diff --git a/shared/src/VoxelNode.cpp b/shared/src/VoxelNode.cpp
index 87c2b362a2..94d82f387a 100644
--- a/shared/src/VoxelNode.cpp
+++ b/shared/src/VoxelNode.cpp
@@ -12,8 +12,6 @@
 #include "OctalCode.h"
 
 VoxelNode::VoxelNode() {
-    
-    childMask = 0;
     octalCode = NULL;
     
     // default pointers to child nodes to NULL
diff --git a/shared/src/VoxelNode.h b/shared/src/VoxelNode.h
index bdd7428f6d..0074a7066e 100644
--- a/shared/src/VoxelNode.h
+++ b/shared/src/VoxelNode.h
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ public:
     unsigned char *octalCode;
     unsigned char color[4];
     VoxelNode *children[8];
-    unsigned char childMask;
 };
 
 #endif /* defined(__hifi__VoxelNode__) */