diff --git a/interface/resources/meshes/defaultAvatar_full.fst b/interface/resources/meshes/defaultAvatar_full.fst
index b47faeb8a8..aa679e319a 100644
--- a/interface/resources/meshes/defaultAvatar_full.fst
+++ b/interface/resources/meshes/defaultAvatar_full.fst
@@ -10,10 +10,6 @@ joint = jointRoot = Hips
 joint = jointLeftHand = LeftHand
 joint = jointRightHand = RightHand
 joint = jointHead = Head
-freeJoint = LeftArm
-freeJoint = LeftForeArm
-freeJoint = RightArm
-freeJoint = RightForeArm
 bs = JawOpen = mouth_Open = 1
 bs = LipsFunnel = Oo = 1
 bs = BrowsU_L = brow_Up = 1
diff --git a/interface/src/ModelPackager.cpp b/interface/src/ModelPackager.cpp
index 84325da473..db74b34d91 100644
--- a/interface/src/ModelPackager.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/ModelPackager.cpp
@@ -294,13 +294,6 @@ void ModelPackager::populateBasicMapping(QVariantHash& mapping, QString filename
     }
 
     mapping.insert(JOINT_FIELD, joints);
-
-    if (!mapping.contains(FREE_JOINT_FIELD)) {
-        mapping.insertMulti(FREE_JOINT_FIELD, "LeftArm");
-        mapping.insertMulti(FREE_JOINT_FIELD, "LeftForeArm");
-        mapping.insertMulti(FREE_JOINT_FIELD, "RightArm");
-        mapping.insertMulti(FREE_JOINT_FIELD, "RightForeArm");
-    }
     
     // If there are no blendshape mappings, and we detect that this is likely a mixamo file,
     // then we can add the default mixamo to "faceshift" mappings
diff --git a/interface/src/ModelPropertiesDialog.cpp b/interface/src/ModelPropertiesDialog.cpp
index 1bdb170b60..d67341990d 100644
--- a/interface/src/ModelPropertiesDialog.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/ModelPropertiesDialog.cpp
@@ -58,11 +58,6 @@ _hfmModel(hfmModel)
     form->addRow("Left Hand Joint:", _leftHandJoint = createJointBox());
     form->addRow("Right Hand Joint:", _rightHandJoint = createJointBox());
 
-    form->addRow("Free Joints:", _freeJoints = new QVBoxLayout());
-    QPushButton* newFreeJoint = new QPushButton("New Free Joint");
-    _freeJoints->addWidget(newFreeJoint);
-    connect(newFreeJoint, SIGNAL(clicked(bool)), SLOT(createNewFreeJoint()));
-
     QDialogButtonBox* buttons = new QDialogButtonBox(QDialogButtonBox::Ok |
                                                      QDialogButtonBox::Cancel | QDialogButtonBox::Reset);
     connect(buttons, SIGNAL(accepted()), SLOT(accept()));
@@ -102,11 +97,6 @@ QVariantHash ModelPropertiesDialog::getMapping() const {
     insertJointMapping(joints, "jointLeftHand", _leftHandJoint->currentText());
     insertJointMapping(joints, "jointRightHand", _rightHandJoint->currentText());
 
-    mapping.remove(FREE_JOINT_FIELD);
-    for (int i = 0; i < _freeJoints->count() - 1; i++) {
-        QComboBox* box = static_cast<QComboBox*>(_freeJoints->itemAt(i)->widget()->layout()->itemAt(0)->widget());
-        mapping.insertMulti(FREE_JOINT_FIELD, box->currentText());
-    }
     mapping.insert(JOINT_FIELD, joints);
 
     return mapping;
@@ -133,16 +123,6 @@ void ModelPropertiesDialog::reset() {
     setJointText(_headJoint, jointHash.value("jointHead").toString());
     setJointText(_leftHandJoint, jointHash.value("jointLeftHand").toString());
     setJointText(_rightHandJoint, jointHash.value("jointRightHand").toString());
-
-    while (_freeJoints->count() > 1) {
-        delete _freeJoints->itemAt(0)->widget();
-    }
-    foreach (const QVariant& joint, _originalMapping.values(FREE_JOINT_FIELD)) {
-        QString jointName = joint.toString();
-        if (_hfmModel.jointIndices.contains(jointName)) {
-            createNewFreeJoint(jointName);
-        }
-    }
 }
 
