diff --git a/lisp/gnus/gnus-start.el b/lisp/gnus/gnus-start.el
index 409fd442dd1..784a4e4195f 100644
--- a/lisp/gnus/gnus-start.el
+++ b/lisp/gnus/gnus-start.el
@@ -2871,7 +2871,6 @@ SPECIFIC-VARIABLES, or those in `gnus-variable-list'."
 		    (nth 1 (gethash g gnus-newsrc-hashtb)))
 		  (delete "dummy.group" gnus-group-list)))
     (let* ((print-quoted t)
-           (print-readably t)
            (print-escape-multibyte nil)
            (print-escape-nonascii t)
            (print-length nil)
diff --git a/lisp/gnus/gnus-util.el b/lisp/gnus/gnus-util.el
index 42021d30730..ce5b2a155f5 100644
--- a/lisp/gnus/gnus-util.el
+++ b/lisp/gnus/gnus-util.el
@@ -690,13 +690,12 @@ yield \"nnimap:yxa\"."
 
 (defmacro gnus-bind-print-variables (&rest forms)
   "Bind print-* variables and evaluate FORMS.
-This macro is used with `prin1', `pp', etc. in order to ensure printed
-Lisp objects are loadable.  Bind `print-quoted' and `print-readably'
-to t, and `print-escape-multibyte', `print-escape-newlines',
+This macro is used with `prin1', `pp', etc. in order to ensure
+printed Lisp objects are loadable.  Bind `print-quoted' to t, and
+`print-escape-multibyte', `print-escape-newlines',
 `print-escape-nonascii', `print-length', `print-level' and
 `print-string-length' to nil."
   `(let ((print-quoted t)
-	 (print-readably t)
 	 ;;print-circle
 	 ;;print-continuous-numbering
 	 print-escape-multibyte
@@ -710,26 +709,26 @@ to t, and `print-escape-multibyte', `print-escape-newlines',
 
 (defun gnus-prin1 (form)
   "Use `prin1' on FORM in the current buffer.
-Bind `print-quoted' and `print-readably' to t, and `print-length' and
-`print-level' to nil.  See also `gnus-bind-print-variables'."
+Bind `print-quoted' to t, and `print-length' and `print-level' to
+nil.  See also `gnus-bind-print-variables'."
   (gnus-bind-print-variables (prin1 form (current-buffer))))
 
 (defun gnus-prin1-to-string (form)
   "The same as `prin1'.
-Bind `print-quoted' and `print-readably' to t, and `print-length' and
-`print-level' to nil.  See also `gnus-bind-print-variables'."
+Bind `print-quoted' to t, and `print-length' and `print-level' to
+nil.  See also `gnus-bind-print-variables'."
   (gnus-bind-print-variables (prin1-to-string form)))
 
 (defun gnus-pp (form &optional stream)
   "Use `pp' on FORM in the current buffer.
-Bind `print-quoted' and `print-readably' to t, and `print-length' and
-`print-level' to nil.  See also `gnus-bind-print-variables'."
+Bind `print-quoted' to t, and `print-length' and `print-level' to
+nil.  See also `gnus-bind-print-variables'."
   (gnus-bind-print-variables (pp form (or stream (current-buffer)))))
 
 (defun gnus-pp-to-string (form)
   "The same as `pp-to-string'.
-Bind `print-quoted' and `print-readably' to t, and `print-length' and
-`print-level' to nil.  See also `gnus-bind-print-variables'."
+Bind `print-quoted' to t, and `print-length' and `print-level' to
+nil.  See also `gnus-bind-print-variables'."
   (gnus-bind-print-variables (pp-to-string form)))
 
 (defun gnus-make-directory (directory)