diff --git a/app/controllers/contacts_controller.rb b/app/controllers/contacts_controller.rb
index c23380341..8e9b670f6 100644
--- a/app/controllers/contacts_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/contacts_controller.rb
@@ -13,13 +13,6 @@ class ContactsController < ApplicationController
 
       # Used by the mobile site
       format.mobile { set_up_contacts_mobile }
-
-      # Used to populate mentions in the publisher
-      format.json {
-        aspect_ids = params[:aspect_ids] || current_user.aspects.map(&:id)
-        @people = Person.all_from_aspects(aspect_ids, current_user).for_json
-        render :json => @people.to_json
-      }
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/spec/controllers/contacts_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/contacts_controller_spec.rb
index c96131fba..d2af43e8d 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/contacts_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/contacts_controller_spec.rb
@@ -48,28 +48,6 @@ describe ContactsController, :type => :controller do
         expect(contacts.to_set).to eq(bob.contacts.to_set)
       end
     end
-
-    context 'format json' do
-      it 'assumes all aspects if none are specified' do
-        get :index, :format => 'json'
-        expect(assigns[:people].map(&:id)).to match_array(bob.contacts.map { |c| c.person.id })
-        expect(response).to be_success
-      end
-
-      it 'returns the contacts for multiple aspects' do
-        get :index, :aspect_ids => bob.aspect_ids, :format => 'json'
-        expect(assigns[:people].map(&:id)).to match_array(bob.contacts.map { |c| c.person.id })
-        expect(response).to be_success
-      end
-
-      it 'does not return duplicate contacts' do
-        aspect = bob.aspects.create(:name => 'hilarious people')
-        aspect.contacts << bob.contact_for(eve.person)
-        get :index, :format => 'json', :aspect_ids => bob.aspect_ids
-        expect(assigns[:people].map { |p| p.id }.uniq).to eq(assigns[:people].map { |p| p.id })
-        expect(assigns[:people].map(&:id)).to match_array(bob.contacts.map { |c| c.person.id })
-      end
-    end
   end
 
   describe "#search" do