diff --git a/appveyor.sh b/appveyor.sh
index efe870a7fc..b79838367c 100644
--- a/appveyor.sh
+++ b/appveyor.sh
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ if [ "${TFLAGS}" != 'skipall' ] && \
     time cmake --build _bld --config "${PRJ_CFG}" --target test-ci
   else
     (
-      TFLAGS="-a -p !flaky -r -rm ${TFLAGS}"
+      TFLAGS="-a -p !flaky -r ${TFLAGS}"
       cd _bld/tests
       time ./runtests.pl
     )
diff --git a/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
index e3de29d6ac..b03fd53216 100644
--- a/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ curl_add_runtests(test-am        "-a -am")
 curl_add_runtests(test-full      "-a -p -r")
 # ~flaky means that it ignores results of tests using the flaky keyword
 curl_add_runtests(test-nonflaky  "-a -p ~flaky ~timing-dependent")
-curl_add_runtests(test-ci        "-a -p ~flaky ~timing-dependent -r -rm -j20")
+curl_add_runtests(test-ci        "-a -p ~flaky ~timing-dependent -r -j20")
 curl_add_runtests(test-torture   "-a -t -j20")
 curl_add_runtests(test-event     "-a -e")
 
diff --git a/tests/Makefile.am b/tests/Makefile.am
index eec55ab909..05012cb441 100644
--- a/tests/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/Makefile.am
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ TEST_E = -a -e
 TEST_NF = -a -p ~flaky ~timing-dependent
 
 # special CI target derived from nonflaky with CI-specific flags
-TEST_CI = $(TEST_NF) -r -rm -j20
+TEST_CI = $(TEST_NF) -r -j20
 
 PYTEST = pytest
 endif
diff --git a/tests/runner.pm b/tests/runner.pm
index 7f379f42a1..0c48f8ced6 100644
--- a/tests/runner.pm
+++ b/tests/runner.pm
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ BEGIN {
         readtestkeywords
         restore_test_env
         runner_init
-        runnerac_clearlocks
         runnerac_shutdown
         runnerac_stopservers
         runnerac_test_preprocess
@@ -88,7 +87,6 @@ use processhelp qw(
     );
 use servers qw(
     checkcmd
-    clearlocks
     initserverconfig
     serverfortest
     stopserver
@@ -1272,12 +1270,6 @@ sub runner_test_run {
     return (0, clearlogs(), \%testtimings, $cmdres, $CURLOUT, $tool, $usedvalgrind);
 }
 
-# Async call runner_clearlocks
-# Called by controller
-sub runnerac_clearlocks {
-    return controlleripccall(\&runner_clearlocks, @_);
-}
-
 # Async call runner_shutdown
 # This call does NOT generate an IPC response and must be the last IPC call
 # received.
@@ -1471,10 +1463,7 @@ sub ipcrecv {
     # print "ipcrecv $funcname\n";
     # Synchronously call the desired function
     my @res;
-    if($funcname eq "runner_clearlocks") {
-        @res = runner_clearlocks(@$argsarrayref);
-    }
-    elsif($funcname eq "runner_shutdown") {
+    if($funcname eq "runner_shutdown") {
         runner_shutdown(@$argsarrayref);
         # Special case: no response will be forthcoming
         return 1;
@@ -1508,18 +1497,6 @@ sub ipcrecv {
     return 0;
 }
 
-###################################################################
-# Kill the server processes that still have lock files in a directory
-sub runner_clearlocks {
-    my ($lockdir)=@_;
-    if(clearlogs()) {
-        logmsg "Warning: log messages were lost\n";
-    }
-    clearlocks($lockdir);
-    return clearlogs();
-}
-
-
 ###################################################################
 # Kill all server processes
 sub runner_stopservers {
diff --git a/tests/runtests.md b/tests/runtests.md
index 2c875440d7..60b1c29381 100644
--- a/tests/runtests.md
+++ b/tests/runtests.md
@@ -219,11 +219,6 @@ Display run time statistics. (Requires the `Perl Time::HiRes` module)
 
 Display full run time statistics. (Requires the `Perl Time::HiRes` module)
 
-## `-rm`
-
-Force removal of files by killing locking processes. (Windows only, requires
-the **Sysinternals** `handle[64].exe` to be on PATH)
-
 ## `--repeat=[num]`
 
