diff --git a/src/cpp/cpp_convert_type.cpp b/src/cpp/cpp_convert_type.cpp
index f11d06a379f..ee70524ff15 100644
--- a/src/cpp/cpp_convert_type.cpp
+++ b/src/cpp/cpp_convert_type.cpp
@@ -589,8 +589,7 @@ void cpp_convert_plain_type(typet &type)
     type.id() == ID_union || type.id() == ID_array || type.id() == ID_code ||
     type.id() == ID_unsignedbv || type.id() == ID_signedbv ||
     type.id() == ID_bool || type.id() == ID_floatbv || type.id() == ID_empty ||
-    type.id() == ID_symbol_type || type.id() == ID_constructor ||
-    type.id() == ID_destructor)
+    type.id() == ID_constructor || type.id() == ID_destructor)
   {
   }
   else if(type.id()==ID_c_enum)
diff --git a/src/cpp/cpp_declarator_converter.cpp b/src/cpp/cpp_declarator_converter.cpp
index 632d56e70b6..4e0c135bc47 100644
--- a/src/cpp/cpp_declarator_converter.cpp
+++ b/src/cpp/cpp_declarator_converter.cpp
@@ -142,9 +142,7 @@ symbolt &cpp_declarator_convertert::convert(
           cpp_typecheck_resolvet::wantt::TYPE,
           cpp_typecheck_fargst());
 
-      if(
-        symbol_expr.id() != ID_type ||
-        symbol_expr.type().id() != ID_symbol_type)
+      if(symbol_expr.id() != ID_type)
       {
         cpp_typecheck.error().source_location=name.source_location();
         cpp_typecheck.error() << "error: expected type"
diff --git a/src/cpp/cpp_exception_id.cpp b/src/cpp/cpp_exception_id.cpp
index 74ade5396fd..2450665753f 100644
--- a/src/cpp/cpp_exception_id.cpp
+++ b/src/cpp/cpp_exception_id.cpp
@@ -21,11 +21,7 @@ void cpp_exception_list_rec(
   const std::string &suffix,
   std::vector<irep_idt> &dest)
 {
-  if(src.id() == ID_symbol_type)
-  {
-    cpp_exception_list_rec(ns.follow(src), ns, suffix, dest);
-  }
-  else if(src.id()==ID_pointer)
+  if(src.id() == ID_pointer)
   {
     if(src.get_bool(ID_C_reference))
     {
diff --git a/src/cpp/cpp_instantiate_template.cpp b/src/cpp/cpp_instantiate_template.cpp
index d4bc86e1396..20d4fae67cc 100644
--- a/src/cpp/cpp_instantiate_template.cpp
+++ b/src/cpp/cpp_instantiate_template.cpp
@@ -46,10 +46,7 @@ std::string cpp_typecheckt::template_suffix(
     if(expr.id()==ID_type)
     {
       const typet &type=expr.type();
-      if(type.id() == ID_symbol_type)
-        result += id2string(to_symbol_type(type).get_identifier());
-      else if(type.id() == ID_struct_tag ||
-              type.id() == ID_union_tag)
+      if(type.id() == ID_struct_tag || type.id() == ID_union_tag)
         result += id2string(to_tag_type(type).get_identifier());
       else
         result+=cpp_type2name(type);
diff --git a/src/cpp/cpp_is_pod.cpp b/src/cpp/cpp_is_pod.cpp
index 8803c6bf4cd..7b53a520b7b 100644
--- a/src/cpp/cpp_is_pod.cpp
+++ b/src/cpp/cpp_is_pod.cpp
@@ -79,12 +79,6 @@ bool cpp_typecheckt::cpp_is_pod(const typet &type) const
     // but pointers are PODs!
     return true;
   }
-  else if(type.id() == ID_symbol_type)
-  {
-    const symbolt &symb = lookup(to_symbol_type(type));
-    DATA_INVARIANT(symb.is_type, "type symbol is a type");
-    return cpp_is_pod(symb.type);
-  }
   else if(type.id() == ID_struct_tag ||
           type.id() == ID_union_tag)
   {
diff --git a/src/cpp/cpp_typecheck_bases.cpp b/src/cpp/cpp_typecheck_bases.cpp
index 5ffde029cea..c0cb37e4d8c 100644
--- a/src/cpp/cpp_typecheck_bases.cpp
+++ b/src/cpp/cpp_typecheck_bases.cpp
@@ -43,9 +43,6 @@ void cpp_typecheckt::typecheck_compound_bases(struct_typet &type)
     // elaborate any class template instances given as bases
     elaborate_class_template(base_symbol_expr.type());
 
