diff --git a/awx/main/tasks.py b/awx/main/tasks.py
index d936d3e6ae..c46fa1ade6 100644
--- a/awx/main/tasks.py
+++ b/awx/main/tasks.py
@@ -67,7 +67,6 @@ from awx.main.models import (
     TowerScheduleState,
     Instance,
     InstanceGroup,
-    InstanceLink,
     UnifiedJob,
     Notification,
     Inventory,
@@ -505,21 +504,12 @@ def inspect_execution_nodes(instance_list):
         workers = mesh_status['Advertisements']
         for ad in workers:
             hostname = ad['NodeID']
-            if ad.get('WorkCommands') is None:
-                node_type = 'hop'
-            elif any(cmd['WorkType'] == 'ansible-runner' for cmd in ad['WorkCommands'] or []):
-                node_type = 'execution'
-            else:
+            if not any(cmd['WorkType'] == 'ansible-runner' for cmd in ad['WorkCommands'] or []):
                 continue
 
             changed = False
             if hostname in node_lookup:
                 instance = node_lookup[hostname]
-            elif settings.MESH_AUTODISCOVERY_ENABLED:
-                defaults = dict(enabled=False)
-                (changed, instance) = Instance.objects.register(hostname=hostname, node_type=node_type, defaults=defaults)
-                node_lookup[hostname] = instance
-                logger.warn(f"Registered execution node '{hostname}' (marked disabled by default)")
             else:
                 logger.warn(f"Unrecognized node on mesh advertising ansible-runner work type: {hostname}")
                 continue
@@ -548,17 +538,6 @@ def inspect_execution_nodes(instance_list):
                     logger.debug(f'Restarting health check for execution node {hostname} with known errors.')
                     execution_node_health_check.apply_async([hostname])
 
-        links = {tuple(sorted((node, peer))) for node, peers in mesh_status['KnownConnectionCosts'].items() for peer in peers}
-        for a, b in links:
-            if a not in node_lookup:
-                logger.warn(f"Cannot link {a} to {b}: {a} not registered.")
-                continue
-            if b not in node_lookup:
-                logger.warn(f"Cannot link {a} to {b}: {b} not registered.")
-                continue
-            a_obj, b_obj = node_lookup[a], node_lookup[b]
-            InstanceLink.objects.get_or_create(source=a_obj, target=b_obj)
-
 
 @task(queue=get_local_queuename)
 def cluster_node_heartbeat():
diff --git a/awx/settings/defaults.py b/awx/settings/defaults.py
index 5fbc0dfd32..4bc0b56511 100644
--- a/awx/settings/defaults.py
+++ b/awx/settings/defaults.py
@@ -262,10 +262,6 @@ CSRF_COOKIE_SECURE = True
 # Limit CSRF cookies to browser sessions
 CSRF_COOKIE_AGE = None
 
-# Auto-discover new instances that appear on receptor mesh
-# used for docker-compose environment, unsupported
-MESH_AUTODISCOVERY_ENABLED = False
-
 TEMPLATES = [
     {
         'NAME': 'default',
diff --git a/awx/settings/development.py b/awx/settings/development.py
index 015cda16f1..8fb1c8c1c6 100644
--- a/awx/settings/development.py
+++ b/awx/settings/development.py
@@ -55,9 +55,6 @@ template['OPTIONS']['loaders'] = ('django.template.loaders.filesystem.Loader', '
 PENDO_TRACKING_STATE = "off"
 INSIGHTS_TRACKING_STATE = False
 
-# auto-discover receptor-* execution nodes
-MESH_AUTODISCOVERY_ENABLED = True
-
 # debug toolbar and swagger assume that requirements/requirements_dev.txt are installed
 
 INSTALLED_APPS += ['rest_framework_swagger', 'debug_toolbar']  # NOQA