diff --git a/src/lib/libast/Mamfile b/src/lib/libast/Mamfile
index 8379a95a33d0..d325b25069ad 100644
--- a/src/lib/libast/Mamfile
+++ b/src/lib/libast/Mamfile
@@ -1089,19 +1089,6 @@ make install virtual
 			exec - compile ${<}
 		done
 
-		make pathprobe.o
-			make path/pathprobe.c
-				prev ast_api.h
-				make include/proc.h implicit
-					prev include/ast.h
-				done
-				prev include/ls.h
-				prev include/error.h
-				prev include/ast.h
-			done
-			exec - compile ${<} -DHOSTTYPE=\""${mam_cc_HOSTTYPE}"\"
-		done
-
 		make pathrepl.o
 			make path/pathrepl.c
 				prev ast_api.h
@@ -1389,7 +1376,9 @@ make install virtual
 		make systrace.o
 			make misc/systrace.c
 				prev include/debug.h
-				prev include/proc.h
+				make include/proc.h implicit
+					prev include/ast.h
+				done
 				prev include/error.h
 				prev include/ast.h
 			done
diff --git a/src/lib/libast/features/api b/src/lib/libast/features/api
index e2a6840607a6..b86dceeabf86 100644
--- a/src/lib/libast/features/api
+++ b/src/lib/libast/features/api
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ api ast 20120411 cmdopen
 
 api ast 20110505 cmdopen
 
-api ast 20100601 pathaccess pathcanon pathcat pathkey pathpath pathprobe pathrepl
+api ast 20100601 pathaccess pathcanon pathcat pathkey pathpath pathrepl
 
 api ast 20000308 sfkeyprintf
 
diff --git a/src/lib/libast/features/map.c b/src/lib/libast/features/map.c
index 6d743cc9046c..3718f0ac3346 100644
--- a/src/lib/libast/features/map.c
+++ b/src/lib/libast/features/map.c
@@ -201,8 +201,6 @@ main(void)
 	printf("#define pathpath	_ast_pathpath\n");
 	printf("#undef	pathposix\n");
 	printf("#define pathposix	_ast_pathposix\n");
-	printf("#undef	pathprobe\n");
-	printf("#define pathprobe	_ast_pathprobe\n");
 	printf("#undef	pathprog\n");
 	printf("#define pathprog	_ast_pathprog\n");
 	printf("#undef	pathrepl\n");
diff --git a/src/lib/libast/include/ast.h b/src/lib/libast/include/ast.h
index 9b78e691fca1..748c60873ac0 100644
--- a/src/lib/libast/include/ast.h
+++ b/src/lib/libast/include/ast.h
@@ -365,8 +365,6 @@ extern size_t		pathnative(const char*, char*, size_t);
 extern char*		pathpath(char*, const char*, const char*, int);
 extern char*		pathpath_20100601(const char*, const char*, int, char*, size_t);
 extern size_t		pathposix(const char*, char*, size_t);
-extern char*		pathprobe(char*, char*, const char*, const char*, const char*, int);
-extern char*		pathprobe_20100601(const char*, const char*, const char*, int, char*, size_t, char*, size_t);
 extern size_t		pathprog(const char*, char*, size_t);
 extern char*		pathrepl(char*, const char*, const char*);
 extern char*		pathrepl_20100601(char*, size_t, const char*, const char*);
diff --git a/src/lib/libast/man/path.3 b/src/lib/libast/man/path.3
index 8060763488da..ac3dcc5b8e5e 100644
--- a/src/lib/libast/man/path.3
+++ b/src/lib/libast/man/path.3
@@ -54,7 +54,6 @@ int       pathicase(const char* \fIpath\fP);
 char*     pathkey(char* \fIkey\fP, char* \fIattr\fP, const char* \fIlang\fP, const char* \fIpath\fP);
 char*     pathnext(char* \fIpath\fP, char* \fIextra\fP, long* \fIvisits\fP);
 char*     pathpath(char* \fIpath\fP, const char* \fIp\fP, const char* \fIa\fP, int \fImode\fP);
-char*     pathprobe(char* \fIpath\fP, char* \fIattr\fP, const char* \fIlang\fP, const char* \fItool\fP, const char* \fIproc\fP, int \fIop\fP);
 char*     pathrepl(char* \fIpath\fP, const char* \fImatch\fP, const char* \fIreplace\fP);
 int       pathsetlink(const char* \fItext\fP, char* \fIname\fP);
 char*     pathshell(void);
@@ -305,43 +304,6 @@ then
 .I ../p
 is searched for.
