diff --git a/datalad_next/patches/enabled.py b/datalad_next/patches/enabled.py
index 0bbef19e..4e8ed995 100644
--- a/datalad_next/patches/enabled.py
+++ b/datalad_next/patches/enabled.py
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@
     create_sibling_gitlab,
     patch_ria_ora,
     run,
-    update,
     # the following two patches have been taken verbatim from datalad-ria
     ssh_exec,
     sshconnector,
diff --git a/datalad_next/patches/update.py b/datalad_next/patches/update.py
deleted file mode 100644
index d0f7be85..00000000
--- a/datalad_next/patches/update.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,58 +0,0 @@
-"""Robustify ``update()`` target detection for adjusted mode datasets
-
-The true cause of the problem is not well understood.
-https://github.com/datalad/datalad/issues/7507 documents that it is not
-easy to capture the breakage in a test.
-"""
-
-from . import apply_patch
-
-
-# This function is taken from datalad-core@cdc0ceb30ae04265c5369186acf2ab2683a8ec96
-# datalad/distribution/update.py
-# The change has been proposed in https://github.com/datalad/datalad/pull/7522
-def _choose_update_target(repo, branch, remote, cfg_remote):
-    """Select a target to update `repo` from.
-
-    Note: This function is not concerned with _how_ the update is done (e.g.,
-    merge, reset, ...).
-
-    Parameters
-    ----------
-    repo : Repo instance
-    branch : str
-        The current branch.
-    remote : str
-        The remote which updates are coming from.
-    cfg_remote : str
-        The configured upstream remote.
-
-    Returns
-    -------
-    str (the target) or None if a choice wasn't made.
-    """
-    target = None
-    if cfg_remote and remote == cfg_remote:
-        # Use the configured cfg_remote branch as the target.
-        #
-        # In this scenario, it's tempting to use FETCH_HEAD as the target. For
-        # a merge, that would be the equivalent of 'git pull REMOTE'. But doing
-        # so would be problematic when the GitRepo.fetch() call was passed
-        # all_=True. Given we can't use FETCH_HEAD, it's tempting to use the
-        # branch.*.merge value, but that assumes a value for remote.*.fetch.
-        target = repo.call_git_oneline(
-            ["rev-parse", "--symbolic-full-name", "--abbrev-ref=strict",
-             # THIS IS THE PATCH: prefix @{upstream} with the branch name
-             # of the corresponding branch
-             f"{repo.get_corresponding_branch(branch) or ''}" "@{upstream}"],
-            read_only=True)
-    elif branch:
-        remote_branch = "{}/{}".format(remote, branch)
-        if repo.commit_exists(remote_branch):
-            target = remote_branch
-    return target
-
-
-apply_patch(
-    'datalad.distribution.update', None, '_choose_update_target',
-    _choose_update_target)
diff --git a/docs/source/patches.rst b/docs/source/patches.rst
index f6954bdb..1cdfb813 100644
--- a/docs/source/patches.rst
+++ b/docs/source/patches.rst
@@ -32,4 +32,3 @@ Patches that are automatically applied to DataLad when loading the
    ssh_exec
    sshconnector
    test_keyring
-   update