diff --git a/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/Configuration.java b/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/Configuration.java
index b307b19e0..ea6217c63 100644
--- a/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/Configuration.java
+++ b/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/Configuration.java
@@ -539,12 +539,6 @@ public class Configuration
         return getBooleanProperty(Defn.IGNORE_BRACES_PROP);
     }
 
-    /** @return whether to ignore 'public' keyword in interface definitions **/
-    boolean isIgnorePublicInInterface()
-    {
-        return getBooleanProperty(Defn.IGNORE_PUBLIC_IN_INTERFACE_PROP);
-    }
-
     /** @return whether to ignore max line length for import statements **/
     boolean isIgnoreImportLength()
     {
diff --git a/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/Defn.java b/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/Defn.java
index 04fabee12..7f545a1a4 100644
--- a/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/Defn.java
+++ b/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/Defn.java
@@ -78,9 +78,6 @@ public interface Defn
     String IGNORE_CAST_WHITESPACE_PROP = "checkstyle.ignore.whitespace.cast";
     /** property name for ignoring braces **/
     String IGNORE_BRACES_PROP = "checkstyle.ignore.braces";
-    /** property name for ignoring 'public' in interface definitions **/
-    String IGNORE_PUBLIC_IN_INTERFACE_PROP =
-        "checkstyle.ignore.public.in.interface";
     /** property name for cache file **/
     String CACHE_FILE_PROP = "checkstyle.cache.file";
     /** property name for ignoring line length of import statements **/
@@ -122,7 +119,6 @@ public interface Defn
             IGNORE_BRACES_PROP,
             IGNORE_CAST_WHITESPACE_PROP,
             IGNORE_IMPORT_LENGTH_PROP,
-            IGNORE_PUBLIC_IN_INTERFACE_PROP,
             IGNORE_WHITESPACE_PROP,
             JAVADOC_CHECK_UNUSED_THROWS_PROP,
             REQUIRE_PACKAGE_HTML_PROP,
diff --git a/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/Verifier.java b/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/Verifier.java
index f02dcf2e5..15d8f6fad 100644
--- a/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/Verifier.java
+++ b/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/Verifier.java
@@ -238,21 +238,7 @@ class Verifier
                           aSig.getFirstColNo(),
                           "maxParam", new Integer(mConfig.getMaxParameters()));
         }
-        // JLS, chapter 9.4 - public in interface is strongly discouraged
-        if (!mConfig.isIgnorePublicInInterface() && inInterfaceBlock()
-            && aSig.getModSet().containsPublic())
-        {
-            mMessages.add(aSig.getModSet().getFirstLineNo(),
-                          aSig.getModSet().getFirstColNo(),
-                          "redundantModifier", "public");
-        }
 
-        // Check for redunant abstract
-        if (inInterfaceBlock() && aSig.getModSet().containsAbstract()) {
-            mMessages.add(aSig.getModSet().getFirstLineNo(),
-                          aSig.getModSet().getFirstColNo(),
-                          "redundantModifier", "abstract");
-        }
         // now check the javadoc
         final Scope methodScope = inInterfaceBlock()
             ? Scope.PUBLIC
diff --git a/src/tests/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/CheckerTest.java b/src/tests/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/CheckerTest.java
index b763e8184..7211c59fa 100644
--- a/src/tests/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/CheckerTest.java
+++ b/src/tests/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/CheckerTest.java
@@ -522,8 +522,6 @@ public class CheckerTest
             filepath + ":14:10: 'final' modifier out of order with the JLS suggestions.",
             filepath + ":18:12: 'private' modifier out of order with the JLS suggestions.",
             filepath + ":24:14: 'private' modifier out of order with the JLS suggestions.",
-            filepath + ":32:9: Redundant 'public' modifier.",
-            filepath + ":38:9: Redundant 'abstract' modifier.",
         };
         verify(c, filepath, expected);
     }
@@ -614,7 +612,6 @@ public class CheckerTest
         throws Exception
     {
         mProps.setProperty(Defn.JAVADOC_CHECKSCOPE_PROP, Scope.PUBLIC.getName());
-        mProps.setProperty(Defn.IGNORE_PUBLIC_IN_INTERFACE_PROP, "true");
         final Checker c = createChecker();
         final String filepath = getPath("InputScopeInnerInterfaces.java");
         assertNotNull(c);