 .PP
-.L pathprobe
-generates in
-.I path
-the full path name of the
-.I tool
-specific
-.IR probe (1)
-information file for the
-.I lang
-language processor
-.IR proc .
-If
-.I "path == 0"
-then space is allocated via
-.IR malloc (3).
-Probe attribute
-.I name=value
-pairs are copied into
-.I attr
-if
-.IR "attr != 0" .
-.I op
-may be one of:
-.TP
-.B \-1
-return the path name with no access checks or generation
-.TP
-.B 0
-message emitted information must be generated via
-.IR probe (1)
-.TP
-.B 1
-no message emitted information must be probed via
-.IR probe (1)
-.PP
-0 is returned if the information does not exist and cannot be generated.
-.PP
 .L pathrepl
 does an in-place replacement of the first occurrence of
 .I /match/
diff --git a/src/lib/libast/path/pathprobe.c b/src/lib/libast/path/pathprobe.c
deleted file mode 100644
index 5e2fbca26ce6..000000000000
--- a/src/lib/libast/path/pathprobe.c
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,328 +0,0 @@
-/***********************************************************************
-*                                                                      *
-*               This software is part of the ast package               *
-*          Copyright (c) 1985-2012 AT&T Intellectual Property          *
-*          Copyright (c) 2020-2024 Contributors to ksh 93u+m           *
-*                      and is licensed under the                       *
-*                 Eclipse Public License, Version 2.0                  *
-*                                                                      *
-*                A copy of the License is available at                 *
-*      https://www.eclipse.org/org/documents/epl-2.0/EPL-2.0.html      *
-*         (with md5 checksum 84283fa8859daf213bdda5a9f8d1be1d)         *
-*                                                                      *
-*                 Glenn Fowler <gsf@research.att.com>                  *
-*                  David Korn <dgk@research.att.com>                   *
-*                   Phong Vo <kpv@research.att.com>                    *
-*                  Martijn Dekker <martijn@inlv.org>                   *
-*                                                                      *
-***********************************************************************/
-/*
- * Glenn Fowler
- * AT&T Research
- *
- * return in path the full path name of the probe(1)
- * information for lang and tool using proc
- * if attr != 0 then path attribute assignments placed here
- *
- * if path==0 then the space is malloc'd
- *
- * op:
- *
- *	-3	return non-writable path name with no generation
- *	-2	return path name with no generation
- *	-1	return no $HOME path name with no generation
- *	0	verbose probe
- *	1	silent probe
- *
- * 0 returned if the info does not exist and cannot be generated
- */
-
-#define _AST_API_H	1
-
-#include <ast.h>
-#include <error.h>
-#include <ls.h>
-#include <proc.h>
-
-char*
-pathprobe(char* path, char* attr, const char* lang, const char* tool, const char* proc, int op)
-{
-	return pathprobe_20100601(lang, tool, proc, op, path, PATH_MAX, attr, PATH_MAX);
