diff --git a/irrd/routepref/routepref.py b/irrd/routepref/routepref.py
index 5ee37dd55..a08426e00 100644
--- a/irrd/routepref/routepref.py
+++ b/irrd/routepref/routepref.py
@@ -59,19 +59,6 @@ def _build_tree(self, route_objects: Iterable[Dict[str, str]]) -> None:
                 rnode.data = {}
             rnode.data[route_object["pk"]] = (preference, route_object["route_preference_status"])
 
-    def validate_single(self, prefix: IP, source: str) -> RoutePreferenceStatus:
-        # TODO: we might not need this at all?
-        if not self.source_preferences:
-            return RoutePreferenceStatus.visible
-        try:
-            preference = self.source_preferences[source]
-        except KeyError:
-            return RoutePreferenceStatus.visible
-
-        search_args = {"network": str(prefix)}
-        overlapping_nodes = self.rtree.search_covered(**search_args) + self.rtree.search_covering(**search_args)
-        return self._evaluate_route(preference, overlapping_nodes)
-
     def validate_known_routes(self) -> Tuple[List[str], List[str]]:
         """
         Validate all routes known to this validator, based on the
diff --git a/irrd/routepref/tests/test_routepref.py b/irrd/routepref/tests/test_routepref.py
index 660e17883..46cb97c18 100644
--- a/irrd/routepref/tests/test_routepref.py
+++ b/irrd/routepref/tests/test_routepref.py
@@ -66,21 +66,21 @@ def test_route_preference_validator(config_override):
             "pk": "route-H",
             "route_preference_status": RoutePreferenceStatus.visible,
         },
+        {
+            # No overlaps
+            "source": "SRC-LOWEST",
+            "prefix": "198.51.100.0/24",
+            "pk": "route-I",
+            "route_preference_status": RoutePreferenceStatus.suppressed,
+        },
     ]
 
     validator = RoutePreferenceValidator(route_objects)
     to_be_visible, to_be_suppressed = validator.validate_known_routes()
     assert validator.excluded_currently_suppressed == ["route-G"]
-    assert to_be_visible == ["route-A", "route-B"]
+    assert to_be_visible == ["route-A", "route-B", "route-I"]
     assert to_be_suppressed == ["route-D", "route-C", "route-E", "route-F"]
 
-    assert validator.validate_single(IP("192.0.0.0/26"), "SRC-NOPREF") == RoutePreferenceStatus.visible
-    assert validator.validate_single(IP("192.0.0.0/26"), "SRC-HIGH-A") == RoutePreferenceStatus.visible
-    assert validator.validate_single(IP("192.0.0.0/26"), "SRC-LOWEST") == RoutePreferenceStatus.suppressed
-    assert validator.validate_single(IP("192.0.0.0/8"), "SRC-HIGH-A") == RoutePreferenceStatus.visible
-    assert validator.validate_single(IP("192.0.0.0/8"), "SRC-LOWEST") == RoutePreferenceStatus.suppressed
-    assert validator.validate_single(IP("191.0.0.0/8"), "SRC-LOWEST") == RoutePreferenceStatus.visible
-
     config_override(
         {
             "sources": {
@@ -94,16 +94,9 @@ def test_route_preference_validator(config_override):
 
     validator = RoutePreferenceValidator(route_objects)
     to_be_visible, to_be_suppressed = validator.validate_known_routes()
-    assert validator.excluded_currently_suppressed == ["route-A", "route-B", "route-G"]
+    assert validator.excluded_currently_suppressed == ["route-A", "route-B", "route-G", "route-I"]
     assert to_be_suppressed == []
 
-    assert validator.validate_single(IP("192.0.0.0/26"), "SRC-NOPREF") == RoutePreferenceStatus.visible
-    assert validator.validate_single(IP("192.0.0.0/26"), "SRC-HIGH-A") == RoutePreferenceStatus.visible
-    assert validator.validate_single(IP("192.0.0.0/26"), "SRC-LOWEST") == RoutePreferenceStatus.visible
-    assert validator.validate_single(IP("192.0.0.0/8"), "SRC-HIGH-A") == RoutePreferenceStatus.visible
-    assert validator.validate_single(IP("192.0.0.0/8"), "SRC-LOWEST") == RoutePreferenceStatus.visible
-    assert validator.validate_single(IP("191.0.0.0/8"), "SRC-LOWEST") == RoutePreferenceStatus.visible
-
 
 def test_update_route_preference_status(config_override):
     config_override(