diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 88c57a9b9..b3330c4e6 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -10,14 +10,13 @@ config.h:
 vis: config.h config.mk
 	@echo ${CC} ${CFLAGS} ${LDFLAGS} *.c -o $@
 	@${CC} ${CFLAGS} ${LDFLAGS} *.c -o $@
-	@ln -sf $@ nano
 
 debug: clean
 	@make CFLAGS='${DEBUG_CFLAGS}'
 
 clean:
 	@echo cleaning
-	@rm -f vis nano vis-${VERSION}.tar.gz
+	@rm -f vis vis-${VERSION}.tar.gz
 
 dist: clean
 	@echo creating dist tarball
diff --git a/README b/README
index 973ddb63a..1b5ac8b47 100644
--- a/README
+++ b/README
@@ -275,13 +275,10 @@ Editor Frontends
 
 The editor core is written in a library like fashion which should make
 it possible to write multiple frontends with possibly different user
-interfaces/paradigms.
+interfaces/paradigms. The frontend to run is selected based on the
+executable name.
 
-At the moment there exists a barely functional, non-modal nano/sandy
-like interface which was used during early testing. The default interface
-is a vim clone called vis.
-
-The frontend to run is selected based on the executable name.
+The default interface is a vim clone called vis.
 
 Key binding modes
 -----------------
diff --git a/config.def.h b/config.def.h
index 59392a75c..1d3523a54 100644
--- a/config.def.h
+++ b/config.def.h
@@ -775,71 +775,6 @@ static Mode vis_modes[] = {
 	},
 };
 
-/* incomplete list of useful but currently missing functionality from nano's help ^G:
-
-^X      (F2)            Close the current file buffer / Exit from nano
-^O      (F3)            Write the current file to disk
-^J      (F4)            Justify the current paragraph
-
-^R      (F5)            Insert another file into the current one
-^W      (F6)            Search for a string or a regular expression
-
-^K      (F9)            Cut the current line and store it in the cutbuffer
-^U      (F10)           Uncut from the cutbuffer into the current line
-^T      (F12)           Invoke the spell checker, if available
-
-
-^_      (F13)   (M-G)   Go to line and column number
-^\      (F14)   (M-R)   Replace a string or a regular expression
-^^      (F15)   (M-A)   Mark text at the cursor position
-M-W     (F16)           Repeat last search
-
-M-^     (M-6)           Copy the current line and store it in the cutbuffer
-M-V                     Insert the next keystroke verbatim
-
-XXX: CONTROL(' ') = 0, ^Space                  Go forward one word
-*/
-
-static KeyBinding nano_keys[] = {
-	{ { CONTROL('D')            }, call,     { .f = editor_delete_key      } },
-	BACKSPACE(                     call,        f,     editor_backspace_key  ),
-	{ { CONTROL('F')            }, movement, { .i = MOVE_CHAR_NEXT         } },
-	{ { CONTROL('P')            }, movement, { .i = MOVE_SCREEN_LINE_UP    } },
-	{ { CONTROL('N')            }, movement, { .i = MOVE_SCREEN_LINE_DOWN  } },
-	{ { CONTROL('Y')            }, wscroll,  { .i = -PAGE                  } },
-	{ { KEY(F(7))               }, wscroll,  { .i = -PAGE                  } },
-	{ { CONTROL('V')            }, wscroll,  { .i = +PAGE                  } },
-	{ { KEY(F(8))               }, wscroll,  { .i = +PAGE                  } },
-#if 0
-	// CONTROL(' ') == 0 which signals the end of array
-	{ { CONTROL(' ')            }, movement, { .i = MOVE_LONGWORD_START_NEXT   } },
-#endif
-	{ { META(' ')               }, movement, { .i = MOVE_LONGWORD_START_PREV   } },
-	{ { CONTROL('A')            }, movement, { .i = MOVE_LINE_START        } },
-	{ { CONTROL('E')            }, movement, { .i = MOVE_LINE_END          } },
-	{ { META(']')               }, movement, { .i = MOVE_BRACKET_MATCH     } },
-	{ { META(')')               }, movement, { .i = MOVE_PARAGRAPH_PREV    } },
-	{ { META('(')               }, movement, { .i = MOVE_PARAGRAPH_NEXT    } },
-	{ { META('\\')              }, movement, { .i = MOVE_FILE_BEGIN        } },
-	{ { META('|')               }, movement, { .i = MOVE_FILE_BEGIN        } },
-	{ { META('/')               }, movement, { .i = MOVE_FILE_END          } },
-	{ { META('?')               }, movement, { .i = MOVE_FILE_END          } },
-	{ { META('U')               }, undo,     { NULL                        } },
-	{ { META('E')               }, redo,     { NULL                        } },
-#if 0
-	{ { CONTROL('I') },   insert,   { .s = "\t"                   } },
-	/* TODO: handle this in vis to insert \n\r when appriopriate */
-	{ { CONTROL('M') },   insert,   { .s = "\n"                   } },
-#endif
-	{ { CONTROL('L')            }, call,      { .f = editor_draw           } },
-	{ /* empty last element, array terminator */                             },
-};
-
-static Mode nano[] = {
-	{ .parent = NULL,     .bindings = basic_movement,  },
-	{ .parent = &nano[0], .bindings = nano_keys, .input = vis_mode_insert_input },
-};
-
 /* list of vis configurations, first entry is default. name is matched with
  * argv[0] i.e. program name upon execution
  */
@@ -850,12 +785,6 @@ static Config editors[] = {
 		.statusbar = statusbar,
 		.keypress = vis_keypress,
 	},
-	{
-		.name = "nano",
-		.mode = &nano[1],
-		.statusbar = statusbar,
-		.keypress = vis_keypress,
-	},
 };
 
 /* default editor configuration to use */