diff --git a/src/FEsolving.f90 b/src/FEsolving.f90
index 9598ddda9..38788a065 100644
--- a/src/FEsolving.f90
+++ b/src/FEsolving.f90
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ module FEsolving
   private
  
   logical, public :: &
-    restartWrite      = .false., &                                                                  !< write current state to enable restart
     terminallyIll     = .false.                                                                     !< at least one material point is terminally ill
 
   integer, dimension(:,:), allocatable, public :: &
diff --git a/src/grid/DAMASK_grid.f90 b/src/grid/DAMASK_grid.f90
index 36c0e2dfe..09e46aec7 100644
--- a/src/grid/DAMASK_grid.f90
+++ b/src/grid/DAMASK_grid.f90
@@ -476,7 +476,6 @@ program DAMASK_spectral
              case(FIELD_DAMAGE_ID);  call grid_damage_spectral_forward
            end select
          enddo
-         if (restartWrite .and. .not. cutBack) restartWrite = .false.
 
 !--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ! solve fields