diff --git a/backend/writer.go b/backend/writer.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 5764b872c..000000000
--- a/backend/writer.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,38 +0,0 @@
-package backend
-
-import (
-	"hash"
-	"io"
-)
-
-// HashingWriter wraps an io.Writer to hashes all data that is written to it.
-type HashingWriter struct {
-	w    io.Writer
-	h    hash.Hash
-	size int
-}
-
-// NewHashAppendWriter wraps the writer w and feeds all data written to the hash h.
-func NewHashingWriter(w io.Writer, h hash.Hash) *HashingWriter {
-	return &HashingWriter{
-		h: h,
-		w: io.MultiWriter(w, h),
-	}
-}
-
-// Write wraps the write method of the underlying writer and also hashes all data.
-func (h *HashingWriter) Write(p []byte) (int, error) {
-	n, err := h.w.Write(p)
-	h.size += n
-	return n, err
-}
-
-// Sum returns the hash of all data written so far.
-func (h *HashingWriter) Sum(d []byte) []byte {
-	return h.h.Sum(d)
-}
-
-// Size returns the number of bytes written to the underlying writer.
-func (h *HashingWriter) Size() int {
-	return h.size
-}
diff --git a/backend/writer_test.go b/backend/writer_test.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 9fda2c06f..000000000
--- a/backend/writer_test.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,45 +0,0 @@
-package backend_test
-
-import (
-	"bytes"
-	"crypto/rand"
-	"crypto/sha256"
-	"io"
-	"io/ioutil"
-	"testing"
-
-	"github.com/restic/restic/backend"
-	. "github.com/restic/restic/test"
-)
-
-func TestHashingWriter(t *testing.T) {
-	tests := []int{5, 23, 2<<18 + 23, 1 << 20}
-
-	for _, size := range tests {
-		data := make([]byte, size)
-		_, err := io.ReadFull(rand.Reader, data)
-		if err != nil {
-			t.Fatalf("ReadFull: %v", err)
-		}
-
-		expectedHash := sha256.Sum256(data)
-
-		wr := backend.NewHashingWriter(ioutil.Discard, sha256.New())
-
-		n, err := io.Copy(wr, bytes.NewReader(data))
-		OK(t, err)
-
-		Assert(t, n == int64(size),
-			"HashAppendWriter: invalid number of bytes written: got %d, expected %d",
-			n, size)
-
-		Assert(t, wr.Size() == size,
-			"HashAppendWriter: invalid number of bytes returned: got %d, expected %d",
-			wr.Size, size)
-
-		resultingHash := wr.Sum(nil)
-		Assert(t, bytes.Equal(expectedHash[:], resultingHash),
-			"HashAppendWriter: hashes do not match: expected %02x, got %02x",
-			expectedHash, resultingHash)
-	}
-}