diff --git a/src/features/accesskit/disable_gifs.js b/src/features/accesskit/disable_gifs.js
index 0219bec87b..0221c603ae 100644
--- a/src/features/accesskit/disable_gifs.js
+++ b/src/features/accesskit/disable_gifs.js
@@ -3,13 +3,10 @@ import { canvas, div } from '../../utils/dom.js';
 import { buildStyle, postSelector } from '../../utils/interface.js';
 import { memoize } from '../../utils/memoize.js';
 import { pageModifications } from '../../utils/mutations.js';
-import { getPreferences } from '../../utils/preferences.js';
 
 /** @type {AbortController}   */ let loadEventController;
-/** @type {"eager" | "lazy"}  */ let loadingMode;
 
 const canvasClass = 'xkit-paused-gif-placeholder';
-const pausedPosterAttribute = 'data-paused-gif-use-poster';
 const pausedBackgroundImageVar = '--xkit-paused-gif-background-image';
 const hoverContainerAttribute = 'data-paused-gif-hover-container';
 const labelAttribute = 'data-paused-gif-label';
@@ -65,7 +62,6 @@ export const styleElement = buildStyle(`
 .${canvasClass}${parentHovered},
 [${labelAttribute}="after"]${hovered}::after,
 [${labelAttribute}="before"]${hovered}::before,
-[${pausedPosterAttribute}]:not(${hovered}) > ${keyToCss('loader')} > ${keyToCss('knightRiderLoader')},
 [${labelAttribute}]:not(${hovered}) > ${keyToCss('loader')} > ${keyToCss('knightRiderLoader')} {
   display: none !important;
 }
@@ -75,16 +71,6 @@ ${keyToCss('background')}[${labelAttribute}="before"]::before {
   display: none;
 }
 
-[${pausedPosterAttribute}]:not(${hovered}) > img${keyToCss('poster')} {
-  visibility: visible !important;
-}
-[${pausedPosterAttribute}="eager"]:not(${hovered}) > img:not(${keyToCss('poster')}) {
-  visibility: hidden !important;
-}
-[${pausedPosterAttribute}="lazy"]:not(${hovered}) > img:not(${keyToCss('poster')}) {
-  display: none;
-}
-
 [style*="${pausedBackgroundImageVar}"]:not(${hovered}) {
   background-image: var(${pausedBackgroundImageVar}) !important;
 }
@@ -206,13 +192,6 @@ const processGifs = function (gifElements) {
 
     gifElement.decoding = 'sync';
 
-    const posterElement = gifElement.parentElement.querySelector(keyToCss('poster'));
-    if (posterElement) {
-      gifElement.parentElement.setAttribute(pausedPosterAttribute, loadingMode);
-      addLabel(posterElement);
-      return;
-    }
-
     if (gifElement.complete && gifElement.currentSrc) {
       pauseGif(gifElement);
     } else {
@@ -271,13 +250,6 @@ const processRows = function (rowsElements) {
 const processHoverableElements = elements =>
   elements.forEach(element => element.toggleAttribute(hoverContainerAttribute, true));
 
-const onStorageChanged = async function (changes) {
-  const { 'accesskit.preferences.disable_gifs_loading_mode': modeChanges } = changes;
-  if (modeChanges?.oldValue === undefined) return;
-
-  loadingMode = modeChanges.newValue;
-};
-
 const processNativeGifPlayButtons = async buttons => {
   buttons.forEach(button => button.click());
 
@@ -298,8 +270,6 @@ const processNativeGifPlayButtons = async buttons => {
 export const main = async function () {
   loadEventController = new AbortController();
 
-  ({ disable_gifs_loading_mode: loadingMode } = await getPreferences('accesskit'));
-
   const gifImage = `
     :is(
       ${
@@ -340,13 +310,10 @@ export const main = async function () {
     `:is(${postSelector}, ${keyToCss('blockEditorContainer')}) ${keyToCss('rows')}`,
     processRows,
   );
-
-  browser.storage.local.onChanged.addListener(onStorageChanged);
 };
 
 export const clean = async function () {
   loadEventController.abort();
-  browser.storage.local.onChanged.removeListener(onStorageChanged);
 
   pageModifications.unregister(processGifs);
   pageModifications.unregister(processBackgroundGifs);
@@ -362,7 +329,6 @@ export const clean = async function () {
   $(`.${canvasClass}`).remove();
   $(`[${labelAttribute}]`).removeAttr(labelAttribute);
   $(`[${labelSizeAttribute}]`).removeAttr(labelSizeAttribute);
-  $(`[${pausedPosterAttribute}]`).removeAttr(pausedPosterAttribute);
   $(`[${hoverContainerAttribute}]`).removeAttr(hoverContainerAttribute);
   [...document.querySelectorAll(`[style*="${pausedBackgroundImageVar}"]`)]
     .forEach(element => element.style.removeProperty(pausedBackgroundImageVar));
diff --git a/src/features/accesskit/feature.json b/src/features/accesskit/feature.json
index f92bb93f69..9cd23498ca 100644
--- a/src/features/accesskit/feature.json
+++ b/src/features/accesskit/feature.json
@@ -13,15 +13,6 @@
       "label": "Pause GIFs until they are hovered over",
       "default": false
     },
-    "disable_gifs_loading_mode": {
-      "type": "select",
-      "label": "Download paused GIFs",
-      "options": [
-        { "value": "eager", "label": "immediately" },
-        { "value": "lazy", "label": "when hovered" }
-      ],
-      "default": "eager"
-    },
     "boring_tag_chiclets": {
       "type": "checkbox",
       "label": "De-animate the Changes/Staff Picks/etc. links carousel",