diff --git a/helpers/build-release-binaries/main.go b/helpers/build-release-binaries/main.go
index f9e25e447..95ca76617 100644
--- a/helpers/build-release-binaries/main.go
+++ b/helpers/build-release-binaries/main.go
@@ -56,16 +56,6 @@ func verbose(f string, args ...interface{}) {
 	fmt.Printf(f, args...)
 }
 
-func run(cmd string, args ...string) {
-	c := exec.Command(cmd, args...)
-	c.Stdout = os.Stdout
-	c.Stderr = os.Stderr
-	err := c.Run()
-	if err != nil {
-		die("error running %s %s: %v", cmd, args, err)
-	}
-}
-
 func rm(file string) {
 	err := os.Remove(file)
 
@@ -78,13 +68,6 @@ func rm(file string) {
 	}
 }
 
-func rmdir(dir string) {
-	err := os.RemoveAll(dir)
-	if err != nil {
-		die("error removing %v: %v", dir, err)
-	}
-}
-
 func mkdir(dir string) {
 	err := os.MkdirAll(dir, 0755)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -92,14 +75,6 @@ func mkdir(dir string) {
 	}
 }
 
-func getwd() string {
-	pwd, err := os.Getwd()
-	if err != nil {
-		die("Getwd(): %v", err)
-	}
-	return pwd
-}
-
 func abs(dir string) string {
 	absDir, err := filepath.Abs(dir)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/internal/backend/local/local.go b/internal/backend/local/local.go
index 6792241e1..4dbee8a6b 100644
--- a/internal/backend/local/local.go
+++ b/internal/backend/local/local.go
@@ -25,25 +25,6 @@ var _ restic.Backend = &Local{}
 
 const defaultLayout = "default"
 
-// dirExists returns true if the name exists and is a directory.
-func dirExists(name string) bool {
-	f, err := fs.Open(name)
-	if err != nil {
-		return false
-	}
-
-	fi, err := f.Stat()
-	if err != nil {
-		return false
-	}
-
-	if err = f.Close(); err != nil {
-		return false
-	}
-
-	return fi.IsDir()
-}
-
 // Open opens the local backend as specified by config.
 func Open(cfg Config) (*Local, error) {
 	debug.Log("open local backend at %v (layout %q)", cfg.Path, cfg.Layout)
diff --git a/internal/backend/s3/s3.go b/internal/backend/s3/s3.go
index e3c95001d..02eda53be 100644
--- a/internal/backend/s3/s3.go
+++ b/internal/backend/s3/s3.go
@@ -231,22 +231,6 @@ func (be *Backend) Path() string {
 	return be.cfg.Prefix
 }
 
-// lenForFile returns the length of the file.
-func lenForFile(f *os.File) (int64, error) {
-	fi, err := f.Stat()
-	if err != nil {
-		return 0, errors.Wrap(err, "Stat")
-	}
-
-	pos, err := f.Seek(0, io.SeekCurrent)
-	if err != nil {
-		return 0, errors.Wrap(err, "Seek")
-	}
-
-	size := fi.Size() - pos
-	return size, nil
-}
-
 // Save stores data in the backend at the handle.
 func (be *Backend) Save(ctx context.Context, h restic.Handle, rd restic.RewindReader) error {
 	debug.Log("Save %v", h)
diff --git a/internal/backend/swift/swift.go b/internal/backend/swift/swift.go
index dd83e0b06..58f061d59 100644
--- a/internal/backend/swift/swift.go
+++ b/internal/backend/swift/swift.go
@@ -17,8 +17,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ncw/swift"
 )
 
-const connLimit = 10
-
 // beSwift is a backend which stores the data on a swift endpoint.
 type beSwift struct {
 	conn      *swift.Connection
diff --git a/internal/restic/node.go b/internal/restic/node.go
index 95f209113..260e5da2a 100644
--- a/internal/restic/node.go
+++ b/internal/restic/node.go
@@ -696,8 +696,3 @@ func (node *Node) fillTimes(stat statT) {
 	node.ChangeTime = time.Unix(ctim.Unix())
 	node.AccessTime = time.Unix(atim.Unix())
 }
-
-func changeTime(stat statT) time.Time {
-	ctim := stat.ctim()
-	return time.Unix(ctim.Unix())
-}
diff --git a/internal/restic/tag_list.go b/internal/restic/tag_list.go
index 0f8232e5b..553ea332c 100644
--- a/internal/restic/tag_list.go
+++ b/internal/restic/tag_list.go
@@ -36,16 +36,6 @@ func (TagList) Type() string {
 // TagLists consists of several TagList.
 type TagLists []TagList
 
-// splitTagLists splits a slice of strings into a slice of TagLists using
-// SplitTagList.
-func splitTagLists(s []string) (l TagLists) {
-	l = make([]TagList, 0, len(s))
-	for _, t := range s {
-		l = append(l, splitTagList(t))
-	}
-	return l
-}
-
 func (l TagLists) String() string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("%v", []TagList(l))
 }