-}
-
-#undef	_AST_API_H
-
-#include <ast_api.h>
-
-#ifndef PROBE
-#define PROBE		"probe"
-#endif
-
-#if defined(ST_RDONLY) || defined(ST_NOSUID)
-
-/*
- * return non-0 if path is in a readonly or non-setuid fs
- */
-
-static int
-rofs(const char* path)
-{
-	struct statvfs	vfs;
-	struct stat	st;
-
-	if (!statvfs(path, &vfs))
-	{
-#if defined(ST_RDONLY)
-		if (vfs.f_flag & ST_RDONLY)
-			return 1;
-#endif
-#if defined(ST_NOSUID)
-		if ((vfs.f_flag & ST_NOSUID) && (stat(path, &st) || st.st_uid != getuid() && st.st_uid != geteuid()))
-			return 1;
-#endif
-	}
-	return 0;
-}
-
-#else
-
-#define rofs(p)		0
-
-#endif
-
-char*
-pathprobe_20100601(const char* lang, const char* tool, const char* aproc, int op, char* path, size_t pathsize, char* attr, size_t attrsize)
-{
-	char*		proc = (char*)aproc;
-	char*		p;
-	char*		k;
-	char*		x;
-	char**		ap;
-	int		n;
-	int		v;
-	int		force;
-	ssize_t		r;
-	char*		e;
-	char*		np;
-	char*		nx;
-	char*		probe;
-	const char*	dirs;
-	const char*	dir;
-	Proc_t*		pp;
-	Sfio_t*		sp;
-	char		buf[PATH_MAX];
-	char		cmd[PATH_MAX];
-	char		exe[PATH_MAX];
-	char		lib[PATH_MAX];
-	char		ver[PATH_MAX];
-	char		key[16];
-	char*		arg[8];
-	long		ops[2];
-	unsigned long	ptime;
-	struct stat	st;
-	struct stat	ps;
-
-	if (*proc != '/')
-	{
-		if (p = strchr(proc, ' '))
-		{
-			strncopy(buf, proc, p - proc + 1);
-			proc = buf;
-		}
-		if (!(proc = pathpath(proc, NULL, PATH_ABSOLUTE|PATH_REGULAR|PATH_EXECUTE, cmd, sizeof(cmd))))
-			proc = (char*)aproc;
-		else if (p)
-		{
-			n = strlen(proc);
-			strncopy(proc + n, p, PATH_MAX - n - 1);
-		}
-	}
-	if (!path)
-	{
-		path = buf;
-		pathsize = sizeof(buf);
-	}
-	probe = PROBE;
-	x = lib + sizeof(lib) - 1;
-	k = lib + sfsprintf(lib, x - lib, "lib/%s/", probe);
-	p = k + sfsprintf(k, x - k, "%s/%s/", lang, tool);
-	pathkey(lang, tool, proc, key, sizeof(key), attr, attrsize);
-	if (op >= -2)
-	{
-		strncopy(p, key, x - p);
-		if (pathpath(lib, "", PATH_ABSOLUTE, path, pathsize) && !stat(path, &st) && (st.st_mode & S_IWUSR))
-			return path == buf ? strdup(path) : path;
-	}
-	e = strncopy(p, probe, x - p);
-	if (!pathpath(lib, "", PATH_ABSOLUTE|PATH_EXECUTE, path, pathsize) || stat(path, &ps))
-		return NULL;
-	for (;;)
-	{
-		ptime = ps.st_mtime;
-		n = strlen(path);
-		if (n < (PATH_MAX - 5))
-		{
-			strcpy(path + n, ".ini");
-			if (!stat(path, &st) && st.st_size && ptime < (unsigned long)st.st_mtime)
-				ptime = st.st_mtime;
-			path[n] = 0;
-		}
-		np = path + n - (e - k);
-		nx = path + PATH_MAX - 1;
-		strncopy(np, probe, nx - np);
-		if (!stat(path, &st))
-			break;
-
-		/*
-		 * yes lib/probe/<lang>/<proc>/probe
-		 *  no lib/probe/probe
-		 *
-		 * do a manual pathaccess() to find a dir with both
-		 */
-
-		sfsprintf(exe, sizeof(exe), "lib/%s/%s", probe, probe);
-		dirs = pathbin();
-		for (;;)
-		{
-			if (!(dir = dirs))
-				return NULL;
-			dirs = pathcat(dir, ':', "..", exe, path, pathsize);
-			pathcanon(path, pathsize, 0);
-			if (*path == '/' && pathexists(path, PATH_REGULAR|PATH_EXECUTE))
-			{
-				pathcat(dir, ':', "..", lib, path, pathsize);
