diff --git a/etc/NEWS b/etc/NEWS
index 9fe7c97549a..02fe67129d5 100644
--- a/etc/NEWS
+++ b/etc/NEWS
@@ -2304,8 +2304,8 @@ This change is now applied in 'dired-insert-directory'.
 'semantic-grammar-syntax-table', 'set-register-value',
 'speedbar-key-map', 'speedbar-syntax-table',
 'starttls-any-program-available', 'strokes-report-bug',
-'toggle-emacs-lock', 'turn-on-cwarn-mode', 'turn-on-iimage-mode',
-'vc-toggle-read-only', 'view-return-to-alist',
+'toggle-emacs-lock', 'tooltip-use-echo-area', 'turn-on-cwarn-mode',
+'turn-on-iimage-mode', 'vc-toggle-read-only', 'view-return-to-alist',
 'view-return-to-alist-update', 'w32-default-color-map' (function),
 'which-func-mode' (function), 'x-cut-buffer-or-selection-value'.
 
diff --git a/lisp/progmodes/gud.el b/lisp/progmodes/gud.el
index d277eef284b..be43effed7d 100644
--- a/lisp/progmodes/gud.el
+++ b/lisp/progmodes/gud.el
@@ -3694,7 +3694,6 @@ With arg, dereference expr if ARG is positive, otherwise do not dereference."
   (message "Dereferencing is now %s."
 	   (if gud-tooltip-dereference "on" "off")))
 
-(defvar tooltip-use-echo-area)
 (declare-function tooltip-show "tooltip" (text &optional use-echo-area))
 (declare-function tooltip-strip-prompt "tooltip" (process output))
 
@@ -3708,8 +3707,7 @@ With arg, dereference expr if ARG is positive, otherwise do not dereference."
   "Process debugger output and show it in a tooltip window."
   (remove-function (process-filter process) #'gud-tooltip-process-output)
   (tooltip-show (tooltip-strip-prompt process output)
-		(or gud-tooltip-echo-area tooltip-use-echo-area
-                    (not tooltip-mode))))
+                (or gud-tooltip-echo-area (not tooltip-mode))))
 
 (defun gud-tooltip-print-command (expr)
   "Return a suitable command to print the expression EXPR."
@@ -3753,8 +3751,7 @@ This function must return nil if it doesn't handle EVENT."
 		    (unless (null define-elt)
 		      (tooltip-show
 		       (cdr define-elt)
-		       (or gud-tooltip-echo-area tooltip-use-echo-area
-                           (not tooltip-mode)))
+                       (or gud-tooltip-echo-area (not tooltip-mode)))
 		      expr))))
 	    (when gud-tooltip-dereference
 	      (setq expr (concat "*" expr)))
diff --git a/lisp/tooltip.el b/lisp/tooltip.el
index 3e9c16a445a..95cb1cc62c0 100644
--- a/lisp/tooltip.el
+++ b/lisp/tooltip.el
@@ -140,15 +140,6 @@ When using the GTK toolkit, this face will only be used if
   :group 'tooltip
   :group 'basic-faces)
 
-(defcustom tooltip-use-echo-area nil
-  "Use the echo area instead of tooltip frames for help and GUD tooltips.
-This variable is obsolete; instead of setting it to t, disable
-`tooltip-mode' (which has a similar effect)."
-  :type 'boolean)
-
-(make-obsolete-variable 'tooltip-use-echo-area
-			"disable Tooltip mode instead" "24.1" 'set)
-
 (defcustom tooltip-resize-echo-area nil
   "If non-nil, using the echo area for tooltips will resize the echo area.
 By default, when the echo area is used for displaying tooltips,
@@ -427,7 +418,7 @@ This is installed on the hook `tooltip-functions', which
 is run when the timer with id `tooltip-timeout-id' fires.
 Value is non-nil if this function handled the tip."
   (when (stringp tooltip-help-message)
-    (tooltip-show tooltip-help-message tooltip-use-echo-area)
+    (tooltip-show tooltip-help-message (not tooltip-mode))
     t))
 
 (provide 'tooltip)