diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 50eba522f4..01585bfebd 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -305,9 +305,6 @@ all::
 #
 # Define NO_TCLTK if you do not want Tcl/Tk GUI.
 #
-# Define SANE_TEXT_GREP to "-a" if you use recent versions of GNU grep
-# and egrep that are pickier when their input contains non-ASCII data.
-#
 # The TCL_PATH variable governs the location of the Tcl interpreter
 # used to optimize git-gui for your system.  Only used if NO_TCLTK
 # is not set.  Defaults to the bare 'tclsh'.
@@ -2254,7 +2251,7 @@ hook-list.h: generate-hooklist.sh Documentation/githooks.txt
 
 SCRIPT_DEFINES = $(SHELL_PATH_SQ):$(DIFF_SQ):\
 	$(localedir_SQ):$(USE_GETTEXT_SCHEME):$(SANE_TOOL_PATH_SQ):\
-	$(gitwebdir_SQ):$(PERL_PATH_SQ):$(SANE_TEXT_GREP):$(PAGER_ENV):\
+	$(gitwebdir_SQ):$(PERL_PATH_SQ):$(PAGER_ENV):\
 	$(perllibdir_SQ)
 GIT-SCRIPT-DEFINES: FORCE
 	@FLAGS='$(SCRIPT_DEFINES)'; \
@@ -2272,7 +2269,6 @@ sed -e '1s|#!.*/sh|#!$(SHELL_PATH_SQ)|' \
     -e $(BROKEN_PATH_FIX) \
     -e 's|@@GITWEBDIR@@|$(gitwebdir_SQ)|g' \
     -e 's|@@PERL@@|$(PERL_PATH_SQ)|g' \
-    -e 's|@@SANE_TEXT_GREP@@|$(SANE_TEXT_GREP)|g' \
     -e 's|@@PAGER_ENV@@|$(PAGER_ENV_SQ)|g' \
     $@.sh >$@+
 endef
diff --git a/config.mak.uname b/config.mak.uname
index 3236a4918a..d0701f9beb 100644
--- a/config.mak.uname
+++ b/config.mak.uname
@@ -58,7 +58,6 @@ ifeq ($(uname_S),Linux)
 	# -lrt is needed for clock_gettime on glibc <= 2.16
 	NEEDS_LIBRT = YesPlease
 	HAVE_GETDELIM = YesPlease
-	SANE_TEXT_GREP=-a
 	FREAD_READS_DIRECTORIES = UnfortunatelyYes
 	BASIC_CFLAGS += -DHAVE_SYSINFO
 	PROCFS_EXECUTABLE_PATH = /proc/self/exe
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 031e8d3fee..5ee25ec95c 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -507,14 +507,6 @@ if test -n "$ASCIIDOC"; then
 	esac
 fi
 
-if grep -a ascii configure.ac >/dev/null; then
-  AC_MSG_RESULT([Using 'grep -a' for sane_grep])
-  SANE_TEXT_GREP=-a
-else
-  SANE_TEXT_GREP=
-fi
-GIT_CONF_SUBST([SANE_TEXT_GREP])
-
 ## Checks for libraries.
 AC_MSG_NOTICE([CHECKS for libraries])
 #
diff --git a/contrib/buildsystems/CMakeLists.txt b/contrib/buildsystems/CMakeLists.txt
index fd1399c440..86b4611446 100644
--- a/contrib/buildsystems/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/contrib/buildsystems/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -781,7 +781,6 @@ foreach(script ${git_shell_scripts})
 	string(REPLACE "@@USE_GETTEXT_SCHEME@@" "" content "${content}")
 	string(REPLACE "# @@BROKEN_PATH_FIX@@" "" content "${content}")
 	string(REPLACE "@@PERL@@" "${PERL_PATH}" content "${content}")
-	string(REPLACE "@@SANE_TEXT_GREP@@" "-a" content "${content}")
 	string(REPLACE "@@PAGER_ENV@@" "LESS=FRX LV=-c" content "${content}")
 	file(WRITE ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/${script} ${content})
 endforeach()
diff --git a/git-filter-branch.sh b/git-filter-branch.sh
index cb89372813..3a51d4507c 100755
--- a/git-filter-branch.sh
+++ b/git-filter-branch.sh
@@ -579,7 +579,7 @@ if [ "$filter_tag_name" ]; then
 				git hash-object -t tag -w --stdin) ||
 				die "Could not create new tag object for $ref"
 			if git cat-file tag "$ref" | \
-			   sane_grep '^-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----' >/dev/null 2>&1
+			   grep '^-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----' >/dev/null 2>&1
 			then
 				warn "gpg signature stripped from tag object $sha1t"
 			fi
diff --git a/git-instaweb.sh b/git-instaweb.sh
index 54094fbe8d..4349566c89 100755
--- a/git-instaweb.sh
+++ b/git-instaweb.sh
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ resolve_full_httpd () {
 	*apache2*|*lighttpd*|*httpd*)
 		# yes, *httpd* covers *lighttpd* above, but it is there for clarity
 		# ensure that the apache2/lighttpd command ends with "-f"
-		if ! echo "$httpd" | sane_grep -- '-f *$' >/dev/null 2>&1
+		if ! echo "$httpd" | grep -- '-f *$' >/dev/null 2>&1
 		then
 			httpd="$httpd -f"
 		fi
@@ -399,7 +399,7 @@ EOF
 		# plain-old CGI
 		resolve_full_httpd
 		list_mods=$(echo "$full_httpd" | sed 's/-f$/-l/')
-		$list_mods | sane_grep 'mod_cgi\.c' >/dev/null 2>&1 || \
+		$list_mods | grep 'mod_cgi\.c' >/dev/null 2>&1 || \
 		if test -f "$module_path/mod_cgi.so"
 		then
 			echo "LoadModule cgi_module $module_path/mod_cgi.so" >> "$conf"
diff --git a/git-sh-setup.sh b/git-sh-setup.sh
index 758520f5a6..1eb79458b4 100644
--- a/git-sh-setup.sh
+++ b/git-sh-setup.sh
@@ -173,10 +173,6 @@ git_pager() {
 	eval "$GIT_PAGER" '"$@"'
 }
 
-sane_grep () {
-	GREP_OPTIONS= LC_ALL=C grep @@SANE_TEXT_GREP@@ "$@"
-}
-
 is_bare_repository () {
 	git rev-parse --is-bare-repository
 }