-				pathcanon(path, pathsize, 0);
-				if (*path == '/' && pathexists(path, PATH_REGULAR|PATH_EXECUTE) && !stat(path, &ps))
-					break;
-			}
-		}
-	}
-	strncopy(p, key, x - p);
-	p = np;
-	x = nx;
-	strcpy(exe, path);
-	if (op >= -1 && (!(st.st_mode & S_ISUID) && ps.st_uid != geteuid() || rofs(path)))
-	{
-		if (!(p = getenv("HOME")))
-			return NULL;
-		p = path + sfsprintf(path, PATH_MAX - 1, "%s/.%s/%s/", p, probe, HOSTTYPE);
-	}
-	strncopy(p, k, x - p);
-	force = 0;
-	if (op >= 0 && !stat(path, &st))
-	{
-		if (ptime <= (unsigned long)st.st_mtime || ptime <= (unsigned long)st.st_ctime)
-		{
-			/*
-			 * verify (<sep><name><sep><option><sep><value>)* header
-			 */
-
-			if (sp = sfopen(NULL, path, "r"))
-			{
-				if (x = sfgetr(sp, '\n', 1))
-				{
-					while (*x && *x != ' ')
-						x++;
-					while (*x == ' ')
-						x++;
-					if (n = *x++)
-						for (;;)
-						{
-							for (k = x; *x && *x != n; x++);
-							if (!*x)
-								break;
-							*x++ = 0;
-							for (p = x; *x && *x != n; x++);
-							if (!*x)
-								break;
-							*x++ = 0;
-							for (e = x; *x && *x != n; x++);
-							if (!*x)
-								break;
-							*x++ = 0;
-							if (streq(k, "VERSION"))
-							{
-								ap = arg;
-								*ap++ = proc;
-								*ap++ = p;
-								*ap = 0;
-								ops[0] =  PROC_FD_DUP(1, 2, 0);
-								ops[1] = 0;
-								if (pp = procopen(proc, arg, NULL, ops, PROC_READ))
-								{
-									if ((v = x - e) >= sizeof(ver))
-										v = sizeof(ver) - 1;
-									k = p = ver;
-									for (;;)
-									{
-										if (k >= p)
-										{
-											if (v <= 0)
-												break;
-											if ((r = read(pp->rfd, k, v)) < 0)
-											{
-												if (errno == EINTR)
-													continue;
-												break;
-											}
-											if (r <= 0)
-												break;
-											v -= r;
-											p = k + r;
-										}
-										if (*k == '\n' || *k == '\r')
-											break;
-										if (*k == n)
-											*k = ' ';
-										k++;
-									}
-									*k = 0;
-									if (strcmp(ver, e))
-									{
-										force = 1;
-										error(0, "probe processor %s version \"%s\" changed -- expected \"%s\"", proc, ver, e);
-									}
-									procclose(pp);
-								}
-								break;
-							}
-						}
-				}
-				sfclose(sp);
-			}
-			if (!force)
-				op = -1;
-		}
-		if (op >= 0 && (st.st_mode & S_IWUSR))
-		{
-			if (op == 0)
-				error(0, "%s probe information for %s language processor %s must be manually regenerated", tool, lang, proc);
-			op = -1;
-			force = 0;
-		}
-	}
-	if (op >= 0)
-	{
-		ap = arg;
-		*ap++ = exe;
-		if (force)
-			*ap++ = "-f";
-		if (op > 0)
-			*ap++ = "-s";
-		*ap++ = (char*)lang;
-		*ap++ = (char*)tool;
-		*ap++ = proc;
-		*ap = 0;
-		if (procrun(exe, arg, 0))
-			return NULL;
-		if (eaccess(path, R_OK))
-			return NULL;
-	}
-/* disable false positive warning */
-#if __clang__
-#pragma clang diagnostic ignored "-Wreturn-stack-address"
-#elif __GNUC__ > 4 || (__GNUC__ == 4 && __GNUC_MINOR__ >= 6)
-#pragma GCC diagnostic ignored "-Wreturn-local-addr"
-#endif
-	return path == buf ? strdup(path) : path;
-}