diff --git a/src/_imagingft.c b/src/_imagingft.c
index 183cfb23e59..5566ee3da48 100644
--- a/src/_imagingft.c
+++ b/src/_imagingft.c
@@ -877,7 +877,6 @@ font_render(FontObject* self, PyObject* args)
     unsigned char convert_scale; /* scale factor for non-8bpp bitmaps */
     Imaging im;
     Py_ssize_t id;
-    int horizontal_dir; /* is primary axis horizontal? */
     int mask = 0; /* is FT_LOAD_TARGET_MONO enabled? */
     int color = 0; /* is FT_LOAD_COLOR enabled? */
     int stroke_width = 0;
@@ -897,8 +896,6 @@ font_render(FontObject* self, PyObject* args)
         return NULL;
     }
 
-    horizontal_dir = dir && strcmp(dir, "ttb") == 0 ? 0 : 1;
-
     mask = mode && strcmp(mode, "1") == 0;
     color = mode && strcmp(mode, "RGBA") == 0;