diff --git a/nova/compute/api.py b/nova/compute/api.py
index adb8af6f0af5..6b12c1a5b76c 100644
--- a/nova/compute/api.py
+++ b/nova/compute/api.py
@@ -2325,21 +2325,13 @@ class API(base.Base):
             # any character, we need to use regexp escaping for it.
             filters['ip'] = '^%s$' % fixed_ip.replace('.', '\\.')
 
-        def _remap_metadata_filter(metadata):
-            filters['metadata'] = jsonutils.loads(metadata)
-
-        def _remap_system_metadata_filter(metadata):
-            filters['system_metadata'] = jsonutils.loads(metadata)
-
         # search_option to filter_name mapping.
         filter_mapping = {
                 'image': 'image_ref',
                 'name': 'display_name',
                 'tenant_id': 'project_id',
                 'flavor': _remap_flavor_filter,
-                'fixed_ip': _remap_fixed_ip_filter,
-                'metadata': _remap_metadata_filter,
-                'system_metadata': _remap_system_metadata_filter}
+                'fixed_ip': _remap_fixed_ip_filter}
 
         # copy from search_opts, doing various remappings as necessary
         for opt, value in search_opts.items():
diff --git a/nova/tests/unit/compute/test_compute.py b/nova/tests/unit/compute/test_compute.py
index 8446d88d5b77..8b790ad2e308 100644
--- a/nova/tests/unit/compute/test_compute.py
+++ b/nova/tests/unit/compute/test_compute.py
@@ -8962,75 +8962,6 @@ class ComputeAPITestCase(BaseTestCase):
                         power_state.RUNNING]})
         self.assertEqual(len(instances), 3)
 
-    def test_get_all_by_metadata(self):
-        # Test searching instances by metadata.
-
-        c = context.get_admin_context()
-        self._create_fake_instance_obj()  # instance0
-        self._create_fake_instance_obj({  # instance1
-                'metadata': {'key1': 'value1'}})
-        instance2 = self._create_fake_instance_obj({
-                'metadata': {'key2': 'value2'}})
-        instance3 = self._create_fake_instance_obj({
-                'metadata': {'key3': 'value3'}})
-        instance4 = self._create_fake_instance_obj({
-                'metadata': {'key3': 'value3',
-                             'key4': 'value4'}})
-
-        # get all instances
-        instances = self.compute_api.get_all(c,
-                search_opts={'metadata': u"{}"})
-        self.assertEqual(len(instances), 5)
-
-        # wrong key/value combination
-        instances = self.compute_api.get_all(c,
-                search_opts={'metadata': u'{"key1": "value3"}'})
-        self.assertEqual(len(instances), 0)
-
-        # non-existing keys
-        instances = self.compute_api.get_all(c,
-                search_opts={'metadata': u'{"key5": "value1"}'})
-        self.assertEqual(len(instances), 0)
-
-        # find existing instance
-        instances = self.compute_api.get_all(c,
-                search_opts={'metadata': u'{"key2": "value2"}'})
-        self.assertEqual(len(instances), 1)
-        self.assertEqual(instances[0]['uuid'], instance2['uuid'])
-
-        instances = self.compute_api.get_all(c,
-                search_opts={'metadata': u'{"key3": "value3"}'})
-        self.assertEqual(len(instances), 2)
-        instance_uuids = [instance['uuid'] for instance in instances]
-        self.assertIn(instance3['uuid'], instance_uuids)
-        self.assertIn(instance4['uuid'], instance_uuids)
-
-        # multiple criteria as a dict
-        instances = self.compute_api.get_all(c,
-            search_opts={'metadata': u'{"key3": "value3","key4": "value4"}'})
-        self.assertEqual(len(instances), 1)
-        self.assertEqual(instances[0]['uuid'], instance4['uuid'])
-
-        # multiple criteria as a list
-        instances = self.compute_api.get_all(c,
-            search_opts=
-                {'metadata': u'[{"key4": "value4"},{"key3": "value3"}]'})
-        self.assertEqual(len(instances), 1)
-        self.assertEqual(instances[0]['uuid'], instance4['uuid'])
-
-    def test_get_all_by_system_metadata(self):
-        # Test searching instances by system metadata.
-
-        c = context.get_admin_context()
-        instance1 = self._create_fake_instance_obj({
-                'system_metadata': {'key1': 'value1'}})
-
-        # find existing instance
-        instances = self.compute_api.get_all(c,
-                search_opts={'system_metadata': u'{"key1": "value1"}'})
-        self.assertEqual(len(instances), 1)
-        self.assertEqual(instances[0]['uuid'], instance1['uuid'])
-
     def test_instance_metadata(self):
         meta_changes = [None]
         self.flags(notify_on_state_change='vm_state', group='notifications')
diff --git a/nova/tests/unit/compute/test_compute_api.py b/nova/tests/unit/compute/test_compute_api.py
index 7aca05d94959..c1757b30d991 100644
--- a/nova/tests/unit/compute/test_compute_api.py
+++ b/nova/tests/unit/compute/test_compute_api.py
@@ -4204,12 +4204,6 @@ class _ComputeAPIUnitTestMixIn(object):
         filters = mock_get.call_args_list[0][0][1]
         self.assertEqual({'project_id': 'foo'}, filters)
 
-    def test_metadata_invalid_return_empty_object(self):
-        api = compute_api.API()
-        ret = api.get_all(self.context, search_opts={'metadata': 'foo'})
-        self.assertIsInstance(ret, objects.InstanceList)
-        self.assertEqual(0, len(ret))
-
     def test_populate_instance_names_host_name(self):
         params = dict(display_name="vm1")
         instance = self._create_instance_obj(params=params)