 This repeats the given set of test numbers this many times. If no test numbers
diff --git a/tests/runtests.pl b/tests/runtests.pl
index f360920b02..81baf2cbe0 100755
--- a/tests/runtests.pl
+++ b/tests/runtests.pl
@@ -161,7 +161,6 @@ my $globalabort; # flag signalling program abort
 # values for $singletest_state
 use constant {
     ST_INIT => 0,
-    ST_CLEARLOCKS => 1,
     ST_INITED => 2,
     ST_PREPROCESS => 3,
     ST_RUN => 4,
@@ -180,7 +179,6 @@ my %runnersrunning;    # tests currently running by runner ID
 my $short;
 my $no_debuginfod;
 my $keepoutfiles; # keep stdout and stderr files after tests
-my $clearlocks;   # force removal of files by killing locking processes
 my $postmortem;   # display detailed info about failed tests
 my $run_disabled; # run the specific tests even if listed in DISABLED
 my $scrambleorder;
@@ -1866,33 +1864,13 @@ sub singletest {
     if($singletest_state{$runnerid} == ST_INIT) {
         my $logdir = getrunnerlogdir($runnerid);
         # first, remove all lingering log & lock files
-        if((!cleardir($logdir) || !cleardir("$logdir/$LOCKDIR"))
-            && $clearlocks) {
-            # On Windows, lock files can't be deleted when the process still
-            # has them open, so kill those processes first
-            if(runnerac_clearlocks($runnerid, "$logdir/$LOCKDIR")) {
-                logmsg "ERROR: runner $runnerid seems to have died\n";
-                $singletest_state{$runnerid} = ST_INIT;
-                return (-1, 0);
-            }
-            $singletest_state{$runnerid} = ST_CLEARLOCKS;
-        } else {
-            $singletest_state{$runnerid} = ST_INITED;
-            # Recursively call the state machine again because there is no
-            # event expected that would otherwise trigger a new call.
-            return singletest(@_);
+        if(!cleardir($logdir)) {
+            logmsg "Warning: $runnerid: cleardir($logdir) failed\n";
+        }
+        if(!cleardir("$logdir/$LOCKDIR")) {
+            logmsg "Warning: $runnerid: cleardir($logdir/$LOCKDIR) failed\n";
         }
 
-    } elsif($singletest_state{$runnerid} == ST_CLEARLOCKS) {
-        my ($rid, $logs) = runnerar($runnerid);
-        if(!$rid) {
-            logmsg "ERROR: runner $runnerid seems to have died\n";
-            $singletest_state{$runnerid} = ST_INIT;
-            return (-1, 0);
-        }
-        logmsg $logs;
-        my $logdir = getrunnerlogdir($runnerid);
-        cleardir($logdir);
         $singletest_state{$runnerid} = ST_INITED;
         # Recursively call the state machine again because there is no
         # event expected that would otherwise trigger a new call.
@@ -2447,10 +2425,6 @@ while(@ARGV) {
             $fullstats=1;
         }
     }
-    elsif($ARGV[0] eq "-rm") {
-        # force removal of files by killing locking processes
-        $clearlocks=1;
-    }
     elsif($ARGV[0] eq "-u") {
         # error instead of warning on server unexpectedly alive
         $err_unexpected=1;
@@ -2483,7 +2457,6 @@ Usage: runtests.pl [options] [test selection(s)]
   -R       scrambled order (uses the random seed, see --seed)
   -r       run time statistics
   -rf      full run time statistics
-  -rm      force removal of files by killing locking processes (Windows only)
   --repeat=[num] run the given tests this many times
   -s       short output
   --seed=[num] set the random seed to a fixed number
diff --git a/tests/servers.pm b/tests/servers.pm
index 7bc9a1273c..7af1383715 100644
--- a/tests/servers.pm
+++ b/tests/servers.pm
@@ -54,7 +54,6 @@ BEGIN {
         # functions
         qw(
             checkcmd
-            clearlocks
             serverfortest
             stopserver
             stopservers
@@ -262,54 +261,6 @@ sub init_serverpidfile_hash {
 }
 
 
-#######################################################################
-# Kill the processes that still have lock files in a directory
-#
-sub clearlocks {
-    my $dir = $_[0];
-    my $done = 0;
-
-    if(os_is_win()) {
-        $dir = sys_native_abs_path($dir);
-        # Must use backslashes for handle64 to find a match
-        if ($^O eq 'MSWin32') {
-            $dir =~ s/\//\\/g;
-        }
-        else {
-            $dir =~ s/\//\\\\/g;
-        }
-        my $handle = "handle";
-        if($ENV{"PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE"} =~ /64$/) {
-            $handle = "handle64";
-        }
-        if(checkcmd($handle)) {
-            # https://learn.microsoft.com/sysinternals/downloads/handle#usage
-            my $cmd = "$handle $dir -accepteula -nobanner";
-            logmsg "clearlocks: Executing query: '$cmd'\n";
-            my @handles = `$cmd`;
-            for my $tryhandle (@handles) {
-                # Skip the "No matching handles found." warning when returned
-                if($tryhandle =~ /^(\S+)\s+pid:\s+(\d+)\s+type:\s+(\w+)\s+([0-9A-F]+):\s+(.+)\r\r/) {
-                    logmsg "clearlocks: Found $3 lock of '$5' ($4) by $1 ($2)\n";
-                    # Ignore stunnel since we cannot do anything about its locks
-                    if("$3" eq "File" && "$1" ne "tstunnel.exe") {
-                        logmsg "clearlocks: Killing IMAGENAME eq $1 and PID eq $2\n";
-                        # https://ss64.com/nt/taskkill.html
-                        my $cmd = "taskkill.exe -f -t -fi \"IMAGENAME eq $1\" -fi \"PID eq $2\" >nul 2>&1";
-                        logmsg "clearlocks: Executing kill: '$cmd'\n";
-                        system($cmd);
-                        $done = 1;
-                    }
-                }
-            }
-        }
-        else {
-            logmsg "Warning: 'handle' tool not found.\n";
-        }
-    }
-    return $done;
-}
-
 #######################################################################
 # Check if a given child process has just died. Reaps it if so.
 #