diff --git a/Lib/fontTools/subset/__init__.py b/Lib/fontTools/subset/__init__.py
index 94921c26a..34d9f7cec 100644
--- a/Lib/fontTools/subset/__init__.py
+++ b/Lib/fontTools/subset/__init__.py
@@ -2912,13 +2912,11 @@ class Subsetter(object):
 @timer("load font")
 def load_font(fontFile,
 	      options,
-	      allowVID=False,
 	      checkChecksums=0,
 	      dontLoadGlyphNames=False,
 	      lazy=True):
 
 	font = ttLib.TTFont(fontFile,
-			    allowVID=allowVID,
 			    checkChecksums=checkChecksums,
 			    recalcBBoxes=options.recalc_bounds,
 			    recalcTimestamp=options.recalc_timestamp,
diff --git a/Lib/fontTools/ttx.py b/Lib/fontTools/ttx.py
index e3421d195..805997835 100644
--- a/Lib/fontTools/ttx.py
+++ b/Lib/fontTools/ttx.py
@@ -118,7 +118,6 @@ class Options(object):
 	disassembleInstructions = True
 	mergeFile = None
 	recalcBBoxes = True
-	allowVID = False
 	ignoreDecompileErrors = True
 	bitmapGlyphDataFormat = 'raw'
 	unicodedata = None
@@ -184,8 +183,6 @@ class Options(object):
 				self.mergeFile = value
 			elif option == "-b":
 				self.recalcBBoxes = False
-			elif option == "-a":
-				self.allowVID = True
 			elif option == "-e":
 				self.ignoreDecompileErrors = False
 			elif option == "--unicodedata":
@@ -258,7 +255,7 @@ def ttDump(input, output, options):
 	log.info('Dumping "%s" to "%s"...', input, output)
 	if options.unicodedata:
 		setUnicodeData(options.unicodedata)
-	ttf = TTFont(input, 0, allowVID=options.allowVID,
+	ttf = TTFont(input, 0,
 			ignoreDecompileErrors=options.ignoreDecompileErrors,
 			fontNumber=options.fontNumber)
 	ttf.saveXML(output,
@@ -280,8 +277,7 @@ def ttCompile(input, output, options):
 		sfnt.USE_ZOPFLI = True
 	ttf = TTFont(options.mergeFile, flavor=options.flavor,
 			recalcBBoxes=options.recalcBBoxes,
-			recalcTimestamp=options.recalcTimestamp,
-			allowVID=options.allowVID)
+			recalcTimestamp=options.recalcTimestamp)
 	ttf.importXML(input)
 
 	if options.recalcTimestamp is None and 'head' in ttf:
diff --git a/Tests/ttx/ttx_test.py b/Tests/ttx/ttx_test.py
index c24634745..e99ccca55 100644
--- a/Tests/ttx/ttx_test.py
+++ b/Tests/ttx/ttx_test.py
@@ -436,12 +436,6 @@ def test_options_b():
     tto = ttx.Options([("-b", "")], 1)
     assert tto.recalcBBoxes is False
 
-
-def test_options_a():
-    tto = ttx.Options([("-a", "")], 1)
-    assert tto.allowVID is True
-
-
 def test_options_e():
     tto = ttx.Options([("-e", "")], 1)
     assert tto.ignoreDecompileErrors is False