diff --git a/cmd/runtimetest/main.go b/cmd/runtimetest/main.go
index a0dd592a2..c7abbb66b 100644
--- a/cmd/runtimetest/main.go
+++ b/cmd/runtimetest/main.go
@@ -328,12 +328,7 @@ func validateRootFS(spec *rspec.Spec) error {
 		if err == nil {
 			return specerror.NewError(specerror.RootReadonlyImplement, fmt.Errorf("rootfs must be readonly"), rspec.Version)
 		}
-	} else {
-		err := testWriteAccess("/")
-		if err != nil {
-			return specerror.NewError(specerror.RootReadonlyImplement, fmt.Errorf("rootfs must not be readonly"), rspec.Version)
-		}
-	}
+	} // no need to check the else case: unwriteable root is not a spec violation
 
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/validation/root_readonly_false.go b/validation/root_readonly_false.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 6349ccd15..000000000
--- a/validation/root_readonly_false.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,14 +0,0 @@
-package main
-
-import (
-	"github.com/opencontainers/runtime-tools/validation/util"
-)
-
-func main() {
-	g := util.GetDefaultGenerator()
-	g.SetRootReadonly(false)
-	err := util.RuntimeInsideValidate(g, nil)
-	if err != nil {
-		util.Fatal(err)
-	}
-}