diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index f113e1d..3cc2a46 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ### Removed
 
+- `ipx copy-db`, the one-off move from SQLite to Postgres. Going back needs only the old `state.db`.
 - Starting up no longer looks for files downloaded twice before 0.6.0 read WordPress's player
   links correctly; that clean-up has run.
 
diff --git a/docs/configuration.md b/docs/configuration.md
index 49d8666..34fb3de 100644
--- a/docs/configuration.md
+++ b/docs/configuration.md
@@ -25,8 +25,7 @@ config.toml's default location is `$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/ipx/config.toml`
 
 `~` is expanded in paths. The database is SQLite in WAL mode unless `IPX_DATABASE_URL` names a
 Postgres database instead. Back SQLite up by copying `state.db` while the daemon is stopped, or
-with `sqlite3 state.db .backup`; back Postgres up with `pg_dump`. `ipx copy-db <state.db>` copies a
-SQLite database into the empty Postgres one `IPX_DATABASE_URL` names.
+with `sqlite3 state.db .backup`; back Postgres up with `pg_dump`.
 
 ## `[general]`
 
diff --git a/src/db.rs b/src/db.rs
index 04bcce2..dd4d041 100644
--- a/src/db.rs
+++ b/src/db.rs
@@ -71,30 +71,6 @@ async fn create_missing(orm: &sea_orm::DatabaseConnection) -> Result<()> {
     Ok(())
 }
 
-/// One table's rows, a page at a time in primary-key order, from one database to another.
-async fn copy_table<E>(from: &sea_orm::DatabaseConnection, to: &impl ConnectionTrait) -> Result<u64>
-where
-    E: EntityTrait,
-    E::Model: sea_orm::IntoActiveModel<E::ActiveModel> + Send + Sync,
-    E::ActiveModel: ActiveModelTrait<Entity = E> + Send,
-{
-    use sea_orm::{IntoActiveModel, Iterable, PrimaryKeyToColumn};
-    let mut query = E::find();
-    for key in E::PrimaryKey::iter() {
-        query = query.order_by_asc(key.into_column());
-    }
-    let mut pages = query.paginate(from, 1000);
-    let mut n = 0;
-    while let Some(rows) = pages.fetch_and_next().await? {
-        n += rows.len() as u64;
-        // reset_all: every column written, the primary key included, not just the changed ones.
-        E::insert_many(rows.into_iter().map(|m| m.into_active_model().reset_all()))
-            .exec_without_returning(to)
-            .await?;
-    }
-    Ok(n)
-}
-
 /// Where the database is: IPX_DATABASE_URL, a postgres:// URL, when it is set; otherwise the
 /// SQLite file in the data directory, as it has always been.
 pub fn location() -> String {
@@ -1079,48 +1055,6 @@ impl Db {
         Ok(())
     }
 
