diff --git a/sw/host/opentitanlib/src/transport/hyperdebug/dfu.rs b/sw/host/opentitanlib/src/transport/hyperdebug/dfu.rs
index 27ce990d479dc..d988a1c4bd773 100644
--- a/sw/host/opentitanlib/src/transport/hyperdebug/dfu.rs
+++ b/sw/host/opentitanlib/src/transport/hyperdebug/dfu.rs
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ use regex::Regex;
 use serde_annotate::Annotate;
 use std::any::Any;
 use std::cell::RefCell;
-use std::cmp::Ordering;
 
 use crate::transport::{
     Capabilities, Capability, ProgressIndicator, Transport, TransportError, UpdateFirmware,
@@ -196,14 +195,6 @@ pub fn update_firmware(
                 );
                 return Ok(None);
             }
-            if is_older_than(new_version, current_version)? {
-                log::warn!(
-                    "Will not downgrade from {} to {}.  Consider --force.",
-                    current_version,
-                    new_version,
-                );
-                return Ok(None);
-            }
         }
     }
 
@@ -487,83 +478,3 @@ fn wait_for_idle(dfu_device: &UsbBackend, dfu_interface: u8) -> Result<u8> {
         }
     }
 }
-
-/// Returns true if the two version strings have the same text prefix, e.g. "hyperdebug_",
-/// differing only in the subsequent numbers, and furthermore that the numbers in `version_a` are
-/// strictly "less than" those in `version_b`.
-fn is_older_than(version_a: &str, version_b: &str) -> Result<bool> {
-    let apos = version_a.find(char::is_numeric).unwrap_or(version_a.len());
-    let bpos = version_b.find(char::is_numeric).unwrap_or(version_b.len());
-    if version_a[..apos] != version_b[..bpos] {
-        return Ok(false);
-    }
-    let version_a = &version_a[apos..];
-    let version_b = &version_b[apos..];
-    if version_a.is_empty() || version_b.is_empty() {
-        return Ok(false);
-    }
-    let apos = version_a
-        .find(|ch: char| !char::is_numeric(ch))
-        .unwrap_or(version_a.len());
-    let bpos = version_b
-        .find(|ch: char| !char::is_numeric(ch))
-        .unwrap_or(version_b.len());
-    let aval = version_a[..apos].parse::<u64>()?;
-    let bval = version_b[..bpos].parse::<u64>()?;
-    match aval.cmp(&bval) {
-        Ordering::Less => Ok(true),
-        Ordering::Greater => Ok(false),
-        // Exact match so far, recursively inspect any further numbers in the string.
-        Ordering::Equal => is_older_than(&version_a[apos..], &version_b[apos..]),
-    }
-}
-
-#[cfg(test)]
-mod tests {
-    use super::*;
-
-    #[test]
-    fn test_is_older_than() {
-        // Ordering of dates, with fallback to sequence suffix.
-        assert_eq!(
-            is_older_than("hyp_20240101_99", "hyp_20240801_01").unwrap(),
-            true
-        );
-        assert_eq!(
-            is_older_than("hyp_20240801_01", "hyp_20240101_99").unwrap(),
-            false
-        );
-        assert_eq!(
-            is_older_than("hyp_20240101_01", "hyp_20240101_02").unwrap(),
-            true
-        );
-        assert_eq!(
-            is_older_than("hyp_20240101_02", "hyp_20240101_01").unwrap(),
-            false
-        );
-        assert_eq!(
-            is_older_than("hyp_20240101_01", "hyp_20240101_01").unwrap(),
-            false
-        );
-
-        // Lexicographical ordering of version string.
-        assert_eq!(is_older_than("fancy_1.2.5", "fancy_1.11.1").unwrap(), true);
-        assert_eq!(is_older_than("fancy_1.11.1", "fancy_1.2.5").unwrap(), false);
-        assert_eq!(is_older_than("fancy_1.2.2", "fancy_1.2.11").unwrap(), true);
-        assert_eq!(is_older_than("fancy_1.2.11", "fancy_1.2.2").unwrap(), false);
-        assert_eq!(
-            is_older_than("fancy_1.2.11", "fancy_1.2.11").unwrap(),
-            false
-        );
-
-        // Not comparable, neither is considered "older" than the other.
-        assert_eq!(
-            is_older_than("fancy_1.2.5", "hyperdebug_20240101_02").unwrap(),
-            false
-        );
-        assert_eq!(
-            is_older_than("hyperdebug_20240101_02", "fancy_1.2.5").unwrap(),
-            false
-        );
-    }
-}