diff --git a/include/qpdf/QPDFArgParser.hh b/include/qpdf/QPDFArgParser.hh
index 108fc019..931170d8 100644
--- a/include/qpdf/QPDFArgParser.hh
+++ b/include/qpdf/QPDFArgParser.hh
@@ -130,13 +130,6 @@ class QPDFArgParser
     QPDF_DLL
     void addInvalidChoiceHandler(std::string const& arg, param_arg_handler_t);
 
-    // If an option is shared among multiple tables and uses identical
-    // handlers, you can just copy it instead of repeating the
-    // registration call.
-    QPDF_DLL
-    void copyFromOtherTable(std::string const& arg,
-                            std::string const& other_table);
-
     // The final check handler is called at the very end of argument
     // parsing.
     QPDF_DLL
diff --git a/libqpdf/QPDFArgParser.cc b/libqpdf/QPDFArgParser.cc
index 33d50a10..c423c7d3 100644
--- a/libqpdf/QPDFArgParser.cc
+++ b/libqpdf/QPDFArgParser.cc
@@ -176,29 +176,6 @@ QPDFArgParser::addInvalidChoiceHandler(
     oe.invalid_choice_handler = handler;
 }
 
-void
-QPDFArgParser::copyFromOtherTable(std::string const& arg,
-                                  std::string const& other_table)
-{
-    if (! this->m->option_tables.count(other_table))
-    {
-        QTC::TC("libtests", "QPDFArgParser copy from unknown");
-        throw std::logic_error(
-            "QPDFArgParser: attempt to copy from unknown table " +
-            other_table);
-    }
-    auto& ot = this->m->option_tables[other_table];
-    if (! ot.count(arg))
-    {
-        QTC::TC("libtests", "QPDFArgParser copy unknown");
-        throw std::logic_error(
-            "QPDFArgParser: attempt to copy unknown argument " + arg +
-            " from table " + other_table);
-    }
-    OptionEntry& oe = registerArg(arg);
-    oe = ot[arg];
-}
-
 void
 QPDFArgParser::addFinalCheck(bare_arg_handler_t handler)
 {
diff --git a/libtests/arg_parser.cc b/libtests/arg_parser.cc
index 340bd8d4..602a0f3f 100644
--- a/libtests/arg_parser.cc
+++ b/libtests/arg_parser.cc
@@ -67,7 +67,6 @@ ArgParser::initOptions()
     ap.selectMainOptionTable();
     ap.addBare("sheep", [this](){ this->ap.selectOptionTable("sheep"); });
     ap.registerOptionTable("sheep", nullptr);
-    ap.copyFromOtherTable("ewe", "baaa");
 
     ap.addHelpFooter("For more help, read the manual.\n");
     ap.addHelpTopic(
@@ -190,12 +189,6 @@ ArgParser::test_exceptions()
     err("unknown table", [this]() {
         ap.selectOptionTable("aardvark");
     });
-    err("copy from unknown table", [this]() {
-        ap.copyFromOtherTable("one", "two");
-    });
-    err("copy unknown from other table", [this]() {
-        ap.copyFromOtherTable("two", "baaa");
-    });
     err("add existing help topic", [this]() {
         ap.addHelpTopic("baaa", "potato", "salad");
     });
diff --git a/libtests/libtests.testcov b/libtests/libtests.testcov
index 907e6579..444f15bb 100644
--- a/libtests/libtests.testcov
+++ b/libtests/libtests.testcov
@@ -52,8 +52,6 @@ QPDFArgParser help option 0
 QPDFArgParser positional 0
 QPDFArgParser unrecognized 0
 QPDFArgParser complete choices 0
-QPDFArgParser copy from unknown 0
-QPDFArgParser copy unknown 0
 QPDFArgParser add reserved help topic 0
 QPDFArgParser add existing topic 0
 QPDFArgParser add to unknown topic 0
diff --git a/libtests/qtest/arg_parser.test b/libtests/qtest/arg_parser.test
index 5079289a..abaf4d29 100644
--- a/libtests/qtest/arg_parser.test
+++ b/libtests/qtest/arg_parser.test
@@ -79,7 +79,6 @@ my @arg_tests = (
     ['@quack-xyz --', 0],       # 15
     ['--salad', 2],             # 16
     ['--salad=spinach', 0],     # 17
-    ['--sheep --ewe --', 0],    # 18
     );
 
 for (my $i = 0; $i < scalar(@arg_tests); ++$i)
diff --git a/libtests/qtest/arg_parser/args-18.out b/libtests/qtest/arg_parser/args-18.out
deleted file mode 100644
index 094076f4..00000000
--- a/libtests/qtest/arg_parser/args-18.out
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,2 +0,0 @@
-you
-total quacks: 0
diff --git a/libtests/qtest/arg_parser/completion-sheep.out b/libtests/qtest/arg_parser/completion-sheep.out
index 15673934..7605c94b 100644
--- a/libtests/qtest/arg_parser/completion-sheep.out
+++ b/libtests/qtest/arg_parser/completion-sheep.out
@@ -1,3 +1,2 @@
---ewe
 !--potato
 !--ram
diff --git a/libtests/qtest/arg_parser/exceptions.out b/libtests/qtest/arg_parser/exceptions.out
index eb8dbe8a..c40a5418 100644
--- a/libtests/qtest/arg_parser/exceptions.out
+++ b/libtests/qtest/arg_parser/exceptions.out
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@ duplicate handler: QPDFArgParser: adding a duplicate handler for option potato i
 duplicate handler: QPDFArgParser: adding a duplicate handler for option ram in baaa option table
 duplicate table: QPDFArgParser: registering already registered option table baaa
 unknown table: QPDFArgParser: selecting unregistered option table aardvark
-copy from unknown table: QPDFArgParser: attempt to copy from unknown table two
-copy unknown from other table: QPDFArgParser: attempt to copy unknown argument two from table baaa
 add existing help topic: QPDFArgParser: topic baaa has already been added
 add reserved help topic: QPDFArgParser: can't register reserved help topic all
 add to unknown topic: QPDFArgParser: unable to add option --new to unknown help topic oops