diff --git a/lib/menubar/utils.lua b/lib/menubar/utils.lua
index d0b9e5e04..33f63516f 100644
--- a/lib/menubar/utils.lua
+++ b/lib/menubar/utils.lua
@@ -41,16 +41,6 @@ local default_icon = nil
 --- Name of the WM for the OnlyShowIn entry in the .desktop file.
 utils.wm_name = "awesome"
 
---- Possible escape characters (not including the preceding backslash) in
---.desktop files and their equates.
-local escape_sequences = {
-    [ [[\\]] ]  = [[\]],
-    [ [[\n]] ]  = '\n',
-    [ [[\r]] ]  = '\r',
-    [ [[\s]] ]  = ' ',
-    [ [[\t]] ]  = '\t',
-}
-
 -- Maps keys in desktop entries to suitable getter function.
 -- The order of entries is as in the spec.
 -- https://standards.freedesktop.org/desktop-entry-spec/latest/ar01s05.html
@@ -228,49 +218,6 @@ function utils.rtrim(s)
     return s
 end
 
---- Unescape strings read from desktop files.
--- Possible sequences are \n, \r, \s, \t, \\, which have the usual meanings.
--- @tparam string s String to unescape
--- @treturn string The unescaped string
-function utils.unescape(s)
-    if not s then return end
-
-    -- Ignore the second return value of string.gsub() (number replaced)
-    s = string.gsub(s, "\\.", function(sequence)
-        return escape_sequences[sequence] or sequence
-    end)
-    return s
-end
-
---- Separate semi-colon separated lists.
--- Semi-colons in lists are escaped as '\;'.
--- @tparam string s String to parse
--- @treturn table A table containing the separated strings. Each element is
--- unescaped by utils.unescape().
-function utils.parse_list(s)
-    if not s then return end
-
-    -- Append terminating semi-colon if not already there.
-    if string.sub(s, -1) ~= ';' then
-        s = s .. ';'
-    end
-
-    local segments = {}
-    local part = ""
-    -- Iterate over sub-strings between semicolons
-    for word, backslashes in string.gmatch(s, "([^;]-(\\*));") do
-        if #backslashes % 2 ~= 0 then
-            -- The semicolon was escaped, remember this part for later
-            part = part .. word:sub(1, -2) .. ";"
-        else
-            table.insert(segments, utils.unescape(part .. word))
-            part = ""
-        end
-    end
-
-    return segments
-end
-
 --- Lookup an icon in different folders of the filesystem.
 -- @tparam string icon_file Short or full name of the icon.
 -- @treturn string|boolean Full name of the icon, or false on failure.
diff --git a/spec/menubar/utils_spec.lua b/spec/menubar/utils_spec.lua
index f71f5a7aa..da4c8000f 100644
--- a/spec/menubar/utils_spec.lua
+++ b/spec/menubar/utils_spec.lua
@@ -7,51 +7,6 @@ local utils = require("menubar.utils")
 local theme = require("beautiful")
 local glib = require("lgi").GLib
 
-describe("menubar.utils unescape", function()
-    local single_strings = {
-        [ [[\n:\r:\s:\t:\\]] ] = "\n:\r: :\t:\\",
-        -- Make sure escapes are not read recursively
-        [ [[\\s]] ] = [[\s]],
-        -- Make sure ';' is not escaped for non-list strings and other
-        -- characters are not escaped
-        [ [[ab\c\;1\23]] ] = [[ab\c\;1\23]],
-    }
-
-    for escaped, unescaped in pairs(single_strings) do
-        it(escaped, function()
-            assert.is.equal(unescaped, utils.unescape(escaped))
-        end)
-    end
-
-    local list_strings = {
-        -- Normal list
-        [ [[abc;123;xyz]] ] = { "abc", "123", "xyz" },
-        -- Optional terminating semicolon
-        [ [[abc;123;xyz;]] ] = { "abc", "123", "xyz" },
-        -- Blank item
-        [ [[abc;;123]] ] = { "abc", "", "123" },
-        -- Trailing whitespace
-        [ [[abc;123;   ]] ] = { "abc", "123", "   " },
-        -- Escape semicolon
-        [ [[abc\;;12\;3;\;xyz]] ] = { "abc;", "12;3", ";xyz" },
-        -- Normal escapes are parsed like normal
-        [ [[ab\c;1\s23;x\\yz]] ] = { "ab\\c", "1 23", "x\\yz" },
-        -- Escaped backslashes before semicolon
-        [ [[abc\\\;;12\\;3;xyz]] ] = { "abc\\;", "12\\", "3", "xyz" },
-    }
-
-    for escaped, unescaped in pairs(list_strings) do
-        it(escaped, function()
-            local returned = utils.parse_list(escaped)
-            assert.is.equal(#unescaped, #returned)
-
-            for i = 1, #unescaped do
-                assert.is.equal(unescaped[i], returned[i])
-            end
-        end)
-    end
-end)
-
 describe("menubar.utils lookup_icon_uncached", function()
     local shimmed = {}
     local icon_theme