diff --git a/lib/moodlelib.php b/lib/moodlelib.php
index a3251465c57..c59071249c1 100644
--- a/lib/moodlelib.php
+++ b/lib/moodlelib.php
@@ -6242,67 +6242,53 @@ function valid_uploaded_file($newfile) {
 /**
  * Returns the maximum size for uploading files.
  *
- * There are eight possible upload limits:
- * 1. No limit, if the upload isn't using a post request and the user has permission to ignore limits.
- * 2. in Apache using LimitRequestBody (no way of checking or changing this)
- * 3. in php.ini for 'upload_max_filesize' (can not be changed inside PHP)
- * 4. in .htaccess for 'upload_max_filesize' (can not be changed inside PHP)
- * 5. in php.ini for 'post_max_size' (can not be changed inside PHP)
- * 6. by the Moodle admin in $CFG->maxbytes
- * 7. by the teacher in the current course $course->maxbytes
- * 8. by the teacher for the current module, eg $assignment->maxbytes
+ * There are seven possible upload limits:
+ * 1. in Apache using LimitRequestBody (no way of checking or changing this)
+ * 2. in php.ini for 'upload_max_filesize' (can not be changed inside PHP)
+ * 3. in .htaccess for 'upload_max_filesize' (can not be changed inside PHP)
+ * 4. in php.ini for 'post_max_size' (can not be changed inside PHP)
+ * 5. by the Moodle admin in $CFG->maxbytes
+ * 6. by the teacher in the current course $course->maxbytes
+ * 7. by the teacher for the current module, eg $assignment->maxbytes
  *
  * These last two are passed to this function as arguments (in bytes).
  * Anything defined as 0 is ignored.
  * The smallest of all the non-zero numbers is returned.
  *
- * The php.ini settings are only used if $usespost is true. This allows repositories that do not use post requests, such as
- * repository_filesystem, to copy in files that are larger than post_max_size if the user has permission.
- *
  * @todo Finish documenting this function
  *
  * @param int $sitebytes Set maximum size
  * @param int $coursebytes Current course $course->maxbytes (in bytes)
  * @param int $modulebytes Current module ->maxbytes (in bytes)
- * @param bool $usespost Does the upload we're getting the max size for use a post request?
  * @return int The maximum size for uploading files.
  */
-function get_max_upload_file_size($sitebytes=0, $coursebytes=0, $modulebytes=0, $usespost = true) {
+function get_max_upload_file_size($sitebytes=0, $coursebytes=0, $modulebytes=0) {
 
-    $sizes = array();
+    if (! $filesize = ini_get('upload_max_filesize')) {
+        $filesize = '5M';
+    }
+    $minimumsize = get_real_size($filesize);
 
-    if ($usespost) {
-        if (! $filesize = ini_get('upload_max_filesize')) {
-            $filesize = '5M';
-        }
-        $sizes[] = get_real_size($filesize);
-
-        if ($postsize = ini_get('post_max_size')) {
-            $sizes[] = get_real_size($postsize);
-        }
-
-        if ($sitebytes > 0) {
-            $sizes[] = $sitebytes;
-        }
-    } else {
-        if ($sitebytes != 0) { // It's for possible that $sitebytes == USER_CAN_IGNORE_FILE_SIZE_LIMITS (-1).
-            $sizes[] = $sitebytes;
+    if ($postsize = ini_get('post_max_size')) {
+        $postsize = get_real_size($postsize);
+        if ($postsize < $minimumsize) {
+            $minimumsize = $postsize;
         }
     }
 
-    if ($coursebytes > 0) {
-        $sizes[] = $coursebytes;
+    if (($sitebytes > 0) and ($sitebytes < $minimumsize)) {
+        $minimumsize = $sitebytes;
     }
 
-    if ($modulebytes > 0) {
-        $sizes[] = $modulebytes;
+    if (($coursebytes > 0) and ($coursebytes < $minimumsize)) {
+        $minimumsize = $coursebytes;
     }
 
-    if (empty($sizes)) {
-        throw new coding_exception('You must specify at least one filesize limit.');
+    if (($modulebytes > 0) and ($modulebytes < $minimumsize)) {
+        $minimumsize = $modulebytes;
     }
 
-    return min($sizes);
+    return $minimumsize;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -6315,11 +6301,9 @@ function get_max_upload_file_size($sitebytes=0, $coursebytes=0, $modulebytes=0,
  * @param int $coursebytes Current course $course->maxbytes (in bytes)
  * @param int $modulebytes Current module ->maxbytes (in bytes)
  * @param stdClass $user The user
- * @param bool $usespost Does the upload we're getting the max size for use a post request?
  * @return int The maximum size for uploading files.
  */
-function get_user_max_upload_file_size($context, $sitebytes = 0, $coursebytes = 0, $modulebytes = 0, $user = null,
-        $usespost = true) {
+function get_user_max_upload_file_size($context, $sitebytes = 0, $coursebytes = 0, $modulebytes = 0, $user = null) {
     global $USER;
 
     if (empty($user)) {
@@ -6327,10 +6311,10 @@ function get_user_max_upload_file_size($context, $sitebytes = 0, $coursebytes =
     }
 
     if (has_capability('moodle/course:ignorefilesizelimits', $context, $user)) {
-        return get_max_upload_file_size(USER_CAN_IGNORE_FILE_SIZE_LIMITS, 0, 0, $usespost);
+        return get_max_upload_file_size(USER_CAN_IGNORE_FILE_SIZE_LIMITS);
     }
 
