diff --git a/FL/Enumerations.H b/FL/Enumerations.H
index 339851d81..1beb450e5 100644
--- a/FL/Enumerations.H
+++ b/FL/Enumerations.H
@@ -407,15 +407,8 @@ enum Fl_Event { // events
   /** A zoom event (ctrl/+/-/0/ or cmd/+/-/0/) was processed.
    Use Fl::add_handler() to be notified of this event.
    */
-  FL_ZOOM_EVENT         = 27,
-  /** This event is sent if the parent widget is deleted and the parent is about
-   to delete this widget as well. Returning the default value 0 will give the
-   parent permission to call the destructor of this widget. Returning 1 will
-   preserve this widget, but still remove it from the widget hierarchy.
-   \see Fl_Group::clear()
-   */
-  FL_AUTO_DELETE_EVENT  = 28
-// DEV NOTE: Keep this list in sync with FL/names.h
+  FL_ZOOM_EVENT         = 27
+  // DEV NOTE: Keep this list in sync with FL/names.h
 };
 
 /** \name When Conditions */
diff --git a/FL/names.h b/FL/names.h
index 4f90c3ec1..15a491f84 100644
--- a/FL/names.h
+++ b/FL/names.h
@@ -73,10 +73,9 @@ const char * const fl_eventnames[] =
   "FL_FULLSCREEN",
   "FL_ZOOM_GESTURE",
   "FL_ZOOM_EVENT",
-  "FL_AUTO_DELETE_EVENT",
+  "FL_EVENT_28", // not yet defined, just in case it /will/ be defined ...
   "FL_EVENT_29", // not yet defined, just in case it /will/ be defined ...
-  "FL_EVENT_30", // not yet defined, just in case it /will/ be defined ...
-  "FL_EVENT_31"  // not yet defined, just in case it /will/ be defined ...
+  "FL_EVENT_30"  // not yet defined, just in case it /will/ be defined ...
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/Fl_Group.cxx b/src/Fl_Group.cxx
index 134b49998..07079cf8c 100644
--- a/src/Fl_Group.cxx
+++ b/src/Fl_Group.cxx
@@ -376,18 +376,7 @@ Fl_Group::Fl_Group(int X,int Y,int W,int H,const char *l)
   Fl::pushed() widget these are set to sensible values (other widgets
   or the Fl_Group widget itself).
 
-  \note FLTK's auto-delete feature efficiently manages widget hierarchies in
-  C++ applications by automatically cleaning up. However, this feature can
-  cause issues when FLTK is used with reference-counting languages like Python,
-  where automatic deletion might interfere with reference counting. To address
-  this, auto-delete can be disabled for individual widgets. When
-  \ref Fl_Group::clear() is called, it sends an \ref FL_AUTO_DELETE event to
-  each widget. If a widget returns 1 in response to this event, it will not
-  be deleted. In a Python wrapper, this behavior would typically involve
-  decrementing the widget's reference count instead of deleting it.
-
-  \see Fl_Group::remove(int), Fl_Group::delete_child(int),
-  Fl_Group::~Fl_Group()
+  \see Fl_Group::remove(int), Fl_Group::delete_child(int), Fl_Group::~Fl_Group()
 */
 void Fl_Group::clear() {
   savedfocus_ = 0;
@@ -430,8 +419,7 @@ void Fl_Group::clear() {
       } else {                          // slow removal
         remove(idx);
       }
-      if (w->handle(FL_AUTO_DELETE_EVENT)==0)
-        delete w;                       // delete the child
+      delete w;                         // delete the child
     } else {                            // should never happen
       remove(idx);                      // remove it anyway
     }