diff --git a/tools/tools/README b/tools/tools/README
index 4ae496136ddf..43f354bcfb8b 100644
--- a/tools/tools/README
+++ b/tools/tools/README
@@ -1,27 +1,27 @@
 # $FreeBSD$
 
 This directory is for tools.
 
 A tool is something which is sometimes useful, and doesn't fit any of the
 other categories.
 
 Please make a subdir per program, and add a brief description to this file.
 
 editing		Editor modes and the like to help editing FreeBSD code.
 epfe 		Extract printing filter examples from printing.sgml.
 html-mv         Rename HTML generated filenames to human readable filenames.
 ifinfo		Uses the interface MIB to print out all the information
 		an interface exports in an ugly form.
 kdrv		KernelDriver; add/list/remove third-party kernel driver
 		source to/in/from a kernel source tree.
 kernxref	Shellscript to cross reference symbols in the LINT kernel.
 mid	 	Create a Message-ID database for mailing lists.
 portsinfo 	Generate list of new ports for last two weeks.
 scsi-defects	Get at the primary or grown defect list of a SCSI disk.
 tcl_bmake	Generates a bmake Makefile for src/lib/libtcl.
 upgrade         Scripts used for upgrading an installed system.
 vop_table	Generates a HTML document that shows all the VOP's in
 		the kernel.
-diffburst	Reads the output of 'diff -r' and splits it into separate
-		patch files, one per file. The files are named 'patch-XX'
-		where XX is aa, ab, ac, ... Useful when creating ports.
+diffburst	OBSOLETE: equivalent functionality is available via split -p.
+		For example: "cat patchfile | split -p ^diff". See split(1).
+
diff --git a/tools/tools/diffburst/Makefile b/tools/tools/diffburst/Makefile
deleted file mode 100644
index 6cec60ba256a..000000000000
--- a/tools/tools/diffburst/Makefile
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,9 +0,0 @@
-# $FreeBSD$
-
-PROG=		diffburst
-SRCS=		main.c
-MAN1=		diffburst.1
-
-COPTS+=		-g -Wall
-
-.include <bsd.prog.mk>
diff --git a/tools/tools/diffburst/diffburst.1 b/tools/tools/diffburst/diffburst.1
deleted file mode 100644
index 5c2bd009b34b..000000000000
--- a/tools/tools/diffburst/diffburst.1
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,23 +0,0 @@
-.\" $FreeBSD$
-.\"
-.Dd Jan 7, 1999
-.Dt DIFFBURST 1
-.Os BSD 4.4
-.Sh NAME
-.Nm diffburst
-.Nd split recursive diff output into separate files
-.Sh SYNOPSIS
-.Nm diffburst < input
-.Sh DESCRIPTION
-.Nm
-reads the output of a recursive diff from standard input,
-and writes it back out as a series of patchfiles, where each patchfile
-contains the diff for a single file. The files are named
-patch-aa, patch-ab, and so on.
-.Pp
-This program is intended to aid in developing
-.Fx
-ports,
-where the 'one patchfile per file' rule applies.
-.Sh AUTHORS
-.An Archie Cobbs Aq archie@whistle.com
diff --git a/tools/tools/diffburst/main.c b/tools/tools/diffburst/main.c
deleted file mode 100644
index a38e40c5e1f1..000000000000
--- a/tools/tools/diffburst/main.c
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,44 +0,0 @@
-#include <stdlib.h>
-#include <stdio.h>
-#include <string.h>
-#include <err.h>
-
-/* Split a recursive diff into sub-patches to satisfy the requirement
-  that each patch only patch a single file */
-
-int
-main(int ac, char *av[])
-{
-  int	ln;
-  char	line[8192];
-  char	suf[2] = { 'a', 'a' };
-  FILE	*fp = NULL;
-
-  memset(line, 0, sizeof(line));
-  for (ln = 1; fgets(line, sizeof(line) - 1, stdin); ln++)
-  {
-    if (line[strlen(line) - 1] != '\n')
-      errx(1, "line %d is too long", ln);
-    if (!strncmp(line, "diff", 4) && fp != NULL)
-    {
-      fclose(fp);
-      fp = NULL;
-    }
-    if (fp == NULL)
-    {
-      char	name[200];
-
-      snprintf(name, sizeof(name), "patch-%c%c", suf[0], suf[1]);
-      if (suf[1]++ == 'z')
-      {
-	suf[1] = 'a';
-	suf[0]++;
-      }
-      if ((fp = fopen(name, "w")) == NULL)
-	err(1, "%s", name);
-    }
-    fprintf(fp, "%s", line);
-  }
-  return(0);
-}
-