diff --git a/docs/formatstoragecaps.html.in b/docs/formatstoragecaps.html.in
index 2813d061b0..ee3888f44d 100644
--- a/docs/formatstoragecaps.html.in
+++ b/docs/formatstoragecaps.html.in
@@ -56,9 +56,6 @@
         <value>ext2</value>
         ...
       </enum>
-      <enum name='requiredSourceElements'>
-        <value>device</value>
-      </enum>
     </poolOptions>
     <volOptions>
       <defaultFormat type='raw'</>
@@ -92,10 +89,6 @@
             <dd>Lists all the possible <code>poolOptions</code> source
             pool format types.
             </dd>
-            <dt><code>requiredSourceElements</code></dt>
-            <dd>Lists all the required <code>poolOptions</code> source
-            subelements required for a valid source pool element.
-            </dd>
             <dt><code>targetFormatType</code></dt>
             <dd>Lists all the possible <code>volOptions</code> target volume
             format types.
diff --git a/src/conf/storage_conf.c b/src/conf/storage_conf.c
index 751a00aaf0..c7ab5b8802 100644
--- a/src/conf/storage_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/storage_conf.c
@@ -366,7 +366,7 @@ virStoragePoolOptionsFormatPool(virBufferPtr buf,
     if (!(poolOptions = virStoragePoolOptionsForPoolType(type)))
         return -1;
 
-    if (!poolOptions->formatToString && !poolOptions->flags)
+    if (!poolOptions->formatToString)
         return 0;
 
     virBufferAddLit(buf, "<poolOptions>\n");
@@ -389,29 +389,6 @@ virStoragePoolOptionsFormatPool(virBufferPtr buf,
         virBufferAddLit(buf, "</enum>\n");
     }
 