-    // ---- moving to another database ----
-
-    /// Copies every row of `from` into this database, which must be empty: the move from the
-    /// SQLite file to Postgres (issue #18). One transaction, so a copy that fails part-way leaves
-    /// nothing behind and can simply be run again. Returns each table's row count.
-    pub async fn copy_from(&self, from: &Db) -> Result<Vec<(&'static str, u64)>> {
-        use crate::entity::*;
-        use sea_orm::TransactionTrait;
-        let held = users::Entity::find().count(&self.orm).await?
-            + feeds::Entity::find().count(&self.orm).await?
-            + entries::Entity::find().count(&self.orm).await?;
-        anyhow::ensure!(held == 0, "the database being copied into already holds rows; it has to be empty");
-        let tx = self.orm.begin().await?;
-        // Users first: the tables that belong to a person refer to them.
-        let counts = vec![
-            ("users", copy_table::<users::Entity>(&from.orm, &tx).await?),
-            ("feeds", copy_table::<feeds::Entity>(&from.orm, &tx).await?),
-            ("entries", copy_table::<entries::Entity>(&from.orm, &tx).await?),
-            ("enclosures", copy_table::<enclosures::Entity>(&from.orm, &tx).await?),
-            ("subscriptions", copy_table::<subscriptions::Entity>(&from.orm, &tx).await?),
-            ("entry_state", copy_table::<entry_state::Entity>(&from.orm, &tx).await?),
-            ("sessions", copy_table::<sessions::Entity>(&from.orm, &tx).await?),
-            ("catalogue", copy_table::<catalogue::Entity>(&from.orm, &tx).await?),
-            ("settings", copy_table::<settings::Entity>(&from.orm, &tx).await?),
-            ("blocklists", copy_table::<blocklists::Entity>(&from.orm, &tx).await?),
-            ("hidden", copy_table::<hidden::Entity>(&from.orm, &tx).await?),
-        ];
-        if self.orm.get_database_backend() == sea_orm::DbBackend::Postgres {
-            // The copied ids came with the rows; the counters that hand out new ones start past
-            // them, or the next account or file would collide with one copied.
-            for table in ["users", "enclosures"] {
-                tx.execute_unprepared(&format!(
-                    "SELECT setval(pg_get_serial_sequence('{table}', 'id'), \
-                     coalesce((SELECT max(id) FROM {table}), 0) + 1, false)"
-                ))
-                .await?;
-            }
-        }
-        tx.commit().await?;
-        Ok(counts)
-    }
-
     // ---- hand-written SQL ----
     //
     // For what reads better as SQL than as a query builder: joins, sums, upserts. Written to
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index c0df746..97f15d9 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -38,12 +38,6 @@ struct Cli {
 enum Command {
     /// Show configured feeds and their state
     List,
-    /// Copy everything from a SQLite state.db into the database IPX_DATABASE_URL names, which
-    /// must be empty: the one-off move to Postgres
-    CopyDb {
-        /// The SQLite file to copy from
-        from: PathBuf,
-    },
     /// Scan feeds for new entries
     Fetch {
         /// Only this feed id
@@ -236,8 +230,7 @@ async fn main() -> Result<()> {
         | Command::Add { .. }
         | Command::Rm { .. }
         | Command::Import { .. }
-        | Command::Export { .. }
-        | Command::CopyDb { .. } => None,
+        | Command::Export { .. } => None,
     };
     if let Some(cmd) = &wire_cmd
         && !cli.local
@@ -246,13 +239,7 @@ async fn main() -> Result<()> {
         return ipc::proxy(&cfg.general.socket, cmd).await;
     }
 
-    // copy-db fills an empty database from another, configuration included; taking config.toml
-    // into it first would have the copy collide with it.
-    let cfg = if matches!(cli.command, Command::CopyDb { .. }) {
-        cfg
-    } else {
-        assemble_config(&db, cfg, &config_path).await?
-    };
+    let cfg = assemble_config(&db, cfg, &config_path).await?;
 
     let is_daemon = matches!(cli.command, Command::Daemon { .. });
     let (events, _) = broadcast::channel(1024);
@@ -279,7 +266,6 @@ async fn main() -> Result<()> {
         Command::User { cmd } => user_cmd(&ctx, cmd).await,
         Command::Import { file } => import(&ctx, &file).await,
         Command::Export { file } => export(&ctx, &file).await,
-        Command::CopyDb { from } => copy_db(&ctx, &from).await,
         _ => run(&ctx, wire_cmd.expect("only List and Daemon have no wire form")).await,
     };
     // The batch exporter holds the last few seconds of spans; without this they are lost.
@@ -871,15 +857,6 @@ async fn assemble_config(db: &db::Db, mut cfg: config::Config, path: &std::path:
     anyhow::bail!("the database says it holds the configuration and then that it does not")
 }
 
-async fn copy_db(ctx: &Ctx, from: &std::path::Path) -> Result<()> {
-    anyhow::ensure!(from.exists(), "{} does not exist", from.display());
-    let source = db::Db::open(&from.display().to_string()).await?;
-    for (table, n) in ctx.db.copy_from(&source).await? {
-        println!("{table:14} {n}");
-    }
-    Ok(())
-}
-
 async fn export(ctx: &Ctx, file: &std::path::Path) -> Result<()> {
     let mut doc = opml::OPML::default();
     doc.head = Some(opml::Head {