diff --git a/src/parser_json.c b/src/parser_json.c
index 237b6f3e1732..66539ef5c13b 100644
--- a/src/parser_json.c
+++ b/src/parser_json.c
@@ -3645,46 +3645,6 @@ static int json_verify_metainfo(struct json_ctx *ctx, json_t *root)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-struct json_cmd_assoc {
-	struct json_cmd_assoc *next;
-	const struct cmd *cmd;
-	json_t *json;
-};
-
-static struct json_cmd_assoc *json_cmd_list = NULL;
-
-static void json_cmd_assoc_free(void)
-{
-	struct json_cmd_assoc *cur;
-
-	while (json_cmd_list) {
-		cur = json_cmd_list;
-		json_cmd_list = cur->next;
-		free(cur);
-	}
-}
-
-static void json_cmd_assoc_add(json_t *json, const struct cmd *cmd)
-{
-	struct json_cmd_assoc *new = xzalloc(sizeof *new);
-
-	new->next	= json_cmd_list;
-	new->json	= json;
-	new->cmd	= cmd;
-	json_cmd_list	= new;
-}
-
-static json_t *seqnum_to_json(const uint32_t seqnum)
-{
-	const struct json_cmd_assoc *cur;
-
-	for (cur = json_cmd_list; cur; cur = cur->next) {
-		if (cur->cmd->seqnum == seqnum)
-			return cur->json;
-	}
-	return NULL;
-}
-
 static int __json_parse(struct json_ctx *ctx)
 {
 	json_t *tmp, *value;
@@ -3729,9 +3689,6 @@ static int __json_parse(struct json_ctx *ctx)
 		list_add_tail(&cmd->list, &list);
 
 		list_splice_tail(&list, ctx->cmds);
-
-		if (nft_output_echo(&ctx->nft->output))
-			json_cmd_assoc_add(value, cmd);
 	}
 
 	return 0;
@@ -3757,10 +3714,9 @@ int nft_parse_json_buffer(struct nft_ctx *nft, const char *buf,
 
 	ret = __json_parse(&ctx);
 
-	if (!nft_output_echo(&nft->output)) {
-		json_decref(nft->json_root);
-		nft->json_root = NULL;
-	}
+	json_decref(nft->json_root);
+	nft->json_root = NULL;
+
 	return ret;
 }
 
@@ -3792,96 +3748,6 @@ int nft_parse_json_filename(struct nft_ctx *nft, const char *filename,
 	return ret;
 }
 
-static int json_echo_error(struct netlink_mon_handler *monh,
-			   const char *fmt, ...)
-{
-	struct error_record *erec;
-	va_list ap;
-
-	va_start(ap, fmt);
-	erec = erec_vcreate(EREC_ERROR, int_loc, fmt, ap);
-	va_end(ap);
-	erec_queue(erec, monh->ctx->msgs);
-
-	return MNL_CB_ERROR;
-}
-
-static uint64_t handle_from_nlmsg(const struct nlmsghdr *nlh)
-{
-	struct nftnl_table *nlt;
-	struct nftnl_chain *nlc;
-	struct nftnl_rule *nlr;
-	struct nftnl_set *nls;
-	struct nftnl_obj *nlo;
-	uint64_t handle = 0;
-	uint32_t flags;
-
-	switch (NFNL_MSG_TYPE(nlh->nlmsg_type)) {
-	case NFT_MSG_NEWTABLE:
-		nlt = netlink_table_alloc(nlh);
-		handle = nftnl_table_get_u64(nlt, NFTNL_TABLE_HANDLE);
-		nftnl_table_free(nlt);
-		break;
-	case NFT_MSG_NEWCHAIN:
-		nlc = netlink_chain_alloc(nlh);
-		handle = nftnl_chain_get_u64(nlc, NFTNL_CHAIN_HANDLE);
-		nftnl_chain_free(nlc);
-		break;
-	case NFT_MSG_NEWRULE:
-		nlr = netlink_rule_alloc(nlh);
-		handle = nftnl_rule_get_u64(nlr, NFTNL_RULE_HANDLE);
-		nftnl_rule_free(nlr);
-		break;
-	case NFT_MSG_NEWSET:
-		nls = netlink_set_alloc(nlh);
-		flags = nftnl_set_get_u32(nls, NFTNL_SET_FLAGS);
-		if (!set_is_anonymous(flags))
-			handle = nftnl_set_get_u64(nls, NFTNL_SET_HANDLE);
-		nftnl_set_free(nls);
-		break;
-	case NFT_MSG_NEWOBJ:
-		nlo = netlink_obj_alloc(nlh);
-		handle = nftnl_obj_get_u64(nlo, NFTNL_OBJ_HANDLE);
-		nftnl_obj_free(nlo);
-		break;
-	}
-	return handle;
-}
-int json_events_cb(const struct nlmsghdr *nlh, struct netlink_mon_handler *monh)
-{
-	uint64_t handle = handle_from_nlmsg(nlh);
-	json_t *tmp, *json;
-	void *iter;
-
-	if (!handle)
-		return MNL_CB_OK;
-
-	json = seqnum_to_json(nlh->nlmsg_seq);
-	if (!json)
-		return MNL_CB_OK;
-
-	tmp = json_object_get(json, "add");
-	if (!tmp)
-		tmp = json_object_get(json, "insert");
-	if (!tmp)
-		/* assume loading JSON dump */
-		tmp = json;
-
-	iter = json_object_iter(tmp);
-	if (!iter) {
-		json_echo_error(monh, "Empty JSON object in cmd list\n");
-		return MNL_CB_OK;
-	}
-	json = json_object_iter_value(iter);
-	if (!json_is_object(json) || json_object_iter_next(tmp, iter)) {
-		json_echo_error(monh, "Malformed JSON object in cmd list\n");
-		return MNL_CB_OK;
-	}
-
-	json_object_set_new(json, "handle", json_integer(handle));
-	return MNL_CB_OK;
-}
-
 void json_print_echo(struct nft_ctx *ctx)
 {
 	if (!ctx->json_echo)
@@ -3890,7 +3756,6 @@ void json_print_echo(struct nft_ctx *ctx)
 	ctx->json_echo = json_pack("{s:o}", "nftables", ctx->json_echo);
 	json_dumpf(ctx->json_echo, ctx->output.output_fp, JSON_PRESERVE_ORDER);
 	printf("\n");
-	json_cmd_assoc_free();
 	if (ctx->json_echo) {
 		json_decref(ctx->json_echo);
 		ctx->json_echo = NULL;