platform"), equalTo(Platform.UNIX));
   }
 
-  private class BadStartClientRemoteWebDriver extends RemoteWebDriver {
-    public BadStartClientRemoteWebDriver(CommandExecutor executor,
-                                         Capabilities desiredCapabilities) {
-      super(executor, desiredCapabilities);
-    }
-
-    @Override
-    protected void startClient() {
-      throw new RuntimeException("Stub client that should fail");
-    }
-
-    @Override
-    protected void stopClient() {
-      stopClientCalled = true;
-    }
-  }
-
   private class BadStartSessionRemoteWebDriver extends RemoteWebDriver {
     public BadStartSessionRemoteWebDriver(CommandExecutor executor,
                                           Capabilities desiredCapabilities) {