-    if(base_symbol_expr.type().id() == ID_symbol_type)
-      base_symbol_expr.type().id(ID_struct_tag);
-
     if(base_symbol_expr.type().id() != ID_struct_tag)
     {
       error().source_location=name.source_location();
diff --git a/src/cpp/cpp_typecheck_resolve.cpp b/src/cpp/cpp_typecheck_resolve.cpp
index 935a9b2bbdf..3b8ad2f7071 100644
--- a/src/cpp/cpp_typecheck_resolve.cpp
+++ b/src/cpp/cpp_typecheck_resolve.cpp
@@ -160,8 +160,6 @@ void cpp_typecheck_resolvet::remove_duplicates(
 
     if(old_id.id() == ID_symbol)
       id = to_symbol_expr(old_id).get_identifier();
-    else if(old_id.id() == ID_type && old_id.type().id() == ID_symbol_type)
-      id = to_symbol_type(old_id.type()).get_identifier();
     else if(old_id.id() == ID_type && old_id.type().id() == ID_struct_tag)
       id = to_struct_tag_type(old_id.type()).get_identifier();
     else if(old_id.id() == ID_type && old_id.type().id() == ID_union_tag)
@@ -353,20 +351,11 @@ exprt cpp_typecheck_resolvet::convert_identifier(
     }
     else
     {
-      typet followed_type=symbol.type;
-      bool constant=followed_type.get_bool(ID_C_constant);
+      bool constant = symbol.type.get_bool(ID_C_constant);
 
-      while(followed_type.id() == ID_symbol_type)
-      {
-        followed_type =
-          cpp_typecheck.follow(to_symbol_type(followed_type));
-        constant |= followed_type.get_bool(ID_C_constant);
-      }
-
-      if(constant &&
-         symbol.value.is_not_nil() &&
-         is_number(followed_type) &&
-         symbol.value.id() == ID_constant)
+      if(
+        constant && symbol.value.is_not_nil() && is_number(symbol.type) &&
+        symbol.value.id() == ID_constant)
       {
         e=symbol.value;
       }
diff --git a/src/cpp/cpp_typecheck_type.cpp b/src/cpp/cpp_typecheck_type.cpp
index a3a3aa3b265..b92c9108a03 100644
--- a/src/cpp/cpp_typecheck_type.cpp
+++ b/src/cpp/cpp_typecheck_type.cpp
@@ -184,9 +184,6 @@ void cpp_typecheckt::typecheck_type(typet &type)
     type.id() == ID_fixedbv || type.id() == ID_empty)
   {
   }
-  else if(type.id() == ID_symbol_type)
-  {
-  }
   else if(type.id() == ID_struct_tag)
   {
   }
diff --git a/src/cpp/expr2cpp.cpp b/src/cpp/expr2cpp.cpp
index 26f34dfe02b..ffcbc06b241 100644
--- a/src/cpp/expr2cpp.cpp
+++ b/src/cpp/expr2cpp.cpp
@@ -154,47 +154,6 @@ std::string expr2cppt::convert_rec(
     else
       return expr2ct::convert_rec(src, qualifiers, declarator);
   }
-  else if(src.id() == ID_symbol_type)
-  {
-    const irep_idt &identifier=
-      to_symbol_type(src).get_identifier();
-
-    const symbolt &symbol=ns.lookup(identifier);
-
-    if(symbol.type.id() == ID_struct)
-    {
-      std::string dest=q;
-
-      if(symbol.type.get_bool(ID_C_class))
-        dest+="class";
-      else if(symbol.type.get_bool(ID_C_interface))
-        dest+="__interface"; // MS-specific
-      else
-        dest+="struct";
-
-      if(!symbol.pretty_name.empty())
-        dest+=" "+id2string(symbol.pretty_name);
-
-      dest+=d;
-
-      return dest;
-    }
-    else if(symbol.type.id()==ID_c_enum)
-    {
-      std::string dest=q;
-
-      dest+="enum";
-
-      if(!symbol.pretty_name.empty())
-        dest+=" "+id2string(symbol.pretty_name);
-
-      dest+=d;
-
-      return dest;
-    }
-    else
-      return expr2ct::convert_rec(src, qualifiers, declarator);
-  }
   else if(src.id() == ID_struct)
   {
     std::string dest=q;