 void ModelPropertiesDialog::chooseTextureDirectory() {
@@ -176,20 +156,6 @@ void ModelPropertiesDialog::updatePivotJoint() {
     _pivotJoint->setEnabled(!_pivotAboutCenter->isChecked());
 }
 
-void ModelPropertiesDialog::createNewFreeJoint(const QString& joint) {
-    QWidget* freeJoint = new QWidget();
-    QHBoxLayout* freeJointLayout = new QHBoxLayout();
-    freeJointLayout->setContentsMargins(QMargins());
-    freeJoint->setLayout(freeJointLayout);
-    QComboBox* jointBox = createJointBox(false);
-    jointBox->setCurrentText(joint);
-    freeJointLayout->addWidget(jointBox, 1);
-    QPushButton* deleteJoint = new QPushButton("Delete");
-    freeJointLayout->addWidget(deleteJoint);
-    freeJoint->connect(deleteJoint, SIGNAL(clicked(bool)), SLOT(deleteLater()));
-    _freeJoints->insertWidget(_freeJoints->count() - 1, freeJoint);
-}
-
 QComboBox* ModelPropertiesDialog::createJointBox(bool withNone) const {
     QComboBox* box = new QComboBox();
     if (withNone) {
diff --git a/interface/src/ModelPropertiesDialog.h b/interface/src/ModelPropertiesDialog.h
index 7019d239ff..8cf9bd5248 100644
--- a/interface/src/ModelPropertiesDialog.h
+++ b/interface/src/ModelPropertiesDialog.h
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@ private slots:
     void chooseTextureDirectory();
     void chooseScriptDirectory();
     void updatePivotJoint();
-    void createNewFreeJoint(const QString& joint = QString());
     
 private:
     QComboBox* createJointBox(bool withNone = true) const;
@@ -66,7 +65,6 @@ private:
     QComboBox* _headJoint = nullptr;
     QComboBox* _leftHandJoint = nullptr;
     QComboBox* _rightHandJoint = nullptr;
-    QVBoxLayout* _freeJoints = nullptr;
 };
 
 #endif // hifi_ModelPropertiesDialog_h
diff --git a/libraries/animation/src/AnimSkeleton.cpp b/libraries/animation/src/AnimSkeleton.cpp
index cc48308f17..1e7b4f0c2c 100644
--- a/libraries/animation/src/AnimSkeleton.cpp
+++ b/libraries/animation/src/AnimSkeleton.cpp
@@ -289,8 +289,6 @@ void AnimSkeleton::dump(bool verbose) const {
         qCDebug(animation) << "        relDefaultPose =" << getRelativeDefaultPose(i);
         if (verbose) {
             qCDebug(animation) << "        hfmJoint =";
-            qCDebug(animation) << "            isFree =" << _joints[i].isFree;
-            qCDebug(animation) << "            freeLineage =" << _joints[i].freeLineage;
             qCDebug(animation) << "            parentIndex =" << _joints[i].parentIndex;
             qCDebug(animation) << "            translation =" << _joints[i].translation;
             qCDebug(animation) << "            preTransform =" << _joints[i].preTransform;
diff --git a/libraries/avatars-renderer/src/avatars-renderer/SkeletonModel.cpp b/libraries/avatars-renderer/src/avatars-renderer/SkeletonModel.cpp
index 7f2dbda3de..ea71ff128c 100644
--- a/libraries/avatars-renderer/src/avatars-renderer/SkeletonModel.cpp
+++ b/libraries/avatars-renderer/src/avatars-renderer/SkeletonModel.cpp
@@ -249,14 +249,6 @@ bool SkeletonModel::getRightHandPosition(glm::vec3& position) const {
     return getJointPositionInWorldFrame(getRightHandJointIndex(), position);
 }
 
