diff --git a/src/bin/dstar2tgba.cc b/src/bin/dstar2tgba.cc
index a3a9ed4dc..a706ceb77 100644
--- a/src/bin/dstar2tgba.cc
+++ b/src/bin/dstar2tgba.cc
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@
 #include "common_post.hh"
 
 #include "ltlast/formula.hh"
-#include "tgba/tgbaexplicit.hh"
 #include "tgbaalgos/dotty.hh"
 #include "tgbaalgos/lbtt.hh"
 #include "tgbaalgos/neverclaim.hh"
@@ -315,17 +314,6 @@ namespace
       const double prec = XTIME_PRECISION;
       const double conversion_time = (after - before) / prec;
 
-      if (utf8)
-	{
-	  spot::tgba* a = const_cast<spot::tgba*>(aut);
-	  if (spot::tgba_explicit_formula* tef =
-	      dynamic_cast<spot::tgba_explicit_formula*>(a))
-	    tef->enable_utf8();
-	  else if (spot::sba_explicit_formula* sef =
-		   dynamic_cast<spot::sba_explicit_formula*>(a))
-	    sef->enable_utf8();
-	}
-
       switch (format)
 	{
 	case Dot: