diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 7b593a925..6010e8d6e 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ AC_CHECK_TOOL(AR, ar)
 
 AC_CHECK_FUNCS(
     closefrom
-    pidfd_getpid
 )
 
 AM_SILENT_RULES([yes])
diff --git a/src/session/client-certificate.c b/src/session/client-certificate.c
index 18c8b1e4e..6acca2596 100644
--- a/src/session/client-certificate.c
+++ b/src/session/client-certificate.c
@@ -177,52 +177,8 @@ get_ws_proc_fd_pid_time (int unix_fd)
 static int
 get_ws_proc_fd (int unix_fd)
 {
-#if defined(SO_PEERPIDFD) && defined(HAVE_PIDFD_GETPID)
-  int pidfd = -1;
-  socklen_t socklen = sizeof pidfd;
-  /* this is always the pidfd for the process that started the communication, it cannot be recycled */
-  if (getsockopt (unix_fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_PEERPIDFD, &pidfd, &socklen) < 0)
-    {
-      if (errno == ENOPROTOOPT)
-        {
-          debug ("SO_PEERPIDFD not supported: %m, falling back to pid/time check");
-          return get_ws_proc_fd_pid_time (unix_fd);
-        }
-
-      warn ("Failed to get peer pidfd");
-      exit_init_problem ("access-denied", "Failed to get peer pidfd");
-    }
-  /* this is an inout parameter, be extra suspicious; this really Should Not Happen™, so bomb out */
-  if (socklen != sizeof pidfd)
-    errx (EX, "SO_PEERPIDFD returned too small result");
-
-  /* get pid for pidfd; from here on this is racy and could suffer from PID recycling */
-  pid_t pid = pidfd_getpid (pidfd);
-  if (pid < 0)
-    {
-      /* be *very* strict here. This could theoretically ENOSYS if glibc has pidfd_getpid() but the kernel doesn't
-       * support it; but err on the side of denying access rather than falling back */
-      warn ("Failed to get pid from pidfd");
-      exit_init_problem ("access-denied", "Failed to get pid from pidfd");
-    }
-
-  debug ("pid from ws peer pidfd: %i", (int) pid);
-  int ws_proc_dirfd = open_proc_pid (pid);
-
-  /* check that the pid is still valid to guard against recycling */
-  if (pidfd_getpid (pidfd) != pid)
-    {
-      warn ("original pid %i is not valid any more", (int) pid);
-      exit_init_problem ("access-denied", "Failed to get cockpit-ws pid");
-    }
-
-  close (pidfd);
-  return ws_proc_dirfd;
-
-#else
   debug ("not built with pidfd support, falling back to pid/time check");
   return get_ws_proc_fd_pid_time (unix_fd);
-#endif
 }
 
 /* valid_256_bit_hex_string: