diff --git a/tildes/alembic/versions/6c840340ab86_drop_track_comment_visits_column_on_.py b/tildes/alembic/versions/6c840340ab86_drop_track_comment_visits_column_on_.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0e0f072
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tildes/alembic/versions/6c840340ab86_drop_track_comment_visits_column_on_.py
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+"""Drop track_comment_visits column on users
+
+Revision ID: 6c840340ab86
+Revises: cc12ea6c616d
+Create Date: 2020-01-27 21:42:25.565355
+
+"""
+from alembic import op
+import sqlalchemy as sa
+
+
+# revision identifiers, used by Alembic.
+revision = "6c840340ab86"
+down_revision = "cc12ea6c616d"
+branch_labels = None
+depends_on = None
+
+
+def upgrade():
+    op.drop_column("users", "track_comment_visits")
+
+
+def downgrade():
+    op.add_column(
+        "users",
+        sa.Column(
+            "track_comment_visits",
+            sa.BOOLEAN(),
+            server_default=sa.text("false"),
+            nullable=False,
+        ),
+    )
diff --git a/tildes/scripts/clean_private_data.py b/tildes/scripts/clean_private_data.py
index 66eb42f..408a8d8 100644
--- a/tildes/scripts/clean_private_data.py
+++ b/tildes/scripts/clean_private_data.py
@@ -192,7 +192,6 @@ class DataCleaner:
                     "two_factor_backup_codes": DEFAULT,
                     "inviter_id": DEFAULT,
                     "invite_codes_remaining": DEFAULT,
-                    "track_comment_visits": DEFAULT,
                     "collapse_old_comments": DEFAULT,
                     "auto_mark_notifications_read": DEFAULT,
                     "open_new_tab_external": DEFAULT,
diff --git a/tildes/static/images/mark-new-comments.png b/tildes/static/images/mark-new-comments.png
deleted file mode 100644
index 9b84d9e..0000000
Binary files a/tildes/static/images/mark-new-comments.png and /dev/null differ
diff --git a/tildes/tildes/lib/message.py b/tildes/tildes/lib/message.py
index b563d6d..4455ae1 100644
--- a/tildes/tildes/lib/message.py
+++ b/tildes/tildes/lib/message.py
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ There's a page on the Docs site that explains the basic mechanics on Tildes: htt
 There are multiple useful links in the sidebar on your user page—get there by clicking your username in the top right, or in the sidebar if you're on mobile. You can access the settings page from there, which includes multiple things you'll probably want to do:
 
 * Check the available options for display themes (including dark themes)
-* [Enable marking new comments in threads](https://tildes.net/settings/comment_visits)
 * [Set up account recovery in case you lose access to your account](https://tildes.net/settings/account_recovery)
 
 # Please post topics and comments
diff --git a/tildes/tildes/models/topic/topic_query.py b/tildes/tildes/models/topic/topic_query.py
index d14dc95..7218f36 100644
--- a/tildes/tildes/models/topic/topic_query.py
+++ b/tildes/tildes/models/topic/topic_query.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ from typing import Any, Sequence
 
 from pyramid.request import Request
 from sqlalchemy import func
-from sqlalchemy.sql.expression import and_, label, null
+from sqlalchemy.sql.expression import and_, label
 
 from tildes.enums import TopicSortOption
 from tildes.lib.datetime import SimpleHoursPeriod, utc_now
@@ -94,21 +94,14 @@ class TopicQuery(PaginatedQuery):
 
     def _attach_visit_data(self) -> "TopicQuery":
         """Join the data related to the user's last visit to the topic(s)."""
-        # pylint: disable=assignment-from-no-return
-        if self.request.user.track_comment_visits:
-            query = self.outerjoin(
-                TopicVisit,
-                and_(
-                    TopicVisit.topic_id == Topic.topic_id,
-                    TopicVisit.user == self.request.user,
-                ),
-            )
-            query = query.add_columns(TopicVisit.visit_time, TopicVisit.num_comments)
-        else:
-            # if the user has the feature disabled, just add literal NULLs
-            query = self.add_columns(
-                null().label("visit_time"), null().label("num_comments")
-            )
+        query = self.outerjoin(
+            TopicVisit,
+            and_(
+                TopicVisit.topic_id == Topic.topic_id,
+                TopicVisit.user == self.request.user,
+            ),
+        )
+        query = query.add_columns(TopicVisit.visit_time, TopicVisit.num_comments)
 
         return query
 
diff --git a/tildes/tildes/models/user/user.py b/tildes/tildes/models/user/user.py
index a322030..81c16b9 100644
--- a/tildes/tildes/models/user/user.py
+++ b/tildes/tildes/models/user/user.py
@@ -89,7 +89,6 @@ class User(DatabaseModel):
     num_unread_notifications: int = Column(Integer, nullable=False, server_default="0")
     inviter_id: int = Column(Integer, ForeignKey("users.user_id"))
     invite_codes_remaining: int = Column(Integer, nullable=False, server_default="0")
-    track_comment_visits: bool = Column(Boolean, nullable=False, server_default="false")
     collapse_old_comments: bool = Column(Boolean, nullable=False, server_default="true")
     auto_mark_notifications_read: bool = Column(
         Boolean, nullable=False, server_default="false"
diff --git a/tildes/tildes/routes.py b/tildes/tildes/routes.py
index 5189eaa..cb55137 100644
--- a/tildes/tildes/routes.py
+++ b/tildes/tildes/routes.py
@@ -93,9 +93,6 @@ def includeme(config: Configurator) -> None:
             "/two_factor/qr_code",
             factory=LoggedInFactory,
         )
-        config.add_route(
-            "settings_comment_visits", "/comment_visits", factory=LoggedInFactory
-        )
         config.add_route("settings_filters", "/filters", factory=LoggedInFactory)
         config.add_route("settings_bio", "/bio", factory=LoggedInFactory)
         config.add_route(
diff --git a/tildes/tildes/schemas/user.py b/tildes/tildes/schemas/user.py
index 53a4826..2f889f9 100644
--- a/tildes/tildes/schemas/user.py
+++ b/tildes/tildes/schemas/user.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ from typing import Any
 
 from marshmallow import post_dump, pre_load, Schema, validates, validates_schema
 from marshmallow.exceptions import ValidationError
-from marshmallow.fields import Boolean, DateTime, Email, String
+from marshmallow.fields import DateTime, Email, String
 from marshmallow.validate import Length, Regexp
 
 from tildes.lib.password import is_breached_password
@@ -57,7 +57,6 @@ class UserSchema(Schema):
     email_address = Email(allow_none=True, load_only=True)
     email_address_note = String(validate=Length(max=EMAIL_ADDRESS_NOTE_MAX_LENGTH))
     created_time = DateTime(dump_only=True)
-    track_comment_visits = Boolean()
     bio_markdown = Markdown(max_length=BIO_MAX_LENGTH, allow_none=True)
 
     @post_dump
diff --git a/tildes/tildes/templates/settings.jinja2 b/tildes/tildes/templates/settings.jinja2
index 25ffb27..65964e4 100644
--- a/tildes/tildes/templates/settings.jinja2
+++ b/tildes/tildes/templates/settings.jinja2
@@ -74,8 +74,24 @@
 
   <ul class="settings-list">
     <li>
-      <a href="/settings/comment_visits">Configure marking new comments (currently {{ 'enabled' if request.user.track_comment_visits else 'disabled' }})</a>
-      <div class="text-small text-secondary">Marks new comments in topics since your last visit, and which topics have any</div>
+      <form
+        name="collapse-old-comments"
+        autocomplete="off"
+        data-ic-patch-to="{{ request.route_url('ic_user', username=request.user.username) }}"
+      >
+        <div class="form-group">
+          <label class="form-checkbox">
+            <input
+              type="checkbox"
+              id="collapse_old_comments"
+              name="collapse_old_comments"
+              data-js-autosubmit-on-change
+              {% if request.user.collapse_old_comments %}checked{% endif %}
+            >
+            <i class="form-icon"></i> Collapse old comments when I return to a topic
+          </label>
+        </div>
+      </form>
     </li>
 
