diff --git a/makefile-templates/Makefile.handbook b/makefile-templates/Makefile.handbook
index 84c92b0..3a82c61 100755
--- a/makefile-templates/Makefile.handbook
+++ b/makefile-templates/Makefile.handbook
@@ -289,17 +289,6 @@
 
 ################################################################################
 #
-# Regenerate the patterns files if necessary (re-copy them from the original
-# templates). Handy if you screw them up completely --- just delete them and
-# run make again.
-#
-$(LOCAL_HANDBOOK_INCLUDE)/%.patterns: $(TEACHING_SHARED)/Authoring/Handbook/%.patterns
-	@announce "Re-installing default patterns files."
-	cp $< $@
-
-
-################################################################################
-#
 # Clean up all generated files.
 # "web-clean" and "print-clean" only clean up files for the web and print
 # versions, respectively. Note that "clean" isn't dependent on either