diff --git a/libs/renderengine/gl/GLESRenderEngine.cpp b/libs/renderengine/gl/GLESRenderEngine.cpp
index 42e74df..3367664 100644
--- a/libs/renderengine/gl/GLESRenderEngine.cpp
+++ b/libs/renderengine/gl/GLESRenderEngine.cpp
@@ -639,13 +639,8 @@
     }
 }
 
-status_t GLESRenderEngine::bindExternalTextureBuffer(uint32_t texName,
-                                                     const sp<GraphicBuffer>& buffer,
-                                                     const sp<Fence>& bufferFence) {
-    if (buffer == nullptr) {
-        return BAD_VALUE;
-    }
-
+void GLESRenderEngine::bindExternalTextureBuffer(uint32_t texName, const sp<GraphicBuffer>& buffer,
+                                                 const sp<Fence>& bufferFence) {
     ATRACE_CALL();
 
     bool found = false;
@@ -661,7 +656,8 @@
     if (!found) {
         status_t cacheResult = mImageManager->cache(buffer);
         if (cacheResult != NO_ERROR) {
-            return cacheResult;
+            ALOGE("Error with caching buffer: %d", cacheResult);
+            return;
         }
     }
 
@@ -678,7 +674,7 @@
             // We failed creating the image if we got here, so bail out.
             ALOGE("Failed to create an EGLImage when rendering");
             bindExternalTextureImage(texName, *createImage());
-            return NO_INIT;
+            return;
         }
 
         bindExternalTextureImage(texName, *cachedImage->second);
@@ -691,22 +687,22 @@
             base::unique_fd fenceFd(bufferFence->dup());
             if (fenceFd == -1) {
                 ALOGE("error dup'ing fence fd: %d", errno);
-                return -errno;
+                return;
             }
             if (!waitFence(std::move(fenceFd))) {
                 ALOGE("failed to wait on fence fd");
-                return UNKNOWN_ERROR;
+                return;
             }
         } else {
             status_t err = bufferFence->waitForever("RenderEngine::bindExternalTextureBuffer");
             if (err != NO_ERROR) {
                 ALOGE("error waiting for fence: %d", err);
-                return err;
+                return;
             }
         }
     }
 
-    return NO_ERROR;
+    return;
 }
 
 void GLESRenderEngine::cacheExternalTextureBuffer(const sp<GraphicBuffer>& buffer) {
diff --git a/libs/renderengine/gl/GLESRenderEngine.h b/libs/renderengine/gl/GLESRenderEngine.h
index 8f0df2c..c72b7f9 100644
--- a/libs/renderengine/gl/GLESRenderEngine.h
+++ b/libs/renderengine/gl/GLESRenderEngine.h
@@ -60,8 +60,6 @@
     void primeCache() const override;
     void genTextures(size_t count, uint32_t* names) override;
     void deleteTextures(size_t count, uint32_t const* names) override;
-    status_t bindExternalTextureBuffer(uint32_t texName, const sp<GraphicBuffer>& buffer,
-                                       const sp<Fence>& fence) EXCLUDES(mRenderingMutex);
     void cacheExternalTextureBuffer(const sp<GraphicBuffer>& buffer) EXCLUDES(mRenderingMutex);
     void unbindExternalTextureBuffer(uint64_t bufferId) EXCLUDES(mRenderingMutex);
 
@@ -135,6 +133,8 @@
     status_t bindFrameBuffer(Framebuffer* framebuffer);
     void unbindFrameBuffer(Framebuffer* framebuffer);
     void bindExternalTextureImage(uint32_t texName, const Image& image);
+    void bindExternalTextureBuffer(uint32_t texName, const sp<GraphicBuffer>& buffer,
+                                   const sp<Fence>& fence) EXCLUDES(mRenderingMutex);
     void cleanFramebufferCache() EXCLUDES(mFramebufferImageCacheMutex) override;
 
     // A data space is considered HDR data space if it has BT2020 color space
diff --git a/libs/renderengine/include/renderengine/RenderEngine.h b/libs/renderengine/include/renderengine/RenderEngine.h
index a0e7ab7..43b12e7 100644
--- a/libs/renderengine/include/renderengine/RenderEngine.h
+++ b/libs/renderengine/include/renderengine/RenderEngine.h
@@ -91,11 +91,6 @@
     virtual bool useNativeFenceSync() const = 0;
     virtual void genTextures(size_t count, uint32_t* names) = 0;
     virtual void deleteTextures(size_t count, uint32_t const* names) = 0;
-    // Legacy public method used by devices that don't support native fence
-    // synchronization in their GPU driver, as this method provides implicit
-    // synchronization for latching buffers.
-    virtual status_t bindExternalTextureBuffer(uint32_t texName, const sp<GraphicBuffer>& buffer,
-                                               const sp<Fence>& fence) = 0;
     // Caches Image resources for this buffer, but does not bind the buffer to
     // a particular texture.
     // Note that work is deferred to an additional thread, i.e. this call
diff --git a/libs/renderengine/tests/RenderEngineTest.cpp b/libs/renderengine/tests/RenderEngineTest.cpp
index c92e817..d795616 100644
--- a/libs/renderengine/tests/RenderEngineTest.cpp
+++ b/libs/renderengine/tests/RenderEngineTest.cpp
@@ -1242,31 +1242,6 @@
     EXPECT_EQ(NO_ERROR, barrier->result);
 }
 
-TEST_F(RenderEngineTest, bindExternalBuffer_withNullBuffer) {
-    status_t result = sRE->bindExternalTextureBuffer(0, nullptr, nullptr);
-    ASSERT_EQ(BAD_VALUE, result);
-}
-
-TEST_F(RenderEngineTest, bindExternalBuffer_cachesImages) {
-    sp<GraphicBuffer> buf = allocateSourceBuffer(1, 1);
-    uint32_t texName;
-    sRE->genTextures(1, &texName);
-    mTexNames.push_back(texName);
-
-    sRE->bindExternalTextureBuffer(texName, buf, nullptr);
-    uint64_t bufferId = buf->getId();
-    EXPECT_TRUE(sRE->isImageCachedForTesting(bufferId));
-    std::shared_ptr<renderengine::gl::ImageManager::Barrier> barrier =
-            sRE->unbindExternalTextureBufferForTesting(bufferId);
-    std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(barrier->mutex);
-    ASSERT_TRUE(barrier->condition.wait_for(barrier->mutex, std::chrono::seconds(5),
-                                            [&]() REQUIRES(barrier->mutex) {
-                                                return barrier->isOpen;
-                                            }));
-    EXPECT_EQ(NO_ERROR, barrier->result);
-    EXPECT_FALSE(sRE->isImageCachedForTesting(bufferId));
-}
-
 TEST_F(RenderEngineTest, cacheExternalBuffer_withNullBuffer) {
     std::shared_ptr<renderengine::gl::ImageManager::Barrier> barrier =
             sRE->cacheExternalTextureBufferForTesting(nullptr);
diff --git a/libs/renderengine/tests/RenderEngineThreadedTest.cpp b/libs/renderengine/tests/RenderEngineThreadedTest.cpp
index 78fec29..ba5175d 100644
--- a/libs/renderengine/tests/RenderEngineThreadedTest.cpp
+++ b/libs/renderengine/tests/RenderEngineThreadedTest.cpp
@@ -62,21 +62,6 @@
     mThreadedRE->deleteTextures(1, &texName);
 }
 
-TEST_F(RenderEngineThreadedTest, bindExternalBuffer_nullptrBuffer) {
-    EXPECT_CALL(*mRenderEngine, bindExternalTextureBuffer(0, Eq(nullptr), Eq(nullptr)))
-            .WillOnce(Return(BAD_VALUE));
-    status_t result = mThreadedRE->bindExternalTextureBuffer(0, nullptr, nullptr);
-    ASSERT_EQ(BAD_VALUE, result);
-}
-
-TEST_F(RenderEngineThreadedTest, bindExternalBuffer_withBuffer) {
-    sp<GraphicBuffer> buf = new GraphicBuffer();
-    EXPECT_CALL(*mRenderEngine, bindExternalTextureBuffer(0, buf, Eq(nullptr)))
-            .WillOnce(Return(NO_ERROR));
-    status_t result = mThreadedRE->bindExternalTextureBuffer(0, buf, nullptr);
-    ASSERT_EQ(NO_ERROR, result);
-}
-
 TEST_F(RenderEngineThreadedTest, cacheExternalTextureBuffer_nullptr) {
     EXPECT_CALL(*mRenderEngine, cacheExternalTextureBuffer(Eq(nullptr)));
     mThreadedRE->cacheExternalTextureBuffer(nullptr);
diff --git a/libs/renderengine/threaded/RenderEngineThreaded.cpp b/libs/renderengine/threaded/RenderEngineThreaded.cpp
index 9b79943..953cbc6 100644
--- a/libs/renderengine/threaded/RenderEngineThreaded.cpp
+++ b/libs/renderengine/threaded/RenderEngineThreaded.cpp
@@ -161,24 +161,6 @@
     resultFuture.wait();
 }
 
-status_t RenderEngineThreaded::bindExternalTextureBuffer(uint32_t texName,
-                                                         const sp<GraphicBuffer>& buffer,
-                                                         const sp<Fence>& fence) {
-    std::promise<status_t> resultPromise;
-    std::future<status_t> resultFuture = resultPromise.get_future();
-    {
-        std::lock_guard lock(mThreadMutex);
-        mFunctionCalls.push(
-                [&resultPromise, texName, &buffer, &fence](renderengine::RenderEngine& instance) {
-                    ATRACE_NAME("REThreaded::bindExternalTextureBuffer");
-                    status_t status = instance.bindExternalTextureBuffer(texName, buffer, fence);
-                    resultPromise.set_value(status);
-                });
-    }
-    mCondition.notify_one();
-    return resultFuture.get();
-}
-
 void RenderEngineThreaded::cacheExternalTextureBuffer(const sp<GraphicBuffer>& buffer) {
     std::promise<void> resultPromise;
     std::future<void> resultFuture = resultPromise.get_future();
diff --git a/libs/renderengine/threaded/RenderEngineThreaded.h b/libs/renderengine/threaded/RenderEngineThreaded.h
index b02cdd9..ac9f606 100644
--- a/libs/renderengine/threaded/RenderEngineThreaded.h
+++ b/libs/renderengine/threaded/RenderEngineThreaded.h
@@ -48,8 +48,6 @@
     bool useNativeFenceSync() const override;
     void genTextures(size_t count, uint32_t* names) override;
     void deleteTextures(size_t count, uint32_t const* names) override;
-    status_t bindExternalTextureBuffer(uint32_t texName, const sp<GraphicBuffer>& buffer,
-                                       const sp<Fence>& fence) override;
     void cacheExternalTextureBuffer(const sp<GraphicBuffer>& buffer) override;
     void unbindExternalTextureBuffer(uint64_t bufferId) override;
     size_t getMaxTextureSize() const override;