     <li>
diff --git a/tildes/tildes/templates/settings_comment_visits.jinja2 b/tildes/tildes/templates/settings_comment_visits.jinja2
deleted file mode 100644
index 494d085..0000000
--- a/tildes/tildes/templates/settings_comment_visits.jinja2
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,63 +0,0 @@
-{# Copyright (c) 2018 Tildes contributors <code@tildes.net> #}
-{# SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-or-later #}
-
-{% extends 'base_settings.jinja2' %}
-
-{% block title %}Toggle marking new comments{% endblock %}
-
-{% block main_heading %}Toggle marking new comments{% endblock %}
-
-{% block settings %}
-<figure>
-  <figcaption>How new comments are displayed</figcaption>
-  <img src="/images/mark-new-comments.png" alt="Examples of how new comments are displayed">
-</figure>
-
-<p>Tildes can mark which comments were posted since your previous visit to a topic's comments (and which topics have any new ones), but doing so requires keeping track of when that previous visit happened. This has a privacy implication, so the feature is opt-in.</p>
-
-<p>While this feature is enabled, we will record and store data about your most recent visit to each topic's comments. We store only the single most recent visit&mdash;any previous visit data for that topic is replaced if you visit the same one again later.</p>
-
-<p>This data is retained for 30 days. After not visiting a particular topic for 30 days, the data about your last visit to it will be deleted.</p>
-
-<p>Disabling the feature will stop marking comments but will not delete any existing data, only prevent new data from being stored. The previously-stored data will be deleted after 30 days, as usual.</p>
-
-<div class="divider"></div>
-
-<form
-  name="comment-visits"
-  autocomplete="off"
-  data-ic-patch-to="{{ request.route_url('ic_user', username=request.user.username) }}"
-  data-js-autosubmit-on-change
->
-  <div class="form-group">
-    <label class="form-checkbox">
-      <input
-        type="checkbox"
-        id="track_comment_visits"
-        name="track_comment_visits"
-        {% if request.user.track_comment_visits %}checked{% endif %}
-      >
-      <i class="form-icon"></i> Track my last visit to each topic's comments and mark new comments
-    </label>
-  </div>
-</form>
-
-<form
-  name="collapse-old-comments"
-  autocomplete="off"
-  data-ic-patch-to="{{ request.route_url('ic_user', username=request.user.username) }}"
->
-  <div class="form-group">
-    <label class="form-checkbox">
-      <input
-        type="checkbox"
-        id="collapse_old_comments"
-        name="collapse_old_comments"
-        data-js-autosubmit-on-change
-        {% if request.user.collapse_old_comments %}checked{% endif %}
-      >
-      <i class="form-icon"></i> Collapse old comments when I return to a topic (no effect unless the overall setting is enabled)
-    </label>
-  </div>
-</form>
-{% endblock %}
diff --git a/tildes/tildes/templates/topic.jinja2 b/tildes/tildes/templates/topic.jinja2
index 95de0c3..969e8e0 100644
--- a/tildes/tildes/templates/topic.jinja2
+++ b/tildes/tildes/templates/topic.jinja2
@@ -188,10 +188,9 @@
       <div class="btn-group">
         <button class="btn btn-sm btn-light" data-js-comment-collapse-all-button>Collapse replies</button>
 
-        {# Display the "Collapse read" button if the user is tracking comment visits
-           but not automatically collapsing old comments, and there are new comments #}
+        {# Display the "Collapse read" button if the user is not automatically
+           collapsing old comments, and there are new comments #}
         {% if request.user
-             and request.user.track_comment_visits
              and not request.user.collapse_old_comments
              and topic.comments_since_last_visit %}
           <button class="btn btn-sm btn-light" data-js-comment-collapse-read-button>Collapse read</button>
diff --git a/tildes/tildes/views/api/web/comment.py b/tildes/tildes/views/api/web/comment.py
index 9ed5ed6..1160378 100644
--- a/tildes/tildes/views/api/web/comment.py
+++ b/tildes/tildes/views/api/web/comment.py
@@ -50,32 +50,30 @@ def _mark_comment_read_from_interaction(request: Request, comment: Comment) -> N
 def _increment_topic_comments_seen(request: Request, comment: Comment) -> None:
     """Increment the number of comments in a topic the user has viewed.
 