-    if (poolOptions->flags) {
-        virBufferAddLit(buf, "<enum name='requiredSourceElements'>\n");
-        virBufferAdjustIndent(buf, 2);
-
-        if (poolOptions->flags & VIR_STORAGE_POOL_SOURCE_HOST)
-            virBufferAddLit(buf, "<value>host</value>\n");
-        if (poolOptions->flags & VIR_STORAGE_POOL_SOURCE_DEVICE)
-            virBufferAddLit(buf, "<value>device</value>\n");
-        if (poolOptions->flags & VIR_STORAGE_POOL_SOURCE_DIR)
-            virBufferAddLit(buf, "<value>dir</value>\n");
-        if (poolOptions->flags & VIR_STORAGE_POOL_SOURCE_ADAPTER)
-            virBufferAddLit(buf, "<value>adapter</value>\n");
-        if (poolOptions->flags & VIR_STORAGE_POOL_SOURCE_NAME)
-            virBufferAddLit(buf, "<value>name</value>\n");
-        if (poolOptions->flags & VIR_STORAGE_POOL_SOURCE_INITIATOR_IQN)
-            virBufferAddLit(buf, "<value>initiator</value>\n");
-        if (poolOptions->flags & VIR_STORAGE_POOL_SOURCE_NETWORK)
-            virBufferAddLit(buf, "<value>network</value>\n");
-
-        virBufferAdjustIndent(buf, -2);
-        virBufferAddLit(buf, "</enum>\n");
-    }
-
     virBufferAdjustIndent(buf, -2);
     virBufferAddLit(buf, "</poolOptions>\n");
     return 0;
diff --git a/tests/storagepoolcapsschemadata/poolcaps-fs.xml b/tests/storagepoolcapsschemadata/poolcaps-fs.xml
index 0e15af0607..6513ea621a 100644
--- a/tests/storagepoolcapsschemadata/poolcaps-fs.xml
+++ b/tests/storagepoolcapsschemadata/poolcaps-fs.xml
@@ -41,9 +41,6 @@
         <value>xfs</value>
         <value>ocfs2</value>
       </enum>
-      <enum name='requiredSourceElements'>
-        <value>device</value>
-      </enum>
     </poolOptions>
     <volOptions>
       <defaultFormat type='raw'/>
@@ -77,10 +74,6 @@
         <value>glusterfs</value>
         <value>cifs</value>
       </enum>
-      <enum name='requiredSourceElements'>
-        <value>host</value>
-        <value>dir</value>
-      </enum>
     </poolOptions>
     <volOptions>
       <defaultFormat type='raw'/>
@@ -112,10 +105,6 @@
         <value>unknown</value>
         <value>lvm2</value>
       </enum>
-      <enum name='requiredSourceElements'>
-        <value>device</value>
-        <value>name</value>
-      </enum>
     </poolOptions>
   </pool>
   <pool type='disk' supported='no'>
@@ -132,9 +121,6 @@
         <value>sun</value>
         <value>lvm2</value>
       </enum>
-      <enum name='requiredSourceElements'>
-        <value>device</value>
-      </enum>
     </poolOptions>
     <volOptions>
       <defaultFormat type='none'/>
@@ -151,60 +137,18 @@
     </volOptions>
   </pool>
   <pool type='iscsi' supported='no'>
-    <poolOptions>
-      <enum name='requiredSourceElements'>
-        <value>host</value>
-        <value>device</value>
-        <value>initiator</value>
-      </enum>
-    </poolOptions>
   </pool>
   <pool type='iscsi-direct' supported='no'>
-    <poolOptions>
-      <enum name='requiredSourceElements'>
-        <value>host</value>
-        <value>device</value>
-        <value>initiator</value>
-        <value>network</value>
-      </enum>
-    </poolOptions>
   </pool>
   <pool type='scsi' supported='no'>
-    <poolOptions>
-      <enum name='requiredSourceElements'>
-        <value>adapter</value>
-      </enum>
-    </poolOptions>
   </pool>
   <pool type='mpath' supported='no'>
   </pool>
   <pool type='rbd' supported='no'>
-    <poolOptions>
-      <enum name='requiredSourceElements'>
-        <value>host</value>
-        <value>name</value>
-        <value>network</value>
-      </enum>
-    </poolOptions>
   </pool>
   <pool type='sheepdog' supported='no'>
-    <poolOptions>
-      <enum name='requiredSourceElements'>
-        <value>host</value>
-        <value>name</value>
-        <value>network</value>
-      </enum>
-    </poolOptions>
   </pool>
   <pool type='gluster' supported='no'>
-    <poolOptions>
-      <enum name='requiredSourceElements'>
-        <value>host</value>
-        <value>dir</value>
-        <value>name</value>
-        <value>network</value>
-      </enum>
-    </poolOptions>
     <volOptions>
       <defaultFormat type='raw'/>
       <enum name='targetFormatType'>
@@ -229,19 +173,8 @@
     </volOptions>
   </pool>
   <pool type='zfs' supported='no'>
-    <poolOptions>
-      <enum name='requiredSourceElements'>
-        <value>device</value>
-        <value>name</value>
-      </enum>
-    </poolOptions>
   </pool>
   <pool type='vstorage' supported='no'>
-    <poolOptions>
-      <enum name='requiredSourceElements'>
-        <value>name</value>
-      </enum>
-    </poolOptions>
     <volOptions>
       <defaultFormat type='raw'/>
       <enum name='targetFormatType'>
diff --git a/tests/storagepoolcapsschemadata/poolcaps-full.xml b/tests/storagepoolcapsschemadata/poolcaps-full.xml
index 0bb3faf04e..32003dd608 100644
--- a/tests/storagepoolcapsschemadata/poolcaps-full.xml
+++ b/tests/storagepoolcapsschemadata/poolcaps-full.xml
@@ -41,9 +41,6 @@
         <value>xfs</value>
         <value>ocfs2</value>
       </enum>
-      <enum name='requiredSourceElements'>
-        <value>device</value>
-      </enum>
     </poolOptions>
     <volOptions>
       <defaultFormat type='raw'/>
@@ -77,10 +74,6 @@
         <value>glusterfs</value>
         <value>cifs</value>
       </enum>
-      <enum name='requiredSourceElements'>
-        <value>host</value>
-        <value>dir</value>
-      </enum>
     </poolOptions>
     <volOptions>
       <defaultFormat type='raw'/>
@@ -112,10 +105,6 @@
         <value>unknown</value>
         <value>lvm2</value>
       </enum>
-      <enum name='requiredSourceElements'>
-        <value>device</value>
-        <value>name</value>
-      </enum>
     </poolOptions>
   </pool>
   <pool type='disk' supported='yes'>
@@ -132,9 +121,6 @@
         <value>sun</value>
         <value>lvm2</value>
       </enum>
-      <enum name='requiredSourceElements'>
-        <value>device</value>
-      </enum>
     </poolOptions>
     <volOptions>
       <defaultFormat type='none'/>
@@ -151,60 +137,18 @@
     </volOptions>
   </pool>
   <pool type='iscsi' supported='yes'>
-    <poolOptions>
-      <enum name='requiredSourceElements'>
-        <value>host</value>
-        <value>device</value>
-        <value>initiator</value>
-      </enum>
-    </poolOptions>
   </pool>
   <pool type='iscsi-direct' supported='yes'>
-    <poolOptions>
-      <enum name='requiredSourceElements'>
-        <value>host</value>
-        <value>device</value>
-        <value>initiator</value>
-        <value>network</value>
-      </enum>
-    </poolOptions>
   </pool>
   <pool type='scsi' supported='yes'>
-    <poolOptions>
-      <enum name='requiredSourceElements'>
-        <value>adapter</value>
-      </enum>
-    </poolOptions>
   </pool>
   <pool type='mpath' supported='yes'>
   </pool>
   <pool type='rbd' supported='yes'>
-    <poolOptions>
-      <enum name='requiredSourceElements'>
-        <value>host</value>
-        <value>name</value>
-        <value>network</value>
-      </enum>
-    </poolOptions>
   </pool>
   <pool type='sheepdog' supported='yes'>
-    <poolOptions>
-      <enum name='requiredSourceElements'>
-        <value>host</value>
-        <value>name</value>
-        <value>network</value>
-      </enum>
-    </poolOptions>
   </pool>
   <pool type='gluster' supported='yes'>
-    <poolOptions>
-      <enum name='requiredSourceElements'>
-        <value>host</value>
-        <value>dir</value>
-        <value>name</value>
-        <value>network</value>
-      </enum>
-    </poolOptions>
     <volOptions>
       <defaultFormat type='raw'/>
       <enum name='targetFormatType'>
@@ -229,19 +173,8 @@
     </volOptions>
   </pool>
   <pool type='zfs' supported='yes'>
-    <poolOptions>
-      <enum name='requiredSourceElements'>
-        <value>device</value>
-        <value>name</value>
-      </enum>
-    </poolOptions>
   </pool>
   <pool type='vstorage' supported='yes'>
-    <poolOptions>
-      <enum name='requiredSourceElements'>
-        <value>name</value>
-      </enum>
-    </poolOptions>
     <volOptions>
       <defaultFormat type='raw'/>
       <enum name='targetFormatType'>