--- a/browser/components/preferences/in-content-old/advanced.js
+++ b/browser/components/preferences/in-content-old/advanced.js
@@ -253,26 +253,18 @@ var gAdvancedPane = {
    */
   writeEnableOCSP() {
     var checkbox = document.getElementById("enableOCSP");
     var defaults = Services.prefs.getDefaultBranch(null);
     var defaultValue = defaults.getIntPref("security.OCSP.enabled");
     return checkbox.checked ? defaultValue : 0;
   },
 
-  /**
-   * When the user toggles the layers.acceleration.disabled pref,
-   * sync its new value to the gfx.direct2d.disabled pref too.
-   */
   updateHardwareAcceleration() {
-    if (AppConstants.platform == "win") {
-      var fromPref = document.getElementById("layers.acceleration.disabled");
-      var toPref = document.getElementById("gfx.direct2d.disabled");
-      toPref.value = fromPref.value;
-    }
+    // Placeholder for restart
   },
 
   // DATA CHOICES TAB
 
   /**
    * Set up or hide the Learn More links for various data collection options
    */
   _setupLearnMoreLink(pref, element) {

--- a/browser/components/preferences/in-content-old/advanced.xul
+++ b/browser/components/preferences/in-content-old/advanced.xul
@@ -29,22 +29,16 @@
 #endif
 
   <preference id="general.autoScroll"
               name="general.autoScroll"
               type="bool"/>
   <preference id="general.smoothScroll"
               name="general.smoothScroll"
               type="bool"/>
-#ifdef XP_WIN
-  <preference id="gfx.direct2d.disabled"
-              name="gfx.direct2d.disabled"
-              type="bool"
-              inverted="true"/>
-#endif
   <preference id="layout.spellcheckDefault"
               name="layout.spellcheckDefault"
               type="int"/>
 
 #ifdef MOZ_TELEMETRY_REPORTING
   <preference id="toolkit.telemetry.enabled"
               name="toolkit.telemetry.enabled"
               type="bool"/>

--- a/browser/components/preferences/in-content/main.js
+++ b/browser/components/preferences/in-content/main.js
@@ -648,26 +648,18 @@ var gMainPane = {
     if (AppConstants.platform == "win") {
       let minVersion = Services.prefs.getBoolPref("ui.osk.require_win10") ? 10 : 6.2;
       if (Services.vc.compare(Services.sysinfo.getProperty("version"), minVersion) >= 0) {
         document.getElementById("useOnScreenKeyboard").hidden = false;
       }
     }
   },
 
-  /**
-   * When the user toggles the layers.acceleration.disabled pref,
-   * sync its new value to the gfx.direct2d.disabled pref too.
-   */
   updateHardwareAcceleration() {
-    if (AppConstants.platform == "win") {
-      var fromPref = document.getElementById("layers.acceleration.disabled");
-      var toPref = document.getElementById("gfx.direct2d.disabled");
-      toPref.value = fromPref.value;
-    }
+    // Placeholder for restart on change
   },
 
   // FONTS
 
   /**
    * Populates the default font list in UI.
    */
   _rebuildFonts() {

--- a/browser/components/preferences/in-content/main.xul
+++ b/browser/components/preferences/in-content/main.xul
@@ -174,22 +174,16 @@
      - set to true to enable finer page scrolling than line-by-line on page-up,
        page-down, and other such page movements -->
   <preference id="general.autoScroll"
               name="general.autoScroll"
               type="bool"/>
   <preference id="general.smoothScroll"
               name="general.smoothScroll"
               type="bool"/>
-#ifdef XP_WIN
-  <preference id="gfx.direct2d.disabled"
-              name="gfx.direct2d.disabled"
-              type="bool"
-              inverted="true"/>
-#endif
   <preference id="layout.spellcheckDefault"
               name="layout.spellcheckDefault"
               type="int"/>
 
 #ifdef MOZ_TELEMETRY_REPORTING
   <preference id="toolkit.telemetry.enabled"
               name="toolkit.telemetry.enabled"
               type="bool"/>

--- a/browser/components/preferences/in-content/tests/browser_layersacceleration.js
+++ b/browser/components/preferences/in-content/tests/browser_layersacceleration.js
@@ -8,23 +8,15 @@ add_task(async function() {
   is(prefs.selectedPane, "paneGeneral", "General pane was selected");
 
   let doc = gBrowser.contentDocument;
   let checkbox = doc.querySelector("#allowHWAccel");
   is(!checkbox.checked,
      Services.prefs.getBoolPref("layers.acceleration.disabled"),
      "checkbox should represent inverted pref value before clicking on checkbox");
 
-  if (AppConstants.platform == "win") {
-    is(Services.prefs.getBoolPref("gfx.direct2d.disabled"), false, "direct2d pref should be set to false");
-  }
-
   checkbox.click();
 
   is(!checkbox.checked,
      Services.prefs.getBoolPref("layers.acceleration.disabled"),
      "checkbox should represent inverted pref value after clicking on checkbox");
-  if (AppConstants.platform == "win") {
-    is(Services.prefs.getBoolPref("gfx.direct2d.disabled"), true, "direct2d pref should be set to true");
-  }
-
   await BrowserTestUtils.removeTab(gBrowser.selectedTab);
 });

--- a/testing/mozharness/configs/unittests/win_taskcluster_unittest.py
+++ b/testing/mozharness/configs/unittests/win_taskcluster_unittest.py
@@ -199,17 +199,16 @@ config = {
         },
         "reftest-gpu": {
             'options': ["--suite=reftest",
                         "--setpref=layers.gpu-process.force-enabled=true"],
             'tests': ["tests/reftest/tests/layout/reftests/reftest.list"]
         },
         "reftest-no-accel": {
             "options": ["--suite=reftest",
-                        "--setpref=gfx.direct2d.disabled=true",
                         "--setpref=layers.acceleration.disabled=true"],
             "tests": ["tests/reftest/tests/layout/reftests/reftest.list"]
         },
     },
     "all_xpcshell_suites": {
         "xpcshell": {
             'options': ["--xpcshell=%(abs_app_dir)s/" + XPCSHELL_NAME,
                         "--manifest=tests/xpcshell/tests/xpcshell.ini"],

--- a/testing/mozharness/configs/unittests/win_unittest.py
+++ b/testing/mozharness/configs/unittests/win_unittest.py
@@ -198,17 +198,16 @@ config = {
         },
         "reftest-gpu": {
             'options': ["--suite=reftest",
                         "--setpref=layers.gpu-process.force-enabled=true"],
             'tests': ["tests/reftest/tests/layout/reftests/reftest.list"]
         },
         "reftest-no-accel": {
             "options": ["--suite=reftest",
-                        "--setpref=gfx.direct2d.disabled=true",
                         "--setpref=layers.acceleration.disabled=true"],
             "tests": ["tests/reftest/tests/layout/reftests/reftest.list"]
         },
         "reftest-qr": {
             "options": ["--suite=reftest",
                         "--setpref=gfx.webrender.enabled=true"],
             "tests": ["tests/reftest/tests/layout/reftests/reftest.list"]
         },