diff --git a/AUTHORS b/AUTHORS
index 5ff4bc4da02..3f256aad096 100644
--- a/AUTHORS
+++ b/AUTHORS
@@ -119,7 +119,6 @@ answer newbie questions, and generally made Django that much better:
     Eric Moritz <http://eric.themoritzfamily.com/>
     Robin Munn <http://www.geekforgod.com/>
     Nebojša Dorđević
-    Fraser Nevett <mail@nevett.org>
     Sam Newman <http://www.magpiebrain.com/>
     Neal Norwitz <nnorwitz@google.com>
     oggie rob <oz.robharvey@gmail.com>
diff --git a/django/core/management.py b/django/core/management.py
index 4fa40b58074..bcfcd60617e 100644
--- a/django/core/management.py
+++ b/django/core/management.py
@@ -820,8 +820,7 @@ def get_validation_errors(outfile, app=None):
     validates all models of all installed apps. Writes errors, if any, to outfile.
     Returns number of errors.
     """
-    from django.conf import settings
-    from django.db import models, connection
+    from django.db import models
     from django.db.models.loading import get_app_errors
     from django.db.models.fields.related import RelatedObject
 
@@ -863,12 +862,6 @@ def get_validation_errors(outfile, app=None):
             if f.db_index not in (None, True, False):
                 e.add(opts, '"%s": "db_index" should be either None, True or False.' % f.name)
 
-            # Check that maxlength <= 255 if using older MySQL versions.
-            if settings.DATABASE_ENGINE == 'mysql':
-                db_version = connection.get_server_version()
-                if db_version < (5, 0, 3) and isinstance(f, (models.CharField, models.CommaSeparatedIntegerField, models.SlugField)) and f.maxlength > 255:
-                    e.add(opts, '"%s": %s cannot have a "maxlength" greater than 255 when you are using a version of MySQL prior to 5.0.3 (you are using %s).' % (f.name, f.__class__.__name__, '.'.join(str(n) for n in db_version[:3])))
-
             # Check to see if the related field will clash with any
             # existing fields, m2m fields, m2m related objects or related objects
             if f.rel:
diff --git a/django/db/backends/mysql/base.py b/django/db/backends/mysql/base.py
index e266ad91013..140c6da6ff9 100644
--- a/django/db/backends/mysql/base.py
+++ b/django/db/backends/mysql/base.py
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ except ImportError, e:
 from MySQLdb.converters import conversions
 from MySQLdb.constants import FIELD_TYPE
 import types
-import re
 
 DatabaseError = Database.DatabaseError
 
@@ -25,8 +24,6 @@ django_conversions.update({
     FIELD_TYPE.TIME: util.typecast_time,
 })
 
-server_version_re = re.compile('[.-]')
-
 # This is an extra debug layer over MySQL queries, to display warnings.
 # It's only used when DEBUG=True.
 class MysqlDebugWrapper:
@@ -114,14 +111,6 @@ class DatabaseWrapper(local):
             self.connection.close()
             self.connection = None
 
-    def get_server_version(self):
-        if not self.server_version:
-            if not self._valid_connection():
-                self.cursor()
-            version = server_version_re.split(self.connection.get_server_info())
-            self.server_version = tuple([int(x) for x in version[:3]]) + tuple(version[3:])
-        return self.server_version
-
 supports_constraints = True
 
 def quote_name(name):