diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index a7dd57209..480ee39fa 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -69,6 +69,9 @@ Bugs fixed
 * #1233: Allow finding both Python classes and exceptions with the "class" and
   "exc" roles in intersphinx.
 
+* #1198: Allow "image" for the "figwidth" option of the :rst:dir:`figure`
+  directive as documented by docutils.
+
 Documentation
 -------------
 
diff --git a/sphinx/directives/__init__.py b/sphinx/directives/__init__.py
index d2b70b82f..3133b7e35 100644
--- a/sphinx/directives/__init__.py
+++ b/sphinx/directives/__init__.py
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@
 import re
 
 from docutils.parsers.rst import Directive, directives
-from docutils.parsers.rst.directives import images
 
 from sphinx import addnodes
 from sphinx.util.docfields import DocFieldTransformer
@@ -22,15 +21,6 @@ from sphinx.directives.code import *
 from sphinx.directives.other import *
 
 
-# allow units for the figure's "figwidth"
-try:
-    images.Figure.option_spec['figwidth'] = \
-        directives.length_or_percentage_or_unitless
-except AttributeError:
-    images.figure.options['figwidth'] = \
-        directives.length_or_percentage_or_unitless
-
-
 # RE to strip backslash escapes
 nl_escape_re = re.compile(r'\\\n')
 strip_backslash_re = re.compile(r'\\(.)')