diff --git a/cyborg/conf/glance.py b/cyborg/conf/glance.py
index b8e41feb..0a9b9299 100644
--- a/cyborg/conf/glance.py
+++ b/cyborg/conf/glance.py
@@ -34,29 +34,6 @@ Enable glance operation retries.
 
 Specifies the number of retries when uploading / downloading
 an image to / from glance. 0 means no retries.
-"""),
-    cfg.ListOpt('allowed_direct_url_schemes',
-                default=[],
-                deprecated_for_removal=True,
-                deprecated_since='17.0.0',
-                deprecated_reason="""
-This was originally added for the 'cyborg.image.download.file' FileTransfer
-extension which was removed in the 16.0.0 Pike release. The
-'cyborg.image.download.modules' extension point is not maintained
-and there is no indication of its use in production clouds.
-""",
-                help="""
-List of url schemes that can be directly accessed.
-
-This option specifies a list of url schemes that can be downloaded
-directly via the direct_url. This direct_URL can be fetched from
-Image metadata which can be used by cyborg to get the
-image more efficiently. cyborg-compute could benefit from this by
-invoking a copy when it has access to the same file system as glance.
-
-Possible values:
-
-* [file], Empty list (default)
 """),
     cfg.BoolOpt('verify_glance_signatures',
                 default=False,
diff --git a/cyborg/image/api.py b/cyborg/image/api.py
index dbb8976e..7aa79039 100644
--- a/cyborg/image/api.py
+++ b/cyborg/image/api.py
@@ -149,11 +149,7 @@ class API(object):
         again, None is returned from the method. If no data argument is
         supplied and no dest_path argument is supplied (VMWare and XenAPI virt
         drivers), then the method returns an iterator to the image bits that
-        the caller uses to write to wherever location it wants. Finally, if the
-        allow_direct_url_schemes CONF option is set to something, then the
-        cyborg.image.download modules are used to attempt to do an SCP copy of
-        the image bits from a file location to the dest_path and None is
-        returned after retrying one or more download locations.
+        the caller uses to write to wherever location it wants.
 
         I think the above points to just how hacky/wacky all of this code is,
         and the reason it needs to be cleaned up and standardized across the
diff --git a/cyborg/image/download/__init__.py b/cyborg/image/download/__init__.py
deleted file mode 100644
index b674f80d..00000000
--- a/cyborg/image/download/__init__.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,54 +0,0 @@
-# Copyright 2013 Red Hat, Inc.
-# All Rights Reserved.
-#
-#    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.
-
-from oslo_log import log as logging
-import stevedore.driver
-import stevedore.extension
-
-LOG = logging.getLogger(__name__)
-
-
-def load_transfer_modules():
-
-    module_dictionary = {}
-
-    ex = stevedore.extension.ExtensionManager('cyborg.image.download.modules')
-    for module_name in ex.names():
-        mgr = stevedore.driver.DriverManager(
-            namespace='cyborg.image.download.modules',
-            name=module_name,
-            invoke_on_load=False)
-
-        schemes_list = mgr.driver.get_schemes()
-        for scheme in schemes_list:
-            if scheme in module_dictionary:
-                LOG.error('%(scheme)s is registered as a module twice. '
-                          '%(module_name)s is not being used.',
-                          {'scheme': scheme,
-                           'module_name': module_name})
-            else:
-                module_dictionary[scheme] = mgr.driver
-
-    if module_dictionary:
-        LOG.warning('The cyborg.image.download.modules extension point is '
-                    'deprecated for removal starting in the 17.0.0 Queens '
-                    'release and may be removed as early as the 18.0.0 Rocky '
-                    'release. It is not maintained and there is no indication '
-                    'of its use in production clouds. If you are using this '
-                    'extension point, please make the cyborg development team '
-                    'aware by contacting us in the #openstack-cyborg freenode '
-                    'IRC channel or on the openstack-dev mailing list.')
-
-    return module_dictionary
diff --git a/cyborg/image/glance.py b/cyborg/image/glance.py
index 1b8a7588..fe8a6a46 100644
--- a/cyborg/image/glance.py
+++ b/cyborg/image/glance.py
@@ -36,12 +36,10 @@ from oslo_utils import excutils
 from oslo_utils import timeutils
 import six
 from six.moves import range
-import six.moves.urllib.parse as urlparse
 
 from cyborg.common import exception
 from cyborg.common import utils
 import cyborg.conf
-import cyborg.image.download as image_xfers
 from cyborg import objects
 from cyborg import service_auth
 
@@ -187,24 +185,6 @@ class GlanceImageServiceV2(object):
 
     def __init__(self, client=None):
         self._client = client or GlanceClientWrapper()
-        # NOTE(jbresnah) build the table of download handlers at the beginning
-        # so that operators can catch errors at load time rather than whenever
-        # a user attempts to use a module.  Note this cannot be done in glance
-        # space when this python module is loaded because the download module
-        # may require configuration options to be parsed.
-        self._download_handlers = {}
-        download_modules = image_xfers.load_transfer_modules()
-
-        for scheme, mod in download_modules.items():
-            if scheme not in CONF.glance.allowed_direct_url_schemes:
-                continue
-
-            try:
-                self._download_handlers[scheme] = mod.get_download_handler()
-            except Exception as ex:
-                LOG.error('When loading the module %(module_str)s the '
-                          'following error occurred: %(ex)s',
-                          {'module_str': str(mod), 'ex': ex})
 
     @staticmethod
     def _safe_fsync(fh):
@@ -234,21 +214,6 @@ class GlanceImageServiceV2(object):
 
     def download(self, context, image_id, data=None, dst_path=None):
         """Calls out to Glance for data and writes data."""
-        if CONF.glance.allowed_direct_url_schemes and dst_path is not None:
-            image = self.show(context, image_id, include_locations=True)
-            for entry in image.get('locations', []):
-                loc_url = entry['url']
-                loc_meta = entry['metadata']
-                o = urlparse.urlparse(loc_url)
-                xfer_mod = self._get_transfer_module(o.scheme)
-                if xfer_mod:
-                    try:
-                        xfer_mod.download(context, o, dst_path, loc_meta)
-                        LOG.info("Successfully transferred using %s", o.scheme)
-                        return
-                    except Exception:
-                        LOG.exception("Download image error")
-
         try:
             image_chunks = self._client.call(context, 2, 'data', image_id)
         except Exception:
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/removed-download-modules-540fa0607d7df967.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/removed-download-modules-540fa0607d7df967.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4034e6d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/removed-download-modules-540fa0607d7df967.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+upgrade:
+  - |
+    ``cyborg.image.download.modules`` extension point and support
+    for ``allow_direct_url_schemes`` configuration setting, which
+    have been deprecated since the Queens release, have been
+    removed.