diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/GuiApplication.cpp b/src/frontends/qt4/GuiApplication.cpp
index fa31c5c468..ccd743f72f 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt4/GuiApplication.cpp
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/GuiApplication.cpp
@@ -1824,13 +1824,6 @@ void GuiApplication::createView(QString const & geometry_arg, bool autoShow,
 	if (d->global_menubar_)
 		d->global_menubar_->releaseKeyboard();
 
-#if QT_VERSION < 0x040700
-	// the option to disable kerning in rowpainter
-	// is needed only with Qt4.7.0 or better
-	lyxrc.force_paint_single_char = false;
-	system_lyxrc.force_paint_single_char = false;
-#endif
-
 	// create new view
 	int id = view_id;
 	while (d->views_.find(id) != d->views_.end())