-bool SkeletonModel::getLeftShoulderPosition(glm::vec3& position) const {
-    return getJointPositionInWorldFrame(getLastFreeJointIndex(getLeftHandJointIndex()), position);
-}
-
-bool SkeletonModel::getRightShoulderPosition(glm::vec3& position) const {
-    return getJointPositionInWorldFrame(getLastFreeJointIndex(getRightHandJointIndex()), position);
-}
-
 bool SkeletonModel::getHeadPosition(glm::vec3& headPosition) const {
     return isActive() && getJointPositionInWorldFrame(_rig.indexOfJoint("Head"), headPosition);
 }
diff --git a/libraries/avatars-renderer/src/avatars-renderer/SkeletonModel.h b/libraries/avatars-renderer/src/avatars-renderer/SkeletonModel.h
index ef0e1e0fae..99f6632306 100644
--- a/libraries/avatars-renderer/src/avatars-renderer/SkeletonModel.h
+++ b/libraries/avatars-renderer/src/avatars-renderer/SkeletonModel.h
@@ -57,17 +57,9 @@ public:
     /// \return true whether or not the position was found
     bool getRightHandPosition(glm::vec3& position) const;
 
-    /// Gets the position of the left shoulder.
-    /// \return whether or not the left shoulder joint was found
-    bool getLeftShoulderPosition(glm::vec3& position) const;
-
     /// Returns the extended length from the left hand to its last free ancestor.
     float getLeftArmLength() const;
 
-    /// Gets the position of the right shoulder.
-    /// \return whether or not the right shoulder joint was found
-    bool getRightShoulderPosition(glm::vec3& position) const;
-
     /// Returns the position of the head joint.
     /// \return whether or not the head was found
     bool getHeadPosition(glm::vec3& headPosition) const;
diff --git a/libraries/fbx/src/FST.cpp b/libraries/fbx/src/FST.cpp
index 7828037c74..b6f109c217 100644
--- a/libraries/fbx/src/FST.cpp
+++ b/libraries/fbx/src/FST.cpp
@@ -82,11 +82,6 @@ FST* FST::createFSTFromModel(const QString& fstPath, const QString& modelFilePat
     }
     mapping.insert(JOINT_INDEX_FIELD, jointIndices);
 
-    mapping.insertMulti(FREE_JOINT_FIELD, "LeftArm");
-    mapping.insertMulti(FREE_JOINT_FIELD, "LeftForeArm");
-    mapping.insertMulti(FREE_JOINT_FIELD, "RightArm");
-    mapping.insertMulti(FREE_JOINT_FIELD, "RightForeArm");
-
 
     // If there are no blendshape mappings, and we detect that this is likely a mixamo file,
     // then we can add the default mixamo to "faceshift" mappings
diff --git a/libraries/fbx/src/FSTReader.cpp b/libraries/fbx/src/FSTReader.cpp
index 43806560dc..99087954eb 100644
--- a/libraries/fbx/src/FSTReader.cpp
+++ b/libraries/fbx/src/FSTReader.cpp
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ void FSTReader::writeVariant(QBuffer& buffer, QVariantHash::const_iterator& it)
 
