diff --git a/src/lib/deskflow/App.cpp b/src/lib/deskflow/App.cpp
index 4ca0f0975..200f813f2 100644
--- a/src/lib/deskflow/App.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/deskflow/App.cpp
@@ -129,8 +129,6 @@ int App::run(int argc, char **argv)
     LOG((CLOG_CRIT "an unknown error occurred\n"));
   }
 
-  appUtil().beforeAppExit();
-
   return result;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/lib/deskflow/App.h b/src/lib/deskflow/App.h
index 707e2e88d..30fa52645 100644
--- a/src/lib/deskflow/App.h
+++ b/src/lib/deskflow/App.h
@@ -209,16 +209,14 @@ private:
 #elif SYSAPI_WIN32
 
 // windows args
-#define HELP_SYS_ARGS " [--service <action>] [--relaunch] [--exit-pause]"
+#define HELP_SYS_ARGS " [--service <action>] [--relaunch]"
 #define HELP_SYS_INFO                                                                                                  \
   "      --service <action>   manage the windows service, valid options "                                              \
   "are:\n"                                                                                                             \
   "                             install/uninstall/start/stop\n"                                                        \
   "      --relaunch           persistently relaunches process in current "                                             \
   "user \n"                                                                                                            \
-  "                             session (useful for vista and upward).\n"                                              \
-  "      --exit-pause         wait for key press on exit, can be useful for\n"                                         \
-  "                             reading error messages that occur on exit.\n"
+  "                             session (useful for vista and upward).\n"
 #endif
 
 #if !defined(WINAPI_LIBEI) && WINAPI_XWINDOWS
diff --git a/src/lib/deskflow/AppUtil.h b/src/lib/deskflow/AppUtil.h
index 495962987..848355809 100644
--- a/src/lib/deskflow/AppUtil.h
+++ b/src/lib/deskflow/AppUtil.h
@@ -28,9 +28,6 @@ public:
   {
     instance().exitApp(code);
   }
-  virtual void beforeAppExit()
-  {
-  }
 
 private:
   IApp *m_app;
diff --git a/src/lib/deskflow/ArgParser.cpp b/src/lib/deskflow/ArgParser.cpp
index fe9776888..2882c0ede 100644
--- a/src/lib/deskflow/ArgParser.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/deskflow/ArgParser.cpp
@@ -121,9 +121,7 @@ bool ArgParser::parsePlatformArgs(
 )
 {
 #if WINAPI_MSWINDOWS
-  if (isArg(i, argc, argv, nullptr, "--exit-pause")) {
-    argsBase.m_pauseOnExit = true;
-  } else if (isArg(i, argc, argv, nullptr, "--stop-on-desk-switch")) {
+  if (isArg(i, argc, argv, nullptr, "--stop-on-desk-switch")) {
     argsBase.m_stopOnDeskSwitch = true;
   } else {
     // option not supported here
diff --git a/src/lib/deskflow/ArgsBase.h b/src/lib/deskflow/ArgsBase.h
index 959530d31..fc53ab869 100644
--- a/src/lib/deskflow/ArgsBase.h
+++ b/src/lib/deskflow/ArgsBase.h
@@ -91,7 +91,6 @@ public:
 
 #if SYSAPI_WIN32
   bool m_debugServiceWait = false;
-  bool m_pauseOnExit = false;
   bool m_stopOnDeskSwitch = false;
 #endif
 
diff --git a/src/lib/deskflow/IAppUtil.h b/src/lib/deskflow/IAppUtil.h
index 359a71169..933b27039 100644
--- a/src/lib/deskflow/IAppUtil.h
+++ b/src/lib/deskflow/IAppUtil.h
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ public:
   virtual void adoptApp(IApp *app) = 0;
   virtual IApp &app() const = 0;
   virtual int run(int argc, char **argv) = 0;
-  virtual void beforeAppExit() = 0;
   virtual void startNode() = 0;
   virtual std::vector<std::string> getKeyboardLayoutList() = 0;
   virtual std::string getCurrentLanguageCode() = 0;
diff --git a/src/lib/deskflow/win32/AppUtilWindows.cpp b/src/lib/deskflow/win32/AppUtilWindows.cpp
index ce85fec5f..d8943fbaf 100644
--- a/src/lib/deskflow/win32/AppUtilWindows.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/deskflow/win32/AppUtilWindows.cpp
@@ -99,17 +99,6 @@ static int foregroundStartupStatic(int argc, char **argv)
   return AppUtil::instance().app().foregroundStartup(argc, argv);
 }
 
-void AppUtilWindows::beforeAppExit()
-{
-  // this can be handy for debugging, since the application is launched in
-  // a new console window, and will normally close on exit (making it so
-  // that we can't see error messages).
-  if (app().argsBase().m_pauseOnExit) {
-    std::cout << std::endl << "press any key to exit..." << std::endl;
-    int c = _getch();
-  }
-}
-
 int AppUtilWindows::run(int argc, char **argv)
 {
   if (!IsWindowsXPSP3OrGreater()) {
diff --git a/src/lib/deskflow/win32/AppUtilWindows.h b/src/lib/deskflow/win32/AppUtilWindows.h
index 7ce3f6c73..1cb557189 100644
--- a/src/lib/deskflow/win32/AppUtilWindows.h
+++ b/src/lib/deskflow/win32/AppUtilWindows.h
@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@ public:
   void debugServiceWait();
   int run(int argc, char **argv) override;
   void exitApp(int code) override;
-  void beforeAppExit() override;
   void startNode() override;
   std::vector<std::string> getKeyboardLayoutList() override;
   std::string getCurrentLanguageCode() override;
diff --git a/src/test/unittests/deskflow/ArgParserTests.cpp b/src/test/unittests/deskflow/ArgParserTests.cpp
index 10fc36048..57f65a967 100644
--- a/src/test/unittests/deskflow/ArgParserTests.cpp
+++ b/src/test/unittests/deskflow/ArgParserTests.cpp
@@ -207,10 +207,7 @@ TEST(ArgParserTests, parseServerArgs_parses_each_category)
   args.m_daemon = false;
   char const *argv[] = {
       "deskflow", "--help"
-#if WINAPI_MSWINDOWS
-      ,
-      "--exit-pause"
-#elif WINAPI_XWINDOWS
+#if WINAPI_XWINDOWS
       ,
       "--no-xinitthreads"
 #endif
@@ -229,10 +226,7 @@ TEST(ArgParserTests, parseClientArgs_parses_single_help)
   char const *argv[] = {
       kAppId,
       "--help"
-#if WINAPI_MSWINDOWS
-      ,
-      "--exit-pause"
-#elif WINAPI_XWINDOWS
+#if WINAPI_XWINDOWS
       ,
       "--no-xinitthreads"
 #endif