diff --git a/bin/darwinvlc.m b/bin/darwinvlc.m
index df4c52c7f4..3ba5c6547b 100644
--- a/bin/darwinvlc.m
+++ b/bin/darwinvlc.m
@@ -292,7 +292,7 @@ int main(int i_argc, const char *ppsz_argv[])
         fprintf(stderr, "VLC cannot start any interface. Exiting.\n");
         goto out;
     }
-    libvlc_playlist_play(vlc, -1, 0, NULL);
+    libvlc_playlist_play(vlc);
 
     /*
      * Run the main loop. If the mac interface is not initialized, only the CoreFoundation
diff --git a/bin/vlc.c b/bin/vlc.c
index f06cc30abd..660a1b7996 100644
--- a/bin/vlc.c
+++ b/bin/vlc.c
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ int main(int argc, const char *argv[])
         goto out;
     }
 
-    libvlc_playlist_play (vlc, -1, 0, NULL);
+    libvlc_playlist_play (vlc);
 
     /* Qt insists on catching SIGCHLD via signal handler. To work around that,
      * unblock it after all our child threads are created. */
diff --git a/bin/winvlc.c b/bin/winvlc.c
index 8f22946fef..e55f043a8b 100644
--- a/bin/winvlc.c
+++ b/bin/winvlc.c
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ int WINAPI WinMain( HINSTANCE hInstance, HINSTANCE hPrevInstance,
         libvlc_add_intf (vlc, "hotkeys,none");
         libvlc_add_intf (vlc, "globalhotkeys,none");
         libvlc_add_intf (vlc, NULL);
-        libvlc_playlist_play (vlc, -1, 0, NULL);
+        libvlc_playlist_play (vlc);
         libvlc_wait (vlc);
         libvlc_release (vlc);
     }
diff --git a/include/vlc/deprecated.h b/include/vlc/deprecated.h
index 735f98151e..6eecd15ec2 100644
--- a/include/vlc/deprecated.h
+++ b/include/vlc/deprecated.h
@@ -189,15 +189,9 @@ void libvlc_wait( libvlc_instance_t *p_instance );
  * item before it is played.
  *
  * \param p_instance the playlist instance
- * \param i_id the item to play. If this is a negative number, the next
- *        item will be selected. Otherwise, the item with the given ID will be
- *        played
- * \param i_options the number of options to add to the item
- * \param ppsz_options the options to add to the item
  */
 LIBVLC_DEPRECATED LIBVLC_API
-void libvlc_playlist_play( libvlc_instance_t *p_instance, int i_id,
-                           int i_options, char **ppsz_options );
+void libvlc_playlist_play( libvlc_instance_t *p_instance );
 
 /** @}*/
 
diff --git a/lib/playlist.c b/lib/playlist.c
index 2aa6e1c705..acb4c15f73 100644
--- a/lib/playlist.c
+++ b/lib/playlist.c
@@ -34,11 +34,9 @@
 
 #include <assert.h>
 
-void libvlc_playlist_play( libvlc_instance_t *p_instance, int i_id,
-                           int i_options, char **ppsz_options )
+void libvlc_playlist_play( libvlc_instance_t *p_instance )
 {
     libvlc_InternalPlay( p_instance->p_libvlc_int );
-    VLC_UNUSED(i_id); VLC_UNUSED(i_options); VLC_UNUSED(ppsz_options);
 }
 
 int libvlc_add_intf( libvlc_instance_t *p_instance, const char *name )