diff --git a/runtime/vm/ClassInitialization.cpp b/runtime/vm/ClassInitialization.cpp
index 27f2d5b5810..b58c9b79b84 100644
--- a/runtime/vm/ClassInitialization.cpp
+++ b/runtime/vm/ClassInitialization.cpp
@@ -61,9 +61,6 @@ static char const *statusNames[] = {
 
 static j9object_t setInitStatus(J9VMThread *currentThread, J9Class *clazz, UDATA status, j9object_t initializationLock);
 static void classInitStateMachine(J9VMThread *currentThread, J9Class *clazz, J9ClassInitState desiredState);
-#if defined(J9VM_OPT_VALHALLA_NESTMATES)
-static bool verifyNestHost(J9Class *clazz, J9VMThread *vmThread);
-#endif /* J9VM_OPT_VALHALLA_NESTMATES */
 
 void
 initializeImpl(J9VMThread *currentThread, J9Class *clazz)
@@ -175,11 +172,7 @@ performVerification(J9VMThread *currentThread, J9Class *clazz)
 					setCurrentException(currentThread, J9VMCONSTANTPOOL_JAVALANGVERIFYERROR, (UDATA*)verifyErrorStringObject);
 					goto done;
 				}
-#if defined(J9VM_OPT_VALHALLA_NESTMATES)
-				if (false == verifyNestHost(clazz, currentThread)) {
-					goto done;
-				}
-#endif /* J9VM_OPT_VALHALLA_NESTMATES */
+
 				Trc_VM_verification_End(currentThread, J9UTF8_LENGTH(J9ROMCLASS_CLASSNAME(clazz->romClass)), J9UTF8_DATA(J9ROMCLASS_CLASSNAME(clazz->romClass)), clazz->classLoader);
 			} else {
 				Trc_VM_performVerification_unverifiable(currentThread);
@@ -619,60 +612,4 @@ classInitStateMachine(J9VMThread *currentThread, J9Class *clazz, J9ClassInitStat
 	Trc_VM_classInitStateMachine_Exit(currentThread);
 	return;
 }
-
-#if defined(J9VM_OPT_VALHALLA_NESTMATES)
-static bool
-verifyNestHost(J9Class *clazz, J9VMThread *vmThread)
-{
-	J9Class *nestHost = clazz->nestHost;
-	bool verified = false;
-
-	/* Verification only needed if class's nest host is not itself */
-	if (clazz == nestHost) {
-		verified = true;
-	} else {
-		J9ROMClass *romClass = clazz->romClass;
-		J9UTF8 *className = J9ROMCLASS_CLASSNAME(romClass);
-		U_32 moduleName = 0;
-		U_32 nlsNumber = 0;
-
-		/* Nest host must have same classloader & package */
-		if (clazz->classLoader != nestHost->classLoader) {
-			Trc_VM_CreateRAMClassFromROMClass_nestHostNotSameClassLoader(vmThread, nestHost, nestHost->classLoader, clazz->classLoader);
-			moduleName = J9NLS_VM_NEST_HOST_HAS_DIFFERENT_CLASSLOADER__MODULE;
-			nlsNumber = J9NLS_VM_NEST_HOST_HAS_DIFFERENT_CLASSLOADER__ID;
-		} else if (clazz->packageID != nestHost->packageID) {
-			Trc_VM_CreateRAMClassFromROMClass_nestHostNotSamePackage(vmThread, nestHost, nestHost->classLoader, clazz->classLoader);
-			moduleName = J9NLS_VM_NEST_HOST_HAS_DIFFERENT_PACKAGE__MODULE;
-			nlsNumber = J9NLS_VM_NEST_HOST_HAS_DIFFERENT_PACKAGE__ID;
-		} else {
-			/* The nest host must have a nestmembers attribute that includes this class. */
-			J9SRP *nestMembers = J9ROMCLASS_NESTMEMBERS(nestHost->romClass);
-			U_16 nestMemberCount = nestHost->romClass->nestMemberCount;
-			for (U_16 i = 0; i < nestMemberCount; i++) {
-				J9UTF8 *nestMemberName = NNSRP_GET(nestMembers[i], J9UTF8*);
-				if (J9UTF8_EQUALS(className, nestMemberName)) {
-					verified = true;
-					break;
-				}
-			}
-			if (!verified) {
-				Trc_VM_CreateRAMClassFromROMClass_nestHostNotVerified(vmThread, nestHost, nestHost->classLoader, clazz->classLoader, className);
-				moduleName = J9NLS_VM_NEST_MEMBER_NOT_CLAIMED_BY_NEST_HOST__MODULE;
-				nlsNumber = J9NLS_VM_NEST_MEMBER_NOT_CLAIMED_BY_NEST_HOST__ID;
-			}
-		}
-
-		if (!verified) {
-			J9UTF8 *nestHostName = J9ROMCLASS_NESTHOSTNAME(romClass);
-			setCurrentExceptionNLSWithArgs(vmThread,
-					moduleName, nlsNumber,
-					J9VMCONSTANTPOOL_JAVALANGVERIFYERROR,
-					J9UTF8_LENGTH(className),J9UTF8_DATA(className),
-					J9UTF8_LENGTH(nestHostName), J9UTF8_DATA(className));
-		}
-	}
-	return verified;
-}
-#endif /* J9VM_OPT_VALHALLA_NESTMATES */
 } /* extern "C" */
diff --git a/runtime/vm/createramclass.cpp b/runtime/vm/createramclass.cpp
index eeeb6cd6b29..52ba675c076 100644
--- a/runtime/vm/createramclass.cpp
+++ b/runtime/vm/createramclass.cpp
@@ -143,9 +143,6 @@ static void setCurrentExceptionForBadClass(J9VMThread *vmThread, J9UTF8 *badClas
 static BOOLEAN verifyClassLoadingStack(J9VMThread *vmThread, J9ClassLoader *classLoader, J9ROMClass *romClass);
 static void popFromClassLoadingStack(J9VMThread *vmThread);
 static VMINLINE BOOLEAN loadSuperClassAndInterfaces(J9VMThread *vmThread, J9ClassLoader *classLoader, J9ROMClass *romClass, J9Class *elementClass, UDATA packageID, BOOLEAN hotswapping, UDATA classPreloadFlags, J9Class **superclassOut, J9Module *module);
-#if defined(J9VM_OPT_VALHALLA_NESTMATES)
-static J9Class *loadNestHost(J9VMThread *vmThread, J9ClassLoader *classLoader, J9UTF8 *nestHostName, UDATA classPreloadFlags);
-#endif /* defined(J9VM_OPT_VALHALLA_NESTMATES) */
 static J9Class* internalCreateRAMClassDropAndReturn(J9VMThread *vmThread, J9ROMClass *romClass, J9CreateRAMClassState *state);
 static J9Class* internalCreateRAMClassDoneNoMutex(J9VMThread *vmThread, J9ROMClass *romClass, UDATA options, J9CreateRAMClassState *state);
 static J9Class* internalCreateRAMClassDone(J9VMThread *vmThread, J9ClassLoader *classLoader, J9ROMClass *romClass, UDATA options, J9Class *elementClass,
@@ -1613,16 +1610,6 @@ loadSuperClassAndInterfaces(J9VMThread *vmThread, J9ClassLoader *classLoader, J9
 	return TRUE;
 }
 
