diff --git a/tool/src/org/antlr/v4/automata/ATNFactory.java b/tool/src/org/antlr/v4/automata/ATNFactory.java
index 3fab41715..073bb28b4 100644
--- a/tool/src/org/antlr/v4/automata/ATNFactory.java
+++ b/tool/src/org/antlr/v4/automata/ATNFactory.java
@@ -74,9 +74,6 @@ public interface ATNFactory {
 
 	Handle charSetLiteral(GrammarAST charSetAST);
 
-
-	Handle tree(GrammarAST node, List<Handle> els);
-
 	Handle range(GrammarAST a, GrammarAST b);
 
 	/** For a non-lexer, just build a simple token reference atom.
diff --git a/tool/src/org/antlr/v4/automata/ParserATNFactory.java b/tool/src/org/antlr/v4/automata/ParserATNFactory.java
index efc4921da..f5bccd436 100644
--- a/tool/src/org/antlr/v4/automata/ParserATNFactory.java
+++ b/tool/src/org/antlr/v4/automata/ParserATNFactory.java
@@ -193,11 +193,6 @@ public class ParserATNFactory implements ATNFactory {
 		return new Handle(left, right);
 	}
 
-	@Override
-	public Handle tree(GrammarAST node, List<Handle> els) {
-		throw new UnsupportedOperationException("^(...) not allowed in non-tree grammar");
-	}
-
 	/** Not valid for non-lexers */
 	@Override
 	public Handle range(GrammarAST a, GrammarAST b) {