diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util/helpers.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util/helpers.go
index bda52ad503b..aac691e8ef0 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util/helpers.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util/helpers.go
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"io/ioutil"
-	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
 	"os"
 	"strings"
@@ -361,45 +360,6 @@ func ReadConfigDataFromReader(reader io.Reader, source string) ([]byte, error) {
 	return data, nil
 }
 
-// ReadConfigData reads the bytes from the specified filesystem or network
-// location or from stdin if location == "-".
-// TODO: replace with resource.Builder
-func ReadConfigData(location string) ([]byte, error) {
-	if len(location) == 0 {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("location given but empty")
-	}
-
-	if location == "-" {
-		// Read from stdin.
-		return ReadConfigDataFromReader(os.Stdin, "stdin ('-')")
-	}
-
-	// Use the location as a file path or URL.
-	return ReadConfigDataFromLocation(location)
-}
-
-// TODO: replace with resource.Builder
-func ReadConfigDataFromLocation(location string) ([]byte, error) {
-	// we look for http:// or https:// to determine if valid URL, otherwise do normal file IO
-	if strings.Index(location, "http://") == 0 || strings.Index(location, "https://") == 0 {
-		resp, err := http.Get(location)
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to access URL %s: %v\n", location, err)
-		}
-		defer resp.Body.Close()
-		if resp.StatusCode != 200 {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to read URL, server reported %d %s", resp.StatusCode, resp.Status)
-		}
-		return ReadConfigDataFromReader(resp.Body, location)
-	} else {
-		file, err := os.Open(location)
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to read %s: %v\n", location, err)
-		}
-		return ReadConfigDataFromReader(file, location)
-	}
-}
-
 // Merge requires JSON serialization
 // TODO: merge assumes JSON serialization, and does not properly abstract API retrieval
 func Merge(codec runtime.Codec, dst runtime.Object, fragment, kind string) (runtime.Object, error) {
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util/helpers_test.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util/helpers_test.go
index 10422e676b7..95c68070d9a 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util/helpers_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util/helpers_test.go
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"net/http"
-	"net/http/httptest"
 	"reflect"
 	"strings"
 	"syscall"
@@ -212,65 +211,6 @@ func (f *fileHandler) ServeHTTP(res http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) {
 	res.Write(f.data)
 }
 
-func TestReadConfigData(t *testing.T) {
-	httpData := []byte{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10}
-	// TODO: Close() this server when fix #19254
-	server := httptest.NewServer(&fileHandler{data: httpData})
-
-	fileData := []byte{11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19}
-	f, err := ioutil.TempFile("", "config")
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("unexpected error setting up config file")
-		t.Fail()
-	}
-	defer syscall.Unlink(f.Name())
-	ioutil.WriteFile(f.Name(), fileData, 0644)
-	// TODO: test TLS here, requires making it possible to inject the HTTP client.
-
-	tests := []struct {
-		config    string
-		data      []byte
-		expectErr bool
-	}{
-		{
-			config: server.URL,
-			data:   httpData,
-		},
-		{
-			config:    server.URL + "/error",
-			expectErr: true,
-		},
-		{
-			config:    "http://some.non.existent.foobar",
-			expectErr: true,
-		},
-		{
-			config: f.Name(),
-			data:   fileData,
-		},
-		{
-			config:    "some-non-existent-file",
-			expectErr: true,
-		},
-		{
-			config:    "",
-			expectErr: true,
-		},
-	}
-	for _, test := range tests {
-		dataOut, err := ReadConfigData(test.config)
-		if err != nil && !test.expectErr {
-			t.Errorf("unexpected err: %v for %s", err, test.config)
-		}
-		if err == nil && test.expectErr {
-			t.Errorf("unexpected non-error for %s", test.config)
-		}
-		if !test.expectErr && !reflect.DeepEqual(test.data, dataOut) {
-			t.Errorf("unexpected data: %v, expected %v", dataOut, test.data)
-		}
-	}
-}
-
 func TestCheckInvalidErr(t *testing.T) {
 	tests := []struct {
 		err      error