diff --git a/src/lib/base/EventQueue.cpp b/src/lib/base/EventQueue.cpp
index 908ed439..bb5f07fc 100644
--- a/src/lib/base/EventQueue.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/base/EventQueue.cpp
@@ -201,27 +201,11 @@ EventQueue::adoptBuffer(IEventQueueBuffer* buffer)
     }
 }
 
-/*
-bool
-EventQueue::parent_requests_shutdown() const
-{
-    char ch;
-    return m_parentStream.try_read_char(ch) && ch == ShutdownCh;
-}
-*/
-
 bool
 EventQueue::getEvent(Event& event, double timeout)
 {
     Stopwatch timer(true);
 retry:
-    // before handling any events make sure we don't need to shutdown
-/*
-    if (parent_requests_shutdown()) {
-        event = Event(Event::kQuit);
-        return false;
-    }
-*/
     // if no events are waiting then handle timers and then wait
     while (m_buffer->isEmpty()) {
         // handle timers first
diff --git a/src/lib/base/EventQueue.h b/src/lib/base/EventQueue.h
index a3980f2f..d4fb6ffd 100644
--- a/src/lib/base/EventQueue.h
+++ b/src/lib/base/EventQueue.h
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@
 #include "base/Stopwatch.h"
 #include "common/stdmap.h"
 #include "common/stdset.h"
-//#include "base/NonBlockingStream.h"
 
 #include <queue>
 
@@ -73,7 +72,6 @@ private:
     bool                hasTimerExpired(Event& event);
     double                getNextTimerTimeout() const;
     void                addEventToBuffer(const Event& event);
-    //bool                parent_requests_shutdown() const;
     
 private:
     class Timer {
@@ -186,7 +184,6 @@ private:
     Mutex*                        m_readyMutex;
     CondVar<bool>*                m_readyCondVar;
     std::queue<Event>            m_pending;
-    //NonBlockingStream            m_parentStream;
 };
 
 #define EVENT_TYPE_ACCESSOR(type_)                                            \
diff --git a/src/lib/base/NonBlockingStream.cpp b/src/lib/base/NonBlockingStream.cpp
deleted file mode 100644
index d44add15..00000000
--- a/src/lib/base/NonBlockingStream.cpp
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,60 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * barrier -- mouse and keyboard sharing utility
- * Copyright (C) 2008 Debauchee Open Source Group
- *
- * This package is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
- * modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License
- * found in the file LICENSE that should have accompanied this file.
- *
- * This package is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
- * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
- * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
- * GNU General Public License for more details.
- *
- * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
- * along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
- */
-
-#if !defined(_WIN32)
-
-#include "base/NonBlockingStream.h"
-
-#include <unistd.h> // tcgetattr/tcsetattr, read
-#include <termios.h> // tcgetattr/tcsetattr
-#include <fcntl.h>
-#include <errno.h>
-#include <assert.h>
-
-NonBlockingStream::NonBlockingStream(int fd) :
-    _fd(fd)
-{
-    // disable ICANON & ECHO so we don't have to wait for a newline
-    // before we get data (and to keep it from being echoed back out)
-    termios ta;
-    tcgetattr(fd, &ta);
-    _p_ta_previous = new termios(ta);
-    ta.c_lflag &= ~(ICANON | ECHO);
-    tcsetattr(fd, TCSANOW, &ta);
-
-    // prevent IO from blocking so we can poll (read())
-    int _cntl_previous = fcntl(fd, F_GETFL);
-    fcntl(fd, F_SETFL, _cntl_previous | O_NONBLOCK);
-}
-
-NonBlockingStream::~NonBlockingStream()
-{
-    tcsetattr(_fd, TCSANOW, _p_ta_previous);
-    fcntl(_fd, F_SETFL, _cntl_previous);
-    delete _p_ta_previous;
-}
-
-bool NonBlockingStream::try_read_char(char &ch) const
-{
-    int result = read(_fd, &ch, 1);
-    if (result == 1)
-        return true;
-    assert(result == -1 && (errno == EAGAIN || errno == EWOULDBLOCK));
-    return false;
-}
-
-#endif // !defined(_WIN32)
diff --git a/src/lib/base/NonBlockingStream.h b/src/lib/base/NonBlockingStream.h
deleted file mode 100644
index 4c27762a..00000000
--- a/src/lib/base/NonBlockingStream.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,49 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * barrier -- mouse and keyboard sharing utility
- * Copyright (C) 2008 Debauchee Open Source Group
- *
- * This package is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
- * modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License
- * found in the file LICENSE that should have accompanied this file.
- *
- * This package is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
- * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
- * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
- * GNU General Public License for more details.
- *
- * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
- * along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
- */
-
-#pragma once
-
-// windows doesn't have a unistd.h so this class won't work as-written.
-// at the moment barrier doesn't need this functionality on windows so
-// it's left as a stub to be optimized out
-#if defined(_WIN32)
-
-class NonBlockingStream
-{
-public:
-    bool try_read_char(char &ch) const { return false; };
-};
-
-#else // non-windows platforms
-
-struct termios;
-
-class NonBlockingStream
-{
-public:
-    explicit NonBlockingStream(int fd = 0);
-    ~NonBlockingStream();
-
-    bool try_read_char(char &ch) const;
-
-private:
-    int _fd;
-    termios * _p_ta_previous;
-    int _cntl_previous;
-};
-
-#endif