diff --git a/src/ccmain/recogtraining.cpp b/src/ccmain/recogtraining.cpp
index d9c0af8a31..a9a7f267e7 100644
--- a/src/ccmain/recogtraining.cpp
+++ b/src/ccmain/recogtraining.cpp
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@
 
 #include "boxread.h"
 #include "control.h"
-#include "cutil.h"
 #include "host.h"
 #include "ratngs.h"
 #include "reject.h"
@@ -45,7 +44,11 @@ FILE *Tesseract::init_recog_training(const STRING &fname) {
   const char *lastdot = strrchr(output_fname.string(), '.');
   if (lastdot != nullptr) output_fname[lastdot - output_fname.string()] = '\0';
   output_fname += ".txt";
-  FILE *output_file = open_file(output_fname.string(), "a+");
+  FILE *output_file = fopen(output_fname.string(), "a+");
+  if (output_file == nullptr) {
+    tprintf("Error: Could not open file %s\n", output_fname.string());
+    ASSERT_HOST(output_file);
+  }
   return output_file;
 }
 
@@ -85,7 +88,11 @@ void Tesseract::recog_training_segmented(const STRING &fname,
   if (lastdot != nullptr) box_fname[lastdot - box_fname.string()] = '\0';
   box_fname += ".box";
   // ReadNextBox() will close box_file
-  FILE *box_file = open_file(box_fname.string(), "r");
+  FILE *box_file = fopen(box_fname.string(), "r");
+  if (box_file == nullptr) {
+    tprintf("Error: Could not open file %s\n", box_fname.string());
+    ASSERT_HOST(box_file);
+  }
 
   PAGE_RES_IT page_res_it;
   page_res_it.page_res = page_res;
diff --git a/src/cutil/Makefile.am b/src/cutil/Makefile.am
index 596ed9cc70..80705f3fec 100644
--- a/src/cutil/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/cutil/Makefile.am
@@ -15,6 +15,6 @@ noinst_HEADERS = \
 noinst_LTLIBRARIES = libtesseract_cutil.la
 
 libtesseract_cutil_la_SOURCES = \
-    bitvec.cpp callcpp.cpp cutil.cpp cutil_class.cpp danerror.cpp \
+    bitvec.cpp callcpp.cpp cutil_class.cpp danerror.cpp \
     emalloc.cpp \
     oldlist.cpp structures.cpp
diff --git a/src/cutil/cutil.cpp b/src/cutil/cutil.cpp
deleted file mode 100644
index 1d1067974a..0000000000
--- a/src/cutil/cutil.cpp
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,60 +0,0 @@
-/* -*-C-*-
- ******************************************************************************
- *
- * File:         cutil.cpp
- * Description:  General utility functions
- * Author:       Mark Seaman, SW Productivity
- * Created:      Fri Oct 16 14:37:00 1987
- * Modified:     Wed Jun  6 16:29:17 1990 (Mark Seaman) marks@hpgrlt
- * Language:     C
- * Package:      N/A
- * Status:       Reusable Software Component
- *
- * (c) Copyright 1987, Hewlett-Packard Company.
- ** Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
- ** you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
- ** You may obtain a copy of the License at
- ** http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
- ** Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
- ** distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
- ** WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
- ** See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
- ** limitations under the License.
- *
- ******************************************************************************
- **/
-
-#include "cutil.h"
-#include "tprintf.h"
-#include "callcpp.h"
-
-#include <cstdlib>
-
-#define RESET_COUNT 2000
-
-/**********************************************************************
- * open_file
- *
- *  Open a file for reading or writing.  If the file name parameter is
- *  nullptr use stdin (or stdout) for the file.  If the file can not be
- *  opened then call the error routine.
- **********************************************************************/
-FILE *open_file(const char *filename, const char *mode) {
-  FILE *thisfile = nullptr;
-  if ((thisfile = fopen (filename, mode)) == nullptr) {
-    tprintf ("Could not open file, %s\n", filename);
-    exit (1);
-  }
-  return (thisfile);
-}
-
-/// Check whether the file exists
-bool exists_file(const char *filename) {
-  bool exists = false;
-  FILE *f = nullptr;
-  if ((f = fopen(filename, "rb")) != nullptr) {
-    fclose(f);
-    exists = true;
-  }
-  return exists;
-}
diff --git a/src/cutil/cutil.h b/src/cutil/cutil.h
index 7d07fe1cd3..acbd552cd8 100644
--- a/src/cutil/cutil.h
+++ b/src/cutil/cutil.h
@@ -85,13 +85,5 @@ typedef void (*void_dest) (void *);
 #define print_string(str)  \
   printf ("%s\n", str)
 
-/*----------------------------------------------------------------------
-                     F u n c t i o n s
-----------------------------------------------------------------------*/
-
-FILE *open_file(const char *filename, const char *mode);
-
-bool exists_file(const char *filename);
-
 #include "cutil_class.h"
 #endif
diff --git a/src/dict/dawg.cpp b/src/dict/dawg.cpp
index b557eceaee..07de6cca58 100644
--- a/src/dict/dawg.cpp
+++ b/src/dict/dawg.cpp
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@
 
 #include "dawg.h"
 
-#include "cutil.h"
 #include "dict.h"
 #include "emalloc.h"
 #include "helpers.h"
@@ -78,7 +77,11 @@ int Dawg::check_for_words(const char *filename,
   int misses = 0;
   UNICHAR_ID wildcard = unicharset.unichar_to_id(kWildcard);
 
-  word_file = open_file (filename, "r");
+  word_file = fopen(filename, "r");
+  if (word_file == nullptr) {
+    tprintf("Error: Could not open file %s\n", filename);
+    ASSERT_HOST(word_file);
+  }
 
   while (fgets (string, CHARS_PER_LINE, word_file) != nullptr) {
     chomp_string(string);  // remove newline
diff --git a/src/dict/dict.cpp b/src/dict/dict.cpp
index 8a6b796e40..245e74d037 100644
--- a/src/dict/dict.cpp
+++ b/src/dict/dict.cpp
@@ -650,7 +650,11 @@ void Dict::add_document_word(const WERD_CHOICE &best_choice) {
   if (save_doc_words) {
     STRING filename(getCCUtil()->imagefile);
     filename += ".doc";
-    FILE *doc_word_file = open_file (filename.string(), "a");
+    FILE *doc_word_file = fopen(filename.string(), "a");
+    if (doc_word_file == nullptr) {
+      tprintf("Error: Could not open file %s\n", filename.string());
+      ASSERT_HOST(doc_word_file);
+    }
     fprintf(doc_word_file, "%s\n",
             best_choice.debug_string().string());
     fclose(doc_word_file);