diff --git a/src/client.ts b/src/client.ts
index 220795e8b65..711bf3e4e5e 100644
--- a/src/client.ts
+++ b/src/client.ts
@@ -5063,26 +5063,6 @@ export class MatrixClient extends TypedEventEmitter<EmittedEvents, ClientEventHa
         return getHttpUriForMxc(this.baseUrl, mxcUrl, width, height, resizeMethod, allowDirectLinks);
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Sets a new status message for the user. The message may be null/falsey
-     * to clear the message.
-     * @param {string} newMessage The new message to set.
-     * @return {Promise} Resolves: to nothing
-     * @return {module:http-api.MatrixError} Rejects: with an error response.
-     */
-    public _unstable_setStatusMessage(newMessage: string): Promise<void> { // eslint-disable-line
-        const type = "im.vector.user_status";
-        return Promise.all(this.getRooms().map(async (room) => {
-            const isJoined = room.getMyMembership() === "join";
-            const looksLikeDm = room.getInvitedAndJoinedMemberCount() === 2;
-            if (!isJoined || !looksLikeDm) return;
-            // Check power level separately as it's a bit more expensive.
-            const maySend = room.currentState.mayClientSendStateEvent(type, this);
-            if (!maySend) return;
-            await this.sendStateEvent(room.roomId, type, { status: newMessage }, this.getUserId());
-        })).then(); // .then to fix return type
-    }
-
     /**
      * @param {Object} opts Options to apply
      * @param {string} opts.presence One of "online", "offline" or "unavailable"
diff --git a/src/models/user.ts b/src/models/user.ts
index aad80e57501..df580b0f1f5 100644
--- a/src/models/user.ts
+++ b/src/models/user.ts
@@ -27,8 +27,6 @@ export enum UserEvent {
     Presence = "User.presence",
     CurrentlyActive = "User.currentlyActive",
     LastPresenceTs = "User.lastPresenceTs",
-    /* @deprecated */
-    _UnstableStatusMessage = "User.unstable_statusMessage",
 }
 
 export type UserEventHandlerMap = {
@@ -37,7 +35,6 @@ export type UserEventHandlerMap = {
     [UserEvent.Presence]: (event: MatrixEvent | undefined, user: User) => void;
     [UserEvent.CurrentlyActive]: (event: MatrixEvent | undefined, user: User) => void;
     [UserEvent.LastPresenceTs]: (event: MatrixEvent | undefined, user: User) => void;
-    [UserEvent._UnstableStatusMessage]: (user: User) => void;
 };
 
 export class User extends TypedEventEmitter<UserEvent, UserEventHandlerMap> {
@@ -59,8 +56,6 @@ export class User extends TypedEventEmitter<UserEvent, UserEventHandlerMap> {
             presence: null,
             profile: null,
         };
-    // eslint-disable-next-line camelcase
-    public unstable_statusMessage = "";
 
     /**
      * Construct a new User. A User must have an ID and can optionally have extra
@@ -81,9 +76,6 @@ export class User extends TypedEventEmitter<UserEvent, UserEventHandlerMap> {
      *                when a user was last active.
      * @prop {Boolean} currentlyActive Whether we should consider lastActiveAgo to be
      *               an approximation and that the user should be seen as active 'now'
-     * @prop {string} unstable_statusMessage The status message for the user, if known. This is
-     *                different from the presenceStatusMsg in that this is not tied to
-     *                the user's presence, and should be represented differently.
      * @prop {Object} events The events describing this user.
      * @prop {MatrixEvent} events.presence The m.presence event for this user.
      */
@@ -219,19 +211,6 @@ export class User extends TypedEventEmitter<UserEvent, UserEventHandlerMap> {
     public getLastActiveTs(): number {
         return this.lastPresenceTs - this.lastActiveAgo;
     }
-
-    /**
-     * Manually set the user's status message.
-     * @param {MatrixEvent} event The <code>im.vector.user_status</code> event.
-     * @fires module:client~MatrixClient#event:"User.unstable_statusMessage"
-     */
-    // eslint-disable-next-line
-    public unstable_updateStatusMessage(event: MatrixEvent): void {
-        if (!event.getContent()) this.unstable_statusMessage = "";
-        else this.unstable_statusMessage = event.getContent()["status"];
-        this.updateModifiedTime();
-        this.emit(UserEvent._UnstableStatusMessage, this);
-    }
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/sync.ts b/src/sync.ts
index 30df2cb7e6c..0791920a9ff 100644
--- a/src/sync.ts
+++ b/src/sync.ts
@@ -1295,16 +1295,6 @@ export class SyncApi {
                 if (e.isState() && e.getType() == "m.room.encryption" && this.opts.crypto) {
                     await this.opts.crypto.onCryptoEvent(e);
                 }
-                if (e.isState() && e.getType() === "im.vector.user_status") {
-                    let user = client.store.getUser(e.getStateKey());
-                    if (user) {
-                        user.unstable_updateStatusMessage(e);
-                    } else {
-                        user = createNewUser(client, e.getStateKey());
-                        user.unstable_updateStatusMessage(e);
-                        client.store.storeUser(user);
-                    }
-                }
             };
 
             await utils.promiseMapSeries(stateEvents, processRoomEvent);