diff --git a/crates/wit-component/src/encoding.rs b/crates/wit-component/src/encoding.rs
index f6de9d2a53..2665fbe2e2 100644
--- a/crates/wit-component/src/encoding.rs
+++ b/crates/wit-component/src/encoding.rs
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ const INDIRECT_TABLE_NAME: &str = "$imports";
 
 pub mod docs;
 mod wit;
-pub use wit::{encode, encode_component, encode_world};
+pub use wit::{encode, encode_world};
 
 mod types;
 use types::{InstanceTypeEncoder, RootTypeEncoder, ValtypeEncoder};
diff --git a/crates/wit-component/src/lib.rs b/crates/wit-component/src/lib.rs
index 92205a32f1..e16d252375 100644
--- a/crates/wit-component/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/wit-component/src/lib.rs
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ pub fn embed_component_metadata(
     world: WorldId,
     encoding: StringEncoding,
 ) -> Result<()> {
-    let encoded = metadata::encode(&wit_resolver, world, encoding, None, None)?;
+    let encoded = metadata::encode(&wit_resolver, world, encoding, None)?;
 
     let section = wasm_encoder::CustomSection {
         name: "component-type".into(),
diff --git a/crates/wit-component/src/metadata.rs b/crates/wit-component/src/metadata.rs
index 0bd1d5b2b2..2ea73155df 100644
--- a/crates/wit-component/src/metadata.rs
+++ b/crates/wit-component/src/metadata.rs
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ use anyhow::{bail, Context, Result};
 use indexmap::IndexMap;
 use std::borrow::Cow;
 use wasm_encoder::{
-    ComponentBuilder, ComponentExportKind, ComponentType, ComponentTypeRef, CustomSection, Encode,
+    ComponentBuilder, ComponentExportKind, ComponentType, ComponentTypeRef, CustomSection,
 };
 use wasm_metadata::Producers;
 use wasmparser::types::ComponentAnyTypeId;
@@ -170,94 +170,34 @@ pub fn encode(
     world: WorldId,
     string_encoding: StringEncoding,
     extra_producers: Option<&Producers>,
-    use_next_encoding: Option<bool>,
 ) -> Result<Vec<u8>> {
-    enum EncodingFormat {
-        // The encoding of the previous format was:
-        //
-        //  * A version byte, at the time 0x03.
-        //  * A string-encoding byte.
-        //  * A string which is the name of a world.
-        //  * A wasm-encoded WIT package which contains the previous world.
-        //
-        // Note that this branch will be deleted in the near future.
-        Previous,
-
-        // The current format.
-        Next,
+    let ty = crate::encoding::encode_world(resolve, world)?;
+
+    let world = &resolve.worlds[world];
+    let mut outer_ty = ComponentType::new();
+    outer_ty.ty().component(&ty);
+    outer_ty.export(
+        &resolve.id_of_name(world.package.unwrap(), &world.name),
+        ComponentTypeRef::Component(0),
+    );
+
+    let mut builder = ComponentBuilder::default();
+
+    let string_encoding = encode_string_encoding(string_encoding);
+    builder.custom_section(&CustomSection {
+        name: CUSTOM_SECTION_NAME.into(),
+        data: Cow::Borrowed(&[CURRENT_VERSION, string_encoding]),
+    });
+
+    let ty = builder.type_component(&outer_ty);
+    builder.export(&world.name, ComponentExportKind::Type, ty, None);
+
+    let mut producers = crate::base_producers();
+    if let Some(p) = extra_producers {
+        producers.merge(&p);
     }
-
-    let format = match use_next_encoding {
-        Some(true) => EncodingFormat::Next,
-        Some(false) => EncodingFormat::Previous,
-        None => match std::env::var("WIT_COMPONENT_NEW_ENCODE") {
-            Ok(s) if s == "0" => EncodingFormat::Previous,
-            _ => EncodingFormat::Next,
-        },
-    };
-
-    let ret = match format {
-        EncodingFormat::Previous => {
-            let world = &resolve.worlds[world];
-            let pkg = &resolve.packages[world.package.unwrap()];
-            assert!(
-                resolve
-                    .packages
-                    .iter()
-                    .filter(|(_, p)| p.name == pkg.name)
-                    .count()
-                    == 1
-            );
-
-            let mut ret = Vec::new();
-            ret.push(0x03);
-            ret.push(encode_string_encoding(string_encoding));
-            world.name.encode(&mut ret);
-            // This appends a wasm binary encoded Component to the ret:
-            let mut component_builder =
-                crate::encoding::encode_component(None, resolve, world.package.unwrap())?;
-
-            let mut producers = crate::base_producers();
-            if let Some(p) = extra_producers {
-                producers.merge(&p);
-            }
-            component_builder.raw_custom_section(&producers.raw_custom_section());
-
-            ret.extend(component_builder.finish());
-            ret
-        }
-        EncodingFormat::Next => {
-            let ty = crate::encoding::encode_world(resolve, world)?;
-
-            let world = &resolve.worlds[world];
-            let mut outer_ty = ComponentType::new();
-            outer_ty.ty().component(&ty);
-            outer_ty.export(
-                &resolve.id_of_name(world.package.unwrap(), &world.name),
-                ComponentTypeRef::Component(0),
-            );
-
-            let mut builder = ComponentBuilder::default();
-
-            let string_encoding = encode_string_encoding(string_encoding);
-            builder.custom_section(&CustomSection {
-                name: CUSTOM_SECTION_NAME.into(),
-                data: Cow::Borrowed(&[CURRENT_VERSION, string_encoding]),
-            });
-
-            let ty = builder.type_component(&outer_ty);
-            builder.export(&world.name, ComponentExportKind::Type, ty, None);
-
-            let mut producers = crate::base_producers();
-            if let Some(p) = extra_producers {
-                producers.merge(&p);
-            }
-            builder.raw_custom_section(&producers.raw_custom_section());
-            builder.finish()
-        }
-    };
-
-    Ok(ret)
+    builder.raw_custom_section(&producers.raw_custom_section());
+    Ok(builder.finish())
 }
 
 fn decode_custom_section(wasm: &[u8]) -> Result<(Resolve, WorldId, StringEncoding)> {
diff --git a/crates/wit-component/tests/components.rs b/crates/wit-component/tests/components.rs
index 27871d55e5..84cdfa417f 100644
--- a/crates/wit-component/tests/components.rs
+++ b/crates/wit-component/tests/components.rs
@@ -205,13 +205,8 @@ fn read_core_module(path: &Path, resolve: &Resolve, pkg: PackageId) -> Result<Ve
     let mut producers = wasm_metadata::Producers::empty();
     producers.add("processed-by", "my-fake-bindgen", "123.45");
 
-    let encoded = wit_component::metadata::encode(
-        resolve,
-        world,
-        StringEncoding::UTF8,
-        Some(&producers),
-        Some(true),
-    )?;
+    let encoded =
+        wit_component::metadata::encode(resolve, world, StringEncoding::UTF8, Some(&producers))?;
 
     let section = wasm_encoder::CustomSection {
         name: "component-type".into(),