diff --git a/Makefile.pre.in b/Makefile.pre.in
index 0ce1e9ef13f..891104bc587 100644
--- a/Makefile.pre.in
+++ b/Makefile.pre.in
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@ CC=		@CC@
 CXX=		@CXX@
 LINKCC=		@LINKCC@
 AR=		@AR@
-READELF=	@READELF@
 SOABI=		@SOABI@
 LDVERSION=	@LDVERSION@
 LIBPYTHON=	@LIBPYTHON@
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Build/2022-11-02-10-56-40.gh-issue-98949.3SRD8C.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Build/2022-11-02-10-56-40.gh-issue-98949.3SRD8C.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..fdbc72d4bda
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Build/2022-11-02-10-56-40.gh-issue-98949.3SRD8C.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Drop unused build dependency on ``readelf``.
diff --git a/Tools/wasm/config.site-wasm32-emscripten b/Tools/wasm/config.site-wasm32-emscripten
index b695a7bf8f0..1471546a5ee 100644
--- a/Tools/wasm/config.site-wasm32-emscripten
+++ b/Tools/wasm/config.site-wasm32-emscripten
@@ -14,9 +14,6 @@ ac_cv_buggy_getaddrinfo=no
 ac_cv_file__dev_ptmx=no
 ac_cv_file__dev_ptc=no
 
-# dummy readelf, Emscripten build does not need readelf.
-ac_cv_prog_ac_ct_READELF=true
-
 # new undefined symbols / unsupported features
 ac_cv_func_posix_spawn=no
 ac_cv_func_posix_spawnp=no
diff --git a/Tools/wasm/config.site-wasm32-wasi b/Tools/wasm/config.site-wasm32-wasi
index 893a0d132cd..4b8df222991 100644
--- a/Tools/wasm/config.site-wasm32-wasi
+++ b/Tools/wasm/config.site-wasm32-wasi
@@ -9,9 +9,6 @@ ac_cv_buggy_getaddrinfo=no
 ac_cv_file__dev_ptmx=no
 ac_cv_file__dev_ptc=no
 
-# dummy readelf, WASI build does not need readelf.
-ac_cv_prog_ac_ct_READELF=true
-
 # get/setrlimit are not supported
 ac_cv_header_sys_resource_h=no
 
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 0c54ea63924..edd3771784c 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -904,8 +904,6 @@ MKDIR_P
 INSTALL_DATA
 INSTALL_SCRIPT
 INSTALL_PROGRAM
-ac_ct_READELF
-READELF
 ARFLAGS
 ac_ct_AR
 AR
@@ -7181,116 +7179,6 @@ then
         ARFLAGS="rcs"
 fi
 
-if test -n "$ac_tool_prefix"; then
-  for ac_prog in readelf
-  do
-    # Extract the first word of "$ac_tool_prefix$ac_prog", so it can be a program name with args.
-set dummy $ac_tool_prefix$ac_prog; ac_word=$2
-{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for $ac_word" >&5
-$as_echo_n "checking for $ac_word... " >&6; }
-if ${ac_cv_prog_READELF+:} false; then :
-  $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
-else
-  if test -n "$READELF"; then
-  ac_cv_prog_READELF="$READELF" # Let the user override the test.
-else
-as_save_IFS=$IFS; IFS=$PATH_SEPARATOR
-for as_dir in $PATH
-do
-  IFS=$as_save_IFS
-  test -z "$as_dir" && as_dir=.
-    for ac_exec_ext in '' $ac_executable_extensions; do
-  if as_fn_executable_p "$as_dir/$ac_word$ac_exec_ext"; then
-    ac_cv_prog_READELF="$ac_tool_prefix$ac_prog"
-    $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: found $as_dir/$ac_word$ac_exec_ext" >&5
-    break 2
-  fi
-done
-  done
-IFS=$as_save_IFS
-
-fi
-fi
-READELF=$ac_cv_prog_READELF
-if test -n "$READELF"; then
-  { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $READELF" >&5
-$as_echo "$READELF" >&6; }
-else
-  { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: no" >&5
-$as_echo "no" >&6; }
-fi
-
-
-    test -n "$READELF" && break
-  done
-fi
-if test -z "$READELF"; then
-  ac_ct_READELF=$READELF
-  for ac_prog in readelf
-do
-  # Extract the first word of "$ac_prog", so it can be a program name with args.
-set dummy $ac_prog; ac_word=$2
-{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for $ac_word" >&5
-$as_echo_n "checking for $ac_word... " >&6; }
-if ${ac_cv_prog_ac_ct_READELF+:} false; then :
-  $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
-else
-  if test -n "$ac_ct_READELF"; then
-  ac_cv_prog_ac_ct_READELF="$ac_ct_READELF" # Let the user override the test.
-else
-as_save_IFS=$IFS; IFS=$PATH_SEPARATOR
-for as_dir in $PATH
-do
-  IFS=$as_save_IFS
-  test -z "$as_dir" && as_dir=.
-    for ac_exec_ext in '' $ac_executable_extensions; do
-  if as_fn_executable_p "$as_dir/$ac_word$ac_exec_ext"; then
-    ac_cv_prog_ac_ct_READELF="$ac_prog"
-    $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: found $as_dir/$ac_word$ac_exec_ext" >&5
-    break 2
-  fi
-done
-  done
-IFS=$as_save_IFS
-
-fi
-fi
-ac_ct_READELF=$ac_cv_prog_ac_ct_READELF
-if test -n "$ac_ct_READELF"; then
-  { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $ac_ct_READELF" >&5
-$as_echo "$ac_ct_READELF" >&6; }
-else
-  { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: no" >&5
-$as_echo "no" >&6; }
-fi
-
-
-  test -n "$ac_ct_READELF" && break
-done
-
-  if test "x$ac_ct_READELF" = x; then
-    READELF=":"
-  else
-    case $cross_compiling:$ac_tool_warned in
-yes:)
-{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: WARNING: using cross tools not prefixed with host triplet" >&5
-$as_echo "$as_me: WARNING: using cross tools not prefixed with host triplet" >&2;}
-ac_tool_warned=yes ;;
-esac
-    READELF=$ac_ct_READELF
-  fi
-fi
-
-if test "$cross_compiling" = yes; then
-    case "$READELF" in
-	readelf|:)
-	as_fn_error $? "readelf for the host is required for cross builds" "$LINENO" 5
-	;;
-    esac
-fi
-
-
-
 case $MACHDEP in
 hp*|HP*)
 	# install -d does not work on HP-UX
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 4575a2458ba..0ca5e3fcbf5 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1617,17 +1617,6 @@ then
         ARFLAGS="rcs"
 fi
 
-AC_CHECK_TOOLS([READELF], [readelf], [:])
-if test "$cross_compiling" = yes; then
-    case "$READELF" in
-	readelf|:)
-	AC_MSG_ERROR([readelf for the host is required for cross builds])
-	;;
-    esac
-fi
-AC_SUBST(READELF)
-
-
 case $MACHDEP in
 hp*|HP*)
 	# install -d does not work on HP-UX