diff --git a/service/language.js b/service/language.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 9e3702d0..00000000
--- a/service/language.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,93 +0,0 @@
-
-var logger = require( 'pelias-logger' ).get( 'api' ),
-    request = require( 'superagent' ),
-    peliasConfig = require( 'pelias-config' );
-
-/**
-
-  language subsitution service client
-
-  this file provides a 'transport' which can be used to access the language
-  service via a network connnection.
-
-  the exported method for this module checks pelias-config for a configuration block such as:
-
-  "language": {
-    "client": {
-      "adapter": "http",
-      "host": "http://localhost:6100"
-    }
-  }
-
-  for more info on running the service see: https://github.com/pelias/placeholder
-
-**/
-
-/**
-  NullTransport
-
-  disables the service completely
-**/
-function NullTransport(){}
-NullTransport.prototype.query = function( ids, cb ){
-  cb(); // no-op
-};
-
-/**
-  HttpTransport
-
-  allows the api to be used via a remote web service
-**/
-function HttpTransport( host, settings ){
-  this.query = function( ids, cb ){
-    request
-      .get( host + '/parser/findbyid' )
-      .set( 'Accept', 'application/json' )
-      .query({ ids: Array.isArray( ids ) ? ids.join(',') : '' })
-      .timeout( settings && settings.timeout || 1000 )
-      .end( function( err, res ){
-        if( err || !res ){ return cb( err ); }
-        if( 200 !== res.status ){ return cb( 'non 200 status' ); }
-        return cb( null, res.body );
-      });
-  };
-}
-HttpTransport.prototype.query = function( coord, number, street, cb ){
-  throw new Error( 'language: transport not connected' );
-};
-
-/**
-  Setup
-
-  allows instantiation of transport depending on configuration and preference
-**/
-module.exports.findById = function setup(){
-
-  // user config
-  var config = peliasConfig.generate();
-
-  // ensure config variables set correctly
-  if( !config.hasOwnProperty('language') || !config.language.hasOwnProperty('client') ){
-    logger.warn( 'language: configuration not found' );
-  }
-
-  // valid configuration found
-  else {
-
-    // get adapter settings from config
-    var settings = config.language.client;
-
-    // http adapter
-    if( 'http' === settings.adapter && settings.hasOwnProperty('host') ){
-      logger.info( 'language: using http transport:', settings.host );
-      if( settings.hasOwnProperty('timeout') ){
-        return new HttpTransport( settings.host, { timeout: parseInt( settings.timeout, 10 ) } );
-      }
-      return new HttpTransport( settings.host );
-    }
-  }
-
-  // default adapter
-  logger.info( 'language: using null transport' );
-  return new NullTransport();
-};
diff --git a/test/unit/run.js b/test/unit/run.js
index 5edd431d..fc14194f 100644
--- a/test/unit/run.js
+++ b/test/unit/run.js
@@ -101,8 +101,7 @@ var tests = [
   require('./service/configurations/PointInPolygon'),
   require('./service/mget'),
   require('./service/search'),
-  require('./service/interpolation'),
-  require('./service/language')
+  require('./service/interpolation')
 ];
 
 tests.map(function(t) {
diff --git a/test/unit/service/language.js b/test/unit/service/language.js
deleted file mode 100644
index f8091924..00000000
--- a/test/unit/service/language.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,107 +0,0 @@
-
-var fs = require('fs'),
-    tmp = require('tmp'),
-    setup = require('../../../service/language').findById;
-
-module.exports.tests = {};
-
-module.exports.tests.interface = function(test, common) {
-  test('valid interface', function(t) {
-    t.equal(typeof setup, 'function', 'setup is a function');
-    t.end();
-  });
-};
-
-// adapter factory
-module.exports.tests.factory = function(test, common) {
-
-  test('http adapter', function(t) {
-    var config = { language: { client: {
-      adapter: 'http',
-      host: 'http://example.com'
-    }}};
-
-    // adapter is driven by config
-    var tmpfile = tmp.tmpNameSync({ postfix: '.json' });
-    fs.writeFileSync( tmpfile, JSON.stringify( config ), { encoding: 'utf8' } );
-    process.env.PELIAS_CONFIG = tmpfile;
-    var adapter = setup();
-    delete process.env.PELIAS_CONFIG;
-
-    t.equal(adapter.constructor.name, 'HttpTransport', 'HttpTransport');
-    t.equal(typeof adapter, 'object', 'adapter is an object');
-    t.equal(typeof adapter.query, 'function', 'query is a function');
-    t.equal(adapter.query.length, 2, 'query function signature');
-    t.end();
-  });
-
-  test('null adapter', function(t) {
-    var config = { language: { client: {
-      adapter: 'null'
-    }}};
-
-    // adapter is driven by config
-    var tmpfile = tmp.tmpNameSync({ postfix: '.json' });
-    fs.writeFileSync( tmpfile, JSON.stringify( config ), { encoding: 'utf8' } );
-    process.env.PELIAS_CONFIG = tmpfile;
-    var adapter = setup();
-    delete process.env.PELIAS_CONFIG;
-
-    t.equal(adapter.constructor.name, 'NullTransport', 'NullTransport');
-    t.equal(typeof adapter, 'object', 'adapter is an object');
-    t.equal(typeof adapter.query, 'function', 'query is a function');
-    t.equal(adapter.query.length, 2, 'query function signature');
-    t.end();
-  });
-
-  test('default adapter', function(t) {
-    var config = {};
-
-    // adapter is driven by config
-    var tmpfile = tmp.tmpNameSync({ postfix: '.json' });
-    fs.writeFileSync( tmpfile, JSON.stringify( config ), { encoding: 'utf8' } );
-    process.env.PELIAS_CONFIG = tmpfile;
-    var adapter = setup();
-    delete process.env.PELIAS_CONFIG;
-
-    t.equal(adapter.constructor.name, 'NullTransport', 'NullTransport');
-    t.equal(typeof adapter, 'object', 'adapter is an object');
-    t.equal(typeof adapter.query, 'function', 'query is a function');
-    t.equal(adapter.query.length, 2, 'query function signature');
-    t.end();
-  });
-
-};
-
-// null transport
-module.exports.tests.NullTransport = function(test, common) {
-
-  test('null transport', function(t) {
-
-    // adapter is driven by config
-    var tmpfile = tmp.tmpNameSync({ postfix: '.json' });
-    fs.writeFileSync( tmpfile, '{}', { encoding: 'utf8' } );
-    process.env.PELIAS_CONFIG = tmpfile;
-    var adapter = setup();
-    delete process.env.PELIAS_CONFIG;
-
-    // test null transport performs a no-op
-    adapter.query( null, function( err, res ){
-      t.equal(err, undefined, 'no-op');
-      t.equal(res, undefined, 'no-op');
-      t.end();
-    });
-  });
-
-};
-
-module.exports.all = function (tape, common) {
-
-  function test(name, testFunction) {
-    return tape('SERVICE language', testFunction);
-  }
-
-  for( var testCase in module.exports.tests ){
-    module.exports.tests[testCase](test, common);
-  }
-};