diff --git a/build_library/toolchain_util.sh b/build_library/toolchain_util.sh
index f046e56cea..aa44447171 100644
--- a/build_library/toolchain_util.sh
+++ b/build_library/toolchain_util.sh
@@ -194,9 +194,7 @@ get_cross_pkgs() {
 # Get portage arguments restricting toolchains to binary packages only.
 get_binonly_args() {
     local pkgs=( "${TOOLCHAIN_PKGS[@]}" $(get_cross_pkgs "$@") )
-    # XXX: Revert this binutils change after stable > 1535.
-    local tmppkgs=( ${pkgs[*]##*/binutils} )
-    echo "${tmppkgs[@]/#/--useoldpkg-atoms=}" "${pkgs[@]/#/--rebuild-exclude=}"
+    echo "${pkgs[@]/#/--useoldpkg-atoms=}" "${pkgs[@]/#/--rebuild-exclude=}"
 }
 
 ### Toolchain building utilities ###
diff --git a/update_chroot b/update_chroot
index ca145630e5..85b703d3bd 100755
--- a/update_chroot
+++ b/update_chroot
@@ -241,9 +241,6 @@ sudo -E ${EMERGE_CMD} "${EMERGE_FLAGS[@]}" \
     coreos-devel/sdk-depends world
 
 info "Removing obsolete packages"
-# XXX: Remove these binutils lines after stable > 1535.
-cats=( '<=sys-devel' "${BOARD_CHOSTS[@]/#/<=cross-}" )
-sudo -E emerge --quiet --unmerge "${cats[@]/%//binutils-2.28.0}" 2>/dev/null || :
 sudo -E ${EMERGE_CMD} --quiet --depclean @unavailable
 
 if portageq list_preserved_libs / >/dev/null; then