diff --git a/modules/mesh-delivery-builder/internal/versions/versions.go b/modules/mesh-delivery-builder/internal/versions/versions.go
index 42c07212..39789cfb 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-delivery-builder/internal/versions/versions.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-delivery-builder/internal/versions/versions.go
@@ -337,29 +337,6 @@ func Tagged(entries []Entry, series, tag string, floor Floor) string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("%s%d", prefix, n+1)
 }
 
-// Order is merge order (design 51): a claim of a later merge of the same name waits until every earlier merge of it
-// whose fingerprint the indexer still holds is numbered; a fingerprint replaced by a later merge before its claim is
-// skipped. held is the fingerprints the indexer still holds for the name with their merge sequences. WaitsOn answers
-// the earliest merge sequence the claim at merge waits on, 0 when it waits on none.
-func WaitsOn(entries []Entry, merge uint64, held map[string]uint64) uint64 {
-	numbered := map[string]bool{}
-	for _, e := range entries {
-		if e.Tag == "" {
-			numbered[e.Fingerprint] = true
-		}
-	}
-	var wait uint64
-	for fp, seq := range held {
-		if seq >= merge || numbered[fp] {
-			continue
-		}
-		if wait == 0 || seq < wait {
-			wait = seq
-		}
-	}
-	return wait
-}
-
 // Fill is whether a bucket holding bytes of cap is past its finding's mark.
 func Fill(bytes, capacity uint64) (share float64, full bool) {
 	if capacity == 0 {
diff --git a/modules/mesh-delivery-builder/internal/versions/versions_test.go b/modules/mesh-delivery-builder/internal/versions/versions_test.go
index 22eaa716..651ca516 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-delivery-builder/internal/versions/versions_test.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-delivery-builder/internal/versions/versions_test.go
@@ -248,24 +248,6 @@ func TestTheBuildersVersions(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Errorf("CleanTag = %s", got)
 		}
 	})
-	t.Run("merge order", func(t *testing.T) {
-		es := []Entry{{Fingerprint: "f1", Version: "0.1.0", Series: "0.1"}}
-		for _, c := range []struct {
-			name  string
-			merge uint64
-			held  map[string]uint64
-			want  uint64
-		}{
-			{"an earlier merge numbered waits on nothing", 5, map[string]uint64{"f1": 3}, 0},
-			{"an earlier merge not numbered is waited on", 5, map[string]uint64{"f1": 3, "f2": 4}, 4},
-			{"a replaced fingerprint the indexer no longer holds is skipped", 5, map[string]uint64{}, 0},
-			{"a later merge is not waited on", 5, map[string]uint64{"f3": 7}, 0},
-		} {
-			if got := WaitsOn(es, c.merge, c.held); got != c.want {
-				t.Errorf("%s: WaitsOn = %d, want %d", c.name, got, c.want)
-			}
-		}
-	})
 	t.Run("the floor wakes on its silent source, never a timer", func(t *testing.T) {
 		ctx := context.Background()
 		src := FloorSources{