diff --git a/lib/events.js b/lib/events.js
index 92f968a2b54a43..51259e6821bf23 100644
--- a/lib/events.js
+++ b/lib/events.js
@@ -448,8 +448,6 @@ EventEmitter.prototype.prependOnceListener =
 // Emits a 'removeListener' event if and only if the listener was removed.
 EventEmitter.prototype.removeListener =
     function removeListener(type, listener) {
-      let originalListener;
-
       checkListener(listener);
 
       const events = this._events;
@@ -473,7 +471,6 @@ EventEmitter.prototype.removeListener =
 
         for (let i = list.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
           if (list[i] === listener || list[i].listener === listener) {
-            originalListener = list[i].listener;
             position = i;
             break;
           }
@@ -494,7 +491,7 @@ EventEmitter.prototype.removeListener =
           events[type] = list[0];
 
         if (events.removeListener !== undefined)
-          this.emit('removeListener', type, originalListener || listener);
+          this.emit('removeListener', type, listener);
       }
 
       return this;