 QByteArray FSTReader::writeMapping(const QVariantHash& mapping) {
     static const QStringList PREFERED_ORDER = QStringList() << NAME_FIELD << TYPE_FIELD << SCALE_FIELD << FILENAME_FIELD
-    << MARKETPLACE_ID_FIELD << TEXDIR_FIELD << SCRIPT_FIELD << JOINT_FIELD << FREE_JOINT_FIELD
+    << MARKETPLACE_ID_FIELD << TEXDIR_FIELD << SCRIPT_FIELD << JOINT_FIELD
     << BLENDSHAPE_FIELD << JOINT_INDEX_FIELD;
     QBuffer buffer;
     buffer.open(QIODevice::WriteOnly);
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ QByteArray FSTReader::writeMapping(const QVariantHash& mapping) {
     for (auto key : PREFERED_ORDER) {
         auto it = mapping.find(key);
         if (it != mapping.constEnd()) {
-            if (key == FREE_JOINT_FIELD || key == SCRIPT_FIELD) { // writeVariant does not handle strings added using insertMulti.
+            if (key == SCRIPT_FIELD) { // writeVariant does not handle strings added using insertMulti.
                 for (auto multi : mapping.values(key)) {
                     buffer.write(key.toUtf8());
                     buffer.write(" = ");
diff --git a/libraries/fbx/src/FSTReader.h b/libraries/fbx/src/FSTReader.h
index 993d7c3148..ad952c4ed7 100644
--- a/libraries/fbx/src/FSTReader.h
+++ b/libraries/fbx/src/FSTReader.h
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ static const QString TRANSLATION_X_FIELD = "tx";
 static const QString TRANSLATION_Y_FIELD = "ty";
 static const QString TRANSLATION_Z_FIELD = "tz";
 static const QString JOINT_FIELD = "joint";
-static const QString FREE_JOINT_FIELD = "freeJoint";
 static const QString BLENDSHAPE_FIELD = "bs";
 static const QString SCRIPT_FIELD = "script";
 static const QString JOINT_NAME_MAPPING_FIELD = "jointMap";
diff --git a/libraries/fbx/src/GLTFSerializer.cpp b/libraries/fbx/src/GLTFSerializer.cpp
index 238e7d7fdb..69606b2738 100644
--- a/libraries/fbx/src/GLTFSerializer.cpp
+++ b/libraries/fbx/src/GLTFSerializer.cpp
@@ -719,7 +719,6 @@ bool GLTFSerializer::buildGeometry(HFMModel& hfmModel, const QUrl& url) {
     
     //Build default joints
     hfmModel.joints.resize(1);
-    hfmModel.joints[0].isFree = false;
     hfmModel.joints[0].parentIndex = -1;
     hfmModel.joints[0].distanceToParent = 0;
     hfmModel.joints[0].translation = glm::vec3(0, 0, 0);
@@ -1299,8 +1298,6 @@ void GLTFSerializer::hfmDebugDump(const HFMModel& hfmModel) {
         qCDebug(modelformat) << "    shapeInfo.dots =" << joint.shapeInfo.dots;
         qCDebug(modelformat) << "    shapeInfo.points =" << joint.shapeInfo.points;
 
-        qCDebug(modelformat) << "    isFree =" << joint.isFree;
-        qCDebug(modelformat) << "    freeLineage" << joint.freeLineage;
         qCDebug(modelformat) << "    parentIndex" << joint.parentIndex;
         qCDebug(modelformat) << "    distanceToParent" << joint.distanceToParent;
         qCDebug(modelformat) << "    translation" << joint.translation;
diff --git a/libraries/fbx/src/OBJSerializer.cpp b/libraries/fbx/src/OBJSerializer.cpp
index 9d4b1f16a1..91d3fc7cc0 100644
--- a/libraries/fbx/src/OBJSerializer.cpp
+++ b/libraries/fbx/src/OBJSerializer.cpp
@@ -687,7 +687,6 @@ HFMModel::Pointer OBJSerializer::read(const QByteArray& data, const QVariantHash
         mesh.meshIndex = 0;
 
         hfmModel.joints.resize(1);
-        hfmModel.joints[0].isFree = false;
         hfmModel.joints[0].parentIndex = -1;
         hfmModel.joints[0].distanceToParent = 0;
         hfmModel.joints[0].translation = glm::vec3(0, 0, 0);
@@ -1048,8 +1047,7 @@ void hfmDebugDump(const HFMModel& hfmModel) {
     qCDebug(modelformat) << "  joints.count() =" << hfmModel.joints.count();
 
