diff --git a/benchmark/process/next-tick-depth-args.js b/benchmark/process/next-tick-depth-args.js
index a7670d99efc354..da61f90a647278 100644
--- a/benchmark/process/next-tick-depth-args.js
+++ b/benchmark/process/next-tick-depth-args.js
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@ const bench = common.createBenchmark(main, {
   n: [12e6]
 });
 
-process.maxTickDepth = Infinity;
-
 function main({ n }) {
   let counter = n;
   function cb4(arg1, arg2, arg3, arg4) {
diff --git a/benchmark/process/next-tick-depth.js b/benchmark/process/next-tick-depth.js
index 1ad32c806181b0..c88e042b965ef4 100644
--- a/benchmark/process/next-tick-depth.js
+++ b/benchmark/process/next-tick-depth.js
@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@ const bench = common.createBenchmark(main, {
   n: [12e6]
 });
 
-process.maxTickDepth = Infinity;
-
 function main({ n }) {
   let counter = n;
   bench.start();
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-next-tick-intentional-starvation.js b/test/parallel/test-next-tick-intentional-starvation.js
index fdcdd6a7a6094b..26d07e02eaa27f 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-next-tick-intentional-starvation.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-next-tick-intentional-starvation.js
@@ -23,12 +23,8 @@
 require('../common');
 const assert = require('assert');
 
-// this is the inverse of test-next-tick-starvation.
-// it verifies that process.nextTick will *always* come before other
-// events, up to the limit of the process.maxTickDepth value.
-
-// WARNING: unsafe!
-process.maxTickDepth = Infinity;
+// this is the inverse of test-next-tick-starvation. it verifies
+// that process.nextTick will *always* come before other events
 
 let ran = false;
 let starved = false;
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-stream2-read-sync-stack.js b/test/parallel/test-stream2-read-sync-stack.js
index 3fa84547fe2390..e6a5ea7e52162f 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-stream2-read-sync-stack.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-stream2-read-sync-stack.js
@@ -22,13 +22,13 @@
 'use strict';
 const common = require('../common');
 const Readable = require('stream').Readable;
+
+// This tests synchronous read callbacks and verifies that even if they nest
+// heavily the process handles it without an error
+
 const r = new Readable();
 const N = 256 * 1024;
 
-// Go ahead and allow the pathological case for this test.
-// Yes, it's an infinite loop, that's the point.
-process.maxTickDepth = N + 2;
-
 let reads = 0;
 r._read = function(n) {
   const chunk = reads++ === N ? null : Buffer.allocUnsafe(1);
diff --git a/test/sequential/test-next-tick-error-spin.js b/test/sequential/test-next-tick-error-spin.js
index 565cdb458cfdbf..70d924cfa34b4b 100644
--- a/test/sequential/test-next-tick-error-spin.js
+++ b/test/sequential/test-next-tick-error-spin.js
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@ if (process.argv[2] !== 'child') {
 
   const domain = require('domain');
   const d = domain.create();
-  process.maxTickDepth = 10;
 
   // in the error handler, we trigger several MakeCallback events
   d.on('error', function() {