diff --git a/src/search.c b/src/search.c
index 7308407e820809ce0930261944875a1cc37f50cb..d1ae2e00d54bc57c67ff2602341467bfce9bbbfb 100644
--- a/src/search.c
+++ b/src/search.c
@@ -384,7 +384,6 @@ int findnextstr(
     /* Set the current position to point at what we found. */
     openfile->current = fileptr;
     openfile->current_x = found - fileptr->data;
-    openfile->placewewant = xplustabs();
     openfile->current_y = fileptr->lineno - openfile->edittop->lineno;
 
     /* When requested, pass back the length of the match. */
@@ -797,7 +796,7 @@ ssize_t do_replace_loop(
 void do_replace(void)
 {
     filestruct *edittop_save, *begin;
-    size_t begin_x, pww_save;
+    size_t begin_x;
     ssize_t numreplaced;
     int i;
 
@@ -848,7 +847,6 @@ void do_replace(void)
     edittop_save = openfile->edittop;
     begin = openfile->current;
     begin_x = openfile->current_x;
-    pww_save = openfile->placewewant;
 
     numreplaced = do_replace_loop(
 #ifndef DISABLE_SPELLER
@@ -860,7 +858,6 @@ void do_replace(void)
     openfile->edittop = edittop_save;
     openfile->current = begin;
     openfile->current_x = begin_x;
-    openfile->placewewant = pww_save;
 
     edit_refresh();
 
diff --git a/src/text.c b/src/text.c
index 2b43b798a648463acaefa53ec0a040428fb28266..17794cc16b8a6bfc655fc7ad575231f94e631cd9 100644
--- a/src/text.c
+++ b/src/text.c
@@ -2354,7 +2354,6 @@ bool do_int_spell_fix(const char *word)
 {
     char *save_search, *exp_word;
     size_t current_x_save = openfile->current_x;
-    size_t pww_save = openfile->placewewant;
     filestruct *edittop_save = openfile->edittop;
     filestruct *current_save = openfile->current;
 	/* Save where we are. */
@@ -2416,7 +2415,6 @@ bool do_int_spell_fix(const char *word)
     openfile->edittop = openfile->fileage;
     openfile->current = openfile->fileage;
     openfile->current_x = (size_t)-1;
-    openfile->placewewant = 0;
 
     findnextstr_wrap_reset();
 
@@ -2490,7 +2488,6 @@ bool do_int_spell_fix(const char *word)
     openfile->edittop = edittop_save;
     openfile->current = current_save;
     openfile->current_x = current_x_save;
-    openfile->placewewant = pww_save;
 
     /* Restore the settings of the global flags. */
     memcpy(flags, stash, sizeof(flags));