-#if defined(J9VM_OPT_VALHALLA_NESTMATES)
-static J9Class *
-loadNestHost(J9VMThread *vmThread, J9ClassLoader *classLoader, J9UTF8 *nestHostName, UDATA classPreloadFlags)
-{
-	J9Class *nestHost = internalFindClassUTF8(vmThread, J9UTF8_DATA(nestHostName), J9UTF8_LENGTH(nestHostName), classLoader, classPreloadFlags);
-	Trc_VM_CreateRAMClassFromROMClass_nestHostLoaded(vmThread, J9UTF8_LENGTH(nestHostName), J9UTF8_DATA(nestHostName), nestHost);
-	return nestHost;
-}
-#endif
-
 static J9Class*
 internalCreateRAMClassDropAndReturn(J9VMThread *vmThread, J9ROMClass *romClass, J9CreateRAMClassState *state)
 {
@@ -2324,34 +2311,6 @@ internalCreateRAMClassFromROMClassImpl(J9VMThread *vmThread, J9ClassLoader *clas
 				ramClass->hostClass = ramClass;
 			}
 
-#if defined(J9VM_OPT_VALHALLA_NESTMATES)
-			{
-				J9Class *nestHost = NULL;
-				J9UTF8 *nestHostName = J9ROMCLASS_NESTHOSTNAME(romClass);
-
-				/* If no nest host is named, class is own nest host */
-				if (NULL == nestHostName) {
-					nestHost = ramClass;
-				} else {
-					UDATA nestHostClassPreloadFlags = 0;
-					if (hotswapping) {
-						nestHostClassPreloadFlags = J9_FINDCLASS_FLAG_EXISTING_ONLY;
-					} else {
-						nestHostClassPreloadFlags = J9_FINDCLASS_FLAG_THROW_ON_FAIL;
-						if (classLoader != javaVM->systemClassLoader) {
-							nestHostClassPreloadFlags |= J9_FINDCLASS_FLAG_CHECK_PKG_ACCESS;
-						}
-					}
-					nestHost = loadNestHost(vmThread, hostClassLoader, nestHostName, nestHostClassPreloadFlags);
-				}
-				/* If nest host loading failed, an exception has been set; end loading early */
-				if (NULL == nestHost) {
-					return internalCreateRAMClassDone(vmThread, classLoader, romClass, options, elementClass, className, state);
-				}
-				ramClass->nestHost = nestHost;
-			}
-#endif /* defined(J9VM_OPT_VALHALLA_NESTMATES) */
-
 			/* Initialize the methods. */
 			if (romClass->romMethodCount != 0) {
 				J9Method *currentRAMMethod = ramClass->ramMethods;