     foreach (HFMJoint joint, hfmModel.joints) {
-        qCDebug(modelformat) << "    isFree =" << joint.isFree;
-        qCDebug(modelformat) << "    freeLineage" << joint.freeLineage;
+
         qCDebug(modelformat) << "    parentIndex" << joint.parentIndex;
         qCDebug(modelformat) << "    distanceToParent" << joint.distanceToParent;
         qCDebug(modelformat) << "    translation" << joint.translation;
diff --git a/libraries/hfm/src/hfm/HFM.h b/libraries/hfm/src/hfm/HFM.h
index 07528f3348..cccfaa3f7d 100644
--- a/libraries/hfm/src/hfm/HFM.h
+++ b/libraries/hfm/src/hfm/HFM.h
@@ -75,8 +75,6 @@ struct JointShapeInfo {
 class Joint {
 public:
     JointShapeInfo shapeInfo;
-    QVector<int> freeLineage;
-    bool isFree;
     int parentIndex;
     float distanceToParent;
 
diff --git a/libraries/model-baker/src/model-baker/PrepareJointsTask.cpp b/libraries/model-baker/src/model-baker/PrepareJointsTask.cpp
index 5f4a1b4f04..20715cfed7 100644
--- a/libraries/model-baker/src/model-baker/PrepareJointsTask.cpp
+++ b/libraries/model-baker/src/model-baker/PrepareJointsTask.cpp
@@ -57,8 +57,6 @@ void PrepareJointsTask::run(const baker::BakeContextPointer& context, const Inpu
     auto& jointRotationOffsets = output.edit1();
     auto& jointIndices = output.edit2();
 
-    // Get which joints are free from FST file mappings
-    QVariantList freeJoints = mapping.values("freeJoint");
     // Get joint renames
     auto jointNameMapping = getJointNameMapping(mapping);
     // Apply joint metadata from FST file mappings
@@ -66,19 +64,6 @@ void PrepareJointsTask::run(const baker::BakeContextPointer& context, const Inpu
         jointsOut.push_back(jointIn);
         auto& jointOut = jointsOut[jointsOut.size()-1];
 
-        jointOut.isFree = freeJoints.contains(jointIn.name);
-        // Get the indices of all ancestors starting with the first free one (if any)
-        int jointIndex = jointsOut.size() - 1;
-        jointOut.freeLineage.append(jointIndex);
-        int lastFreeIndex = jointOut.isFree ? 0 : -1;
-        for (int index = jointOut.parentIndex; index != -1; index = jointsOut.at(index).parentIndex) {
-            if (jointsOut.at(index).isFree) {
-                lastFreeIndex = jointOut.freeLineage.size();
-            }
-            jointOut.freeLineage.append(index);
-        }
-        jointOut.freeLineage.remove(lastFreeIndex + 1, jointOut.freeLineage.size() - lastFreeIndex - 1);
-
         if (jointNameMapping.contains(jointNameMapping.key(jointIn.name))) {
             jointOut.name = jointNameMapping.key(jointIn.name);
         }
diff --git a/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.cpp b/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.cpp
index da8dceb176..0206bd6963 100644
--- a/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.cpp
+++ b/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.cpp
@@ -1116,10 +1116,6 @@ int Model::getParentJointIndex(int jointIndex) const {
     return (isActive() && jointIndex != -1) ? getHFMModel().joints.at(jointIndex).parentIndex : -1;
 }
 
-int Model::getLastFreeJointIndex(int jointIndex) const {
-    return (isActive() && jointIndex != -1) ? getHFMModel().joints.at(jointIndex).freeLineage.last() : -1;
-}
-
 void Model::setTextures(const QVariantMap& textures) {
     if (isLoaded()) {
         _needsFixupInScene = true;
diff --git a/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.h b/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.h
index 16e08c2b23..aadfca78ba 100644
--- a/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.h
+++ b/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.h
@@ -379,9 +379,6 @@ protected:
     /// Clear the joint states
     void clearJointState(int index);
 
-    /// Returns the index of the last free ancestor of the indexed joint, or -1 if not found.
-    int getLastFreeJointIndex(int jointIndex) const;
-
     /// \param jointIndex index of joint in model structure
     /// \param position[out] position of joint in model-frame
     /// \return true if joint exists