diff --git a/pungi/phases/gather/__init__.py b/pungi/phases/gather/__init__.py
index 5ab81a68..c8551a79 100644
--- a/pungi/phases/gather/__init__.py
+++ b/pungi/phases/gather/__init__.py
@@ -450,10 +450,6 @@ def get_system_release_packages(compose, arch, variant, package_sets):
     packages = set()
     filter_packages = set()
 
-    if not variant:
-        # include all system-release-* (gathering for a package superset)
-        return packages, filter_packages
-
     if not package_sets or not package_sets.get(arch, None):
         return packages, filter_packages
 
diff --git a/tests/test_gather_phase.py b/tests/test_gather_phase.py
index e40c5765..e953149e 100644
--- a/tests/test_gather_phase.py
+++ b/tests/test_gather_phase.py
@@ -277,13 +277,6 @@ class TestGetSystemRelease(unittest.TestCase):
         self.addon = helpers.MockVariant(uid='Server-HA', arches=['x86_64'],
                                          type='addon', parent=self.variant)
 
-    def test_no_variant(self):
-        # TODO remove this code
-        self.assertEqual(
-            gather.get_system_release_packages(self.compose, 'x86_64', None, mock.Mock()),
-            (set(), set())
-        )
-
     def test_no_package_set(self):
         self.assertEqual(
             gather.get_system_release_packages(self.compose, 'x86_64',