diff --git a/Lib/ufo2ft/_compilers/variableTTFsCompiler.py b/Lib/ufo2ft/_compilers/variableTTFsCompiler.py
index 50ca7ac9..77d7fbfa 100644
--- a/Lib/ufo2ft/_compilers/variableTTFsCompiler.py
+++ b/Lib/ufo2ft/_compilers/variableTTFsCompiler.py
@@ -21,4 +21,3 @@ class VariableTTFsCompiler(InterpolatableTTFCompiler):
     autoUseMyMetrics: bool = True
     dropImpliedOnCurves: bool = False
     allQuadratic: bool = True
-    pass
diff --git a/Lib/ufo2ft/featureCompiler.py b/Lib/ufo2ft/featureCompiler.py
index 0d20e90f..e1c6bc98 100644
--- a/Lib/ufo2ft/featureCompiler.py
+++ b/Lib/ufo2ft/featureCompiler.py
@@ -246,9 +246,7 @@ def _load_custom_feature_writers(self, featureWriters=None):
             if writer is ...:
                 if seen_ellipsis:
                     raise ValueError("ellipsis not allowed more than once")
-                writers = loadFeatureWriters(
-                    self.ufo, variable=hasattr(self, "designspace")
-                )
+                writers = loadFeatureWriters(self.ufo)
                 if writers is not None:
                     result.extend(writers)
                 else:
diff --git a/Lib/ufo2ft/featureWriters/__init__.py b/Lib/ufo2ft/featureWriters/__init__.py
index c04b48da..ed9706c3 100644
--- a/Lib/ufo2ft/featureWriters/__init__.py
+++ b/Lib/ufo2ft/featureWriters/__init__.py
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ def write(self, font, feaFile, compiler=None)
     return True
 
 
-def loadFeatureWriters(ufo, ignoreErrors=True, variable=False):
+def loadFeatureWriters(ufo, ignoreErrors=True):
     """Check UFO lib for key "com.github.googlei18n.ufo2ft.featureWriters",
     containing a list of dicts, each having the following key/value pairs:
     For example:
@@ -63,10 +63,6 @@ def loadFeatureWriters(ufo, ignoreErrors=True, variable=False):
     the built-in ufo2ft.featureWriters), and instantiate it with the given
     'options' dict.
 
-    If ``variable`` is true, then the feature writer class is asked if it
-    has an associated class which works on Designspace files instead of UFOs,
-    and if so, then this is used instead.
-
     Return the list of feature writer objects.
     If the 'featureWriters' key is missing from the UFO lib, return None.