diff --git a/frontend/src/admin/databases/databases.controllers.js b/frontend/src/admin/databases/databases.controllers.js
index b92706071081ef2bbd8b2604b6bf2c560bf13306..180f8bd72137951d2c778aa7562529cad321ec34 100644
--- a/frontend/src/admin/databases/databases.controllers.js
+++ b/frontend/src/admin/databases/databases.controllers.js
@@ -102,42 +102,10 @@ DatabasesControllers.controller('DatabaseEdit', ['$scope', '$routeParams', '$loc
         };
 
         var save = function(database, details) {
-            // validate_connection needs engine so add it to request body
-            details.engine = database.engine;
-
-            function handleError(error) {
-                $scope.$broadcast("form:api-error", error);
-                throw error;
-            }
-
-            // for an existing DB check that connection is valid before save
             if ($routeParams.databaseId) {
-                return Metabase.validate_connection(details).$promise.catch(handleError).then(function() {
-                    return update(database, details);
-                });
-
-            // for a new DB we want to infer SSL support. First try to connect w/ SSL. If that fails, disable SSL
+                return update(database, details);
             } else {
-                const engineSupportsSSL = _.contains(_.map($scope.engines[database.engine]['details-fields'], 'name'),
-                                                     'ssl');
-
-                function createDB() {
-                    console.log('Successfully connected to database with SSL = ' + details.ssl + '.');
-                    return create(database, details);
-                }
-
-                // if the engine supports SSL, try connecting with SSL first, and then without
-                if (engineSupportsSSL) {
-                    details.ssl = true;
-                    return Metabase.validate_connection(details).$promise.catch(function() {
-                        console.log('Unable to connect with SSL. Trying with SSL = false.');
-                        details.ssl = false;
-                        return Metabase.validate_connection(details).$promise;
-                    }).then(createDB).catch(handleError);
-                } else {
-                    delete details.ssl;
-                    return Metabase.validate_connection(details).$promise.catch(handleError).then(createDB);
-                }
+                return create(database, details);
             }
         };
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/metabase/metabase.services.js b/frontend/src/metabase/metabase.services.js
index a63c4b147078e483b3c734ca61cce7add3c8bd8e..4bf55f2b0dfcd010e8ca698606eb7c897ba71f7e 100644
--- a/frontend/src/metabase/metabase.services.js
+++ b/frontend/src/metabase/metabase.services.js
@@ -21,15 +21,6 @@ MetabaseServices.factory('Metabase', ['$resource', '$cookies', 'MetabaseCore', f
                 }
             }
         },
-        validate_connection: {
-            url: '/api/database/validate/',
-            method: 'POST',
-            headers: {
-                'X-CSRFToken': function() {
-                    return $cookies.csrftoken;
-                }
-            }
-        },
         db_add_sample_dataset: {
             url: '/api/database/sample_dataset',
             method: 'POST'
diff --git a/project.clj b/project.clj
index 61cae437805ce044bee4d0657ae2ad5bec4eb3bf..7c898f4a1e18a515c438de3098dca00473659627 100644
--- a/project.clj
+++ b/project.clj
@@ -67,15 +67,13 @@
                                   [org.clojure/tools.reader "0.10.0"] ; Need to explictly specify this dep otherwise expectations doesn't seem to work right :'(
                                   [expectations "2.1.3"]              ; unit tests
                                   [ring/ring-mock "0.3.0"]]
-                   :plugins [[cider/cider-nrepl "0.10.0-SNAPSHOT"]    ; Interactive development w/ cider NREPL in Emacs
-                             [jonase/eastwood "0.2.1"]                ; Linting
+                   :plugins [[jonase/eastwood "0.2.1"]                ; Linting
                              [lein-ancient "0.6.7"]                   ; Check project for outdated dependencies + plugins w/ 'lein ancient'
                              [lein-bikeshed "0.2.0"]                  ; Linting
                              [lein-environ "1.0.0"]                   ; Specify env-vars in project.clj
                              [lein-expectations "0.0.8"]              ; run unit tests with 'lein expectations'
                              [lein-instant-cheatsheet "2.1.4"]        ; use awesome instant cheatsheet created by yours truly w/ 'lein instant-cheatsheet'
-                             [michaelblume/lein-marginalia "0.9.0"]   ; generate documentation with 'lein marg'
-                             [refactor-nrepl "2.0.0-SNAPSHOT"]]       ; support for advanced refactoring in Emacs/LightTable
+                             [michaelblume/lein-marginalia "0.9.0"]]       ; support for advanced refactoring in Emacs/LightTable
                    :global-vars {*warn-on-reflection* true}           ; Emit warnings on all reflection calls
                    :env {:mb-run-mode "dev"}
                    :jvm-opts ["-Dlogfile.path=target/log"