diff --git a/lib/system.nim b/lib/system.nim
index f8a4f7fcf2..c5b0e0cc77 100644
--- a/lib/system.nim
+++ b/lib/system.nim
@@ -1509,8 +1509,7 @@ when not defined(nimrodVM):
       ## or other memory may be corrupted.
       ## The freed memory must belong to its allocating thread!
       ## Use `deallocShared` to deallocate from a shared heap.
-    proc free*[T](p: ptr T) {.inline, benign.} =
-      dealloc(p)
+
     proc allocShared*(size: Natural): pointer {.noconv, rtl, benign.}
       ## allocates a new memory block on the shared heap with at
       ## least ``size`` bytes. The block has to be freed with
diff --git a/web/news.txt b/web/news.txt
index cdb503ef64..a5bc600b92 100644
--- a/web/news.txt
+++ b/web/news.txt
@@ -40,6 +40,8 @@ News
     ``varargs[expr]`` instead. The same applies to ``varargs[typed]`` vs
     ``varargs[stmt]``.
   - ``sequtils.delete`` doesn't take confusing default arguments anymore.
+  - ``system.free`` was an error-prone alias to ``system.dealloc`` and has
+    been removed.
 
 
   Library additions