diff --git a/libforget/known_instances.py b/libforget/known_instances.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 239e9a2..0000000
--- a/libforget/known_instances.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,86 +0,0 @@
-import json
-
-def find(predicate, iterator, default=None):
-    """
-    returns the first element of iterator that matches predicate
-    or default if none is found
-    """
-    try:
-        return next((el for el in iterator if predicate(el)))
-    except StopIteration:
-        return default
-
-class KnownInstances(object):
-    def __init__(self, serialised=None, top_slots=5):
-        self.instances = list()
-        self.top_slots = top_slots
-        try:
-            unserialised = json.loads(serialised)
-            if not isinstance(unserialised, list):
-                self.__default()
-                return
-            for instance in unserialised:
-                if 'instance' in instance and 'hits' in instance:
-                    self.instances.append(dict(
-                        instance=instance['instance'],
-                        hits=instance['hits']
-                        ))
-        except (json.JSONDecodeError, TypeError):
-            self.__default()
-            return
-
-    def __default(self):
-        self.instances = [{
-                "instance": "mastodon.social",
-                "hits": 0
-            }]
-
-    def clear(self):
-        self.instances = []
-
-    def bump(self, instance_name, bump_by=1):
-        instance = find(
-                lambda i: i['instance'] == instance_name,
-                self.instances)
-        if not instance:
-            instance = dict(instance=instance_name, hits=0)
-            self.instances.append(instance)
-        instance['hits'] += bump_by
-
-    def normalize(self):
-        """
-        raises the top `top_slots` instances to the top,
-        making sure not to move instances that were already at
-        the top
-        """
-        top_slots = self.top_slots
-        head = self.instances[:top_slots]
-        tail = self.instances[top_slots:]
-        if len(tail) == 0:
-            return
-
-        def key(instance):
-            return instance['hits']
-
-        for _ in range(top_slots):
-            head_min = min(head, key=key)
-            tail_max = max(tail, key=key)
-            if tail_max['hits'] > head_min['hits']:
-                # swap them
-                i = head.index(head_min)
-                j = tail.index(tail_max)
-                buf = head[i]
-                head[i] = tail[j]
-                tail[j] = buf
-
-            else:
-                break
-
-        self.instances = head + tail
-
-    def top(self):
-        head = self.instances[:self.top_slots]
-        return tuple((i['instance'] for i in head))
-
-    def serialize(self):
-        return json.dumps(self.instances)
diff --git a/routes/__init__.py b/routes/__init__.py
index a3eecf7..0304bc6 100644
--- a/routes/__init__.py
+++ b/routes/__init__.py
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import libforget.mastodon
 from libforget.auth import require_auth, csrf,\
                      get_viewer
 from model import Session, TwitterArchive, MastodonApp
-from libforget.known_instances import KnownInstances
 from app import app, db, sentry, imgproxy
 import tasks
 from zipfile import BadZipFile
@@ -35,10 +34,7 @@ def index():
 
 @app.route('/about/')
 def about():
-    ki = KnownInstances(request.cookies.get('forget_known_instances', ''))
-    instances = ki.top()
-    instances += libforget.mastodon.suggested_instances(blacklist=instances)
-    instances = instances[:5]
+    instances = libforget.mastodon.suggested_instances()
     return render_template(
             'about.html',
             mastodon_instances=instances,
@@ -269,15 +265,7 @@ def mastodon_login_step2(instance_url):
 
     g.viewer = session
 
-    ki = KnownInstances(request.cookies.get('forget_known_instances', ''))
-    ki.bump(instance_url)
-
     resp = redirect(url_for('index'))
-    resp.set_cookie(
-            'forget_known_instances', ki.serialize(),
-            max_age=60*60*24*365,
-            httponly=True
-            )
     return resp
 
 
diff --git a/test/test_known_instances.py b/test/test_known_instances.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 0f2e111..0000000
--- a/test/test_known_instances.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,59 +0,0 @@
-from libforget.known_instances import KnownInstances
-
-
-def test_known_instances_defaults():
-    ki = KnownInstances()
-    assert len(ki.instances) == 1
-    assert ki.instances[0]['instance'] == 'mastodon.social'
-    assert isinstance(ki.instances[0]['hits'], int)
-
-
-def test_known_instances_clear():
-    ki = KnownInstances()
-    ki.clear()
-    assert len(ki.instances) == 0
-
-
-def test_known_instances_deserialize():
-    ki = KnownInstances(""" [
-        {"instance": "chitter.xyz", "hits": 666, "foo": "bar"},
-        {"instance": "invalid"}
-    ] """)
-    assert len(ki.instances) == 1
-    assert ki.instances[0]['instance'] == "chitter.xyz"
-    assert ki.instances[0]['hits'] == 666
-
-
-def test_known_instances_bump():
-    ki = KnownInstances()
-    ki.bump('chitter.xyz')
-    assert len(ki.instances) == 2
-    assert ki.instances[1]['instance'] == "chitter.xyz"
-    assert ki.instances[1]['hits'] == 1
-
-    ki.bump('chitter.xyz')
-    assert len(ki.instances) == 2
-    assert ki.instances[1]['instance'] == "chitter.xyz"
-    assert ki.instances[1]['hits'] == 2
-
-
-def test_known_instances_normalize_top():
-    ki = KnownInstances(None, top_slots=3)
-    ki.clear()
-    ki.normalize()
-    assert len(ki.instances) == 0
-
-    ki.bump("a", 1)
-    ki.bump("b", 2)
-    ki.bump("c", 3)
-    ki.normalize()
-    assert ki.instances[0]['instance'] == "a"
-    assert ki.instances[1]['instance'] == "b"
-    assert ki.instances[2]['instance'] == "c"
-
-    ki.bump("d", 4)
-    ki.normalize()
-    assert ki.instances[0]['instance'] == "d"
-    assert ki.instances[3]['instance'] == "a"
-
-    assert ki.top() == ("d", "b", "c")