diff --git a/sphinx/util/nodes.py b/sphinx/util/nodes.py
index 5c444fb56..14bd09791 100644
--- a/sphinx/util/nodes.py
+++ b/sphinx/util/nodes.py
@@ -11,14 +11,12 @@
 from __future__ import absolute_import
 
 import re
-import warnings
 
 from six import text_type
 
 from docutils import nodes
 
 from sphinx import addnodes
-from sphinx.deprecation import RemovedInSphinx17Warning
 from sphinx.locale import pairindextypes
 from sphinx.util import logging
 
@@ -354,30 +352,6 @@ def set_role_source_info(inliner, lineno, node):
     node.source, node.line = inliner.reporter.get_source_and_line(lineno)
 
 
-def process_only_nodes(doctree, tags):
-    # type: (nodes.Node, Tags) -> None
-    # A comment on the comment() nodes being inserted: replacing by [] would
-    # result in a "Losing ids" exception if there is a target node before
-    # the only node, so we make sure docutils can transfer the id to
-    # something, even if it's just a comment and will lose the id anyway...
-    warnings.warn('process_only_nodes() is deprecated. '
-                  'Use sphinx.environment.apply_post_transforms() instead.',
-                  RemovedInSphinx17Warning)
-
-    for node in doctree.traverse(addnodes.only):
-        try:
-            ret = tags.eval_condition(node['expr'])
-        except Exception as err:
-            logger.warning('exception while evaluating only directive expression: %s', err,
-                           location=node)
-            node.replace_self(node.children or nodes.comment())
-        else:
-            if ret:
-                node.replace_self(node.children or nodes.comment())
-            else:
-                node.replace_self(nodes.comment())
-
-
 # monkey-patch Element.copy to copy the rawsource and line
 
 def _new_copy(self):
diff --git a/tests/test_directive_only.py b/tests/test_directive_only.py
index 35d15b391..d8017f469 100644
--- a/tests/test_directive_only.py
+++ b/tests/test_directive_only.py
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@
 import re
 
 from docutils import nodes
-from sphinx.util.nodes import process_only_nodes
 import pytest
 
 
@@ -46,7 +45,7 @@ def test_sectioning(app, status, warning):
 
     app.builder.build(['only'])
     doctree = app.env.get_doctree('only')
-    process_only_nodes(doctree, app.builder.tags)
+    app.env.apply_post_transforms(doctree, 'only')
 
     parts = [getsects(n)
              for n in [_n for _n in doctree.children if isinstance(_n, nodes.section)]]