-    If the user has the "track comment visits" feature enabled, we want to increment the
-    number of comments they've seen in the thread that the comment came from, so that
-    they don't *both* get a notification as well as have the thread highlight with "(1
-    new)". This should only happen if their last visit was before the comment was
-    posted, however.  Below, this is implemented as a INSERT ... ON CONFLICT DO UPDATE
-    so that it will insert a new topic visit with 1 comment if they didn't previously
-    have one at all.
+    We want to increment the number of comments they've seen in the thread that the
+    comment came from, so that they don't *both* get a notification as well as have the
+    thread highlight with "(1 new)". This should only happen if their last visit was
+    before the comment was posted, however.  Below, this is implemented as a
+    INSERT ... ON CONFLICT DO UPDATE so that it will insert a new topic visit with
+    1 comment if they didn't previously have one at all.
     """
-    if request.user.track_comment_visits:
-        statement = (
-            insert(TopicVisit.__table__)
-            .values(
-                user_id=request.user.user_id,
-                topic_id=comment.topic_id,
-                visit_time=utc_now(),
-                num_comments=1,
-            )
-            .on_conflict_do_update(
-                constraint=TopicVisit.__table__.primary_key,
-                set_={"num_comments": TopicVisit.num_comments + 1},
-                where=TopicVisit.visit_time < comment.created_time,
-            )
+    statement = (
+        insert(TopicVisit.__table__)
+        .values(
+            user_id=request.user.user_id,
+            topic_id=comment.topic_id,
+            visit_time=utc_now(),
+            num_comments=1,
         )
+        .on_conflict_do_update(
+            constraint=TopicVisit.__table__.primary_key,
+            set_={"num_comments": TopicVisit.num_comments + 1},
+            where=TopicVisit.visit_time < comment.created_time,
+        )
+    )
 
-        request.db_session.execute(statement)
-        mark_changed(request.db_session)
+    request.db_session.execute(statement)
+    mark_changed(request.db_session)
 
 
 @ic_view_config(
diff --git a/tildes/tildes/views/api/web/user.py b/tildes/tildes/views/api/web/user.py
index 16d3e8a..b205f22 100644
--- a/tildes/tildes/views/api/web/user.py
+++ b/tildes/tildes/views/api/web/user.py
@@ -213,22 +213,6 @@ def patch_change_open_links_new_tab(request: Request) -> Response:
     return IC_NOOP
 
 
-@ic_view_config(
-    route_name="user",
-    request_method="PATCH",
-    request_param="ic-trigger-name=comment-visits",
-    permission="change_comment_visits_setting",
-)
-def patch_change_track_comment_visits(request: Request) -> Response:
-    """Change the user's "track comment visits" setting."""
-    user = request.context
-
-    track_comment_visits = bool(request.params.get("track_comment_visits"))
-    user.track_comment_visits = track_comment_visits
-
-    return IC_NOOP
-
-
 @ic_view_config(
     route_name="user",
     request_method="PATCH",
diff --git a/tildes/tildes/views/settings.py b/tildes/tildes/views/settings.py
index 9324b38..2cd2c6a 100644
--- a/tildes/tildes/views/settings.py
+++ b/tildes/tildes/views/settings.py
@@ -86,15 +86,6 @@ def get_settings_two_factor(request: Request) -> dict:
     }
 
 
-@view_config(
-    route_name="settings_comment_visits", renderer="settings_comment_visits.jinja2"
-)
-def get_settings_comment_visits(request: Request) -> dict:
-    """Generate the comment visits settings page."""
-    # pylint: disable=unused-argument
-    return {}
-
-
 @view_config(route_name="settings_filters", renderer="settings_filters.jinja2")
 def get_settings_filters(request: Request) -> dict:
     """Generate the filters settings page."""
diff --git a/tildes/tildes/views/topic.py b/tildes/tildes/views/topic.py
index 904b7f6..c56f4bc 100644
--- a/tildes/tildes/views/topic.py
+++ b/tildes/tildes/views/topic.py
@@ -440,8 +440,7 @@ def get_topic(request: Request, comment_order: CommentTreeSortOption) -> dict:
 
     tree.collapse_from_labels()
 
-    # if the user has the "mark new comments" feature enabled
-    if request.user and request.user.track_comment_visits:
+    if request.user:
         # update their last visit time for this topic
         statement = TopicVisit.generate_insert_statement(request.user, topic)
         request.db_session.execute(statement)