diff --git a/include/r3.h b/include/r3.h
index ecd69e0..45bfde8 100644
--- a/include/r3.h
+++ b/include/r3.h
@@ -41,7 +41,6 @@ struct _node {
 
     /* the combined regexp pattern string from pattern_tokens */
     char * combined_pattern;
-    int    combined_pattern_len;
     int    ov_cnt;
     int *  ov;
     pcre * pcre_pattern;
diff --git a/src/node.c b/src/node.c
index 89eb080..1e98dda 100644
--- a/src/node.c
+++ b/src/node.c
@@ -194,7 +194,6 @@ void r3_tree_compile_patterns(node * n) {
 
 
     n->combined_pattern = cpat;
-    n->combined_pattern_len = p - cpat;
 
 
     const char *error;