-    return get_max_upload_file_size($sitebytes, $coursebytes, $modulebytes, $usespost);
+    return get_max_upload_file_size($sitebytes, $coursebytes, $modulebytes);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/lib/tests/moodlelib_test.php b/lib/tests/moodlelib_test.php
index ebfe794bb70..34e05bc542e 100644
--- a/lib/tests/moodlelib_test.php
+++ b/lib/tests/moodlelib_test.php
@@ -2216,53 +2216,6 @@ class core_moodlelib_testcase extends advanced_testcase {
         $this->assertArrayHasKey(get_max_upload_file_size(), $result);
     }
 
-    public function test_get_max_upload_file_size() {
-        // Get the smallest upload limit from ini settings.
-        $inisize = min(array(get_real_size(ini_get('post_max_size')), get_real_size(ini_get('upload_max_filesize'))));
-
-        // The inisize is the smallest.
-        $sitebytes = $inisize + 10;
-        $coursebytes = $inisize + 20;
-        $modulebytes = $inisize + 30;
-        $this->assertEquals($inisize, get_max_upload_file_size($sitebytes, $coursebytes, $modulebytes));
-
-        // Site limit is the smallest.
-        $sitebytes = $inisize - 30;
-        $coursebytes = $inisize - 20;
-        $modulebytes = $inisize - 10;
-        $this->assertEquals($sitebytes, get_max_upload_file_size($sitebytes, $coursebytes, $modulebytes));
-
-        // Course limit is the smallest.
-        $sitebytes = $inisize - 20;
-        $coursebytes = $inisize - 30;
-        $modulebytes = $inisize - 10;
-        $this->assertEquals($coursebytes, get_max_upload_file_size($sitebytes, $coursebytes, $modulebytes));
-
-        // Module limit is the smallest.
-        $sitebytes = $inisize - 20;
-        $coursebytes = $inisize - 10;
-        $modulebytes = $inisize - 30;
-        $this->assertEquals($modulebytes, get_max_upload_file_size($sitebytes, $coursebytes, $modulebytes));
-
-        // The inisize is the smallest, the upload does not use post.
-        $sitebytes = $inisize + 10;
-        $coursebytes = $inisize + 20;
-        $modulebytes = $inisize + 30;
-        $this->assertEquals($sitebytes, get_max_upload_file_size($sitebytes, $coursebytes, $modulebytes, false));
-
-        // The user can ignore file size limits, the upload does use post.
-        $this->assertEquals($inisize, get_max_upload_file_size(USER_CAN_IGNORE_FILE_SIZE_LIMITS, 0, 0));
-
-        // The user can ignore file size limits, the upload not does use post.
-        $this->assertEquals(USER_CAN_IGNORE_FILE_SIZE_LIMITS,
-                get_max_upload_file_size(USER_CAN_IGNORE_FILE_SIZE_LIMITS, 0, 0, false));
-
-        // If not using post we have to provide at least one other limit.
-        $this->setExpectedException('coding_exception', 'You must specify at least one filesize limit.');
-        get_max_upload_file_size(0, 0, 0, false);
-
-    }
-
     /**
      * Test function password_is_legacy_hash().
      */
diff --git a/repository/filepicker.php b/repository/filepicker.php
index dccec4270e5..e488e3d4d41 100644
--- a/repository/filepicker.php
+++ b/repository/filepicker.php
@@ -77,8 +77,6 @@ if (!$course = $DB->get_record('course', array('id'=>$courseid))) {
 }
 $PAGE->set_course($course);
 
-$usespost = true;
-
 if ($repo_id) {
     // Get repository instance information
     $repooptions = array(
@@ -89,14 +87,12 @@ if ($repo_id) {
 
     // Check permissions
     $repo->check_capability();
-
-    $usespost = $repo->uses_post_requests();
 }
 
 $context = context::instance_by_id($contextid);
 
 // Make sure maxbytes passed is within site filesize limits.
-$maxbytes = get_user_max_upload_file_size($context, $CFG->maxbytes, $course->maxbytes, $maxbytes, null, $usespost);
+$maxbytes = get_user_max_upload_file_size($context, $CFG->maxbytes, $course->maxbytes, $maxbytes);
 
 $params = array('ctx_id' => $contextid, 'itemid' => $itemid, 'env' => $env, 'course'=>$courseid, 'maxbytes'=>$maxbytes, 'areamaxbytes'=>$areamaxbytes, 'maxfiles'=>$maxfiles, 'subdirs'=>$subdirs, 'sesskey'=>sesskey());
 $params['action'] = 'browse';
diff --git a/repository/filesystem/lib.php b/repository/filesystem/lib.php
index bfcf2546634..409ef32c470 100644
--- a/repository/filesystem/lib.php
+++ b/repository/filesystem/lib.php
@@ -810,17 +810,6 @@ class repository_filesystem extends repository {
     public function supports_relative_file() {
         return $this->get_option('relativefiles');
     }
-
-    /**
-     * Helper funtion to indicate if this repository uses post requests for uploading files.
-     *
-     * Files are copied from the filesystem so don't rely on POST requests.
-     *
-     * @return bool
-     */
-    public function uses_post_requests() {
-        return false;
-    }
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/repository/lib.php b/repository/lib.php
index 788ca3bc3f5..28d6acc7102 100644
--- a/repository/lib.php
+++ b/repository/lib.php
@@ -2778,18 +2778,6 @@ abstract class repository implements cacheable_object {
     public function supports_relative_file() {
         return false;
     }
-
-    /**
-     * Helper funtion to indicate if this repository uses post requests for uploading files.
-     *
-     * If the respository doesn't rely on uploading via POST requests, this can be overridden to return true,
-     * allowing users with the right permissions to upload files of any size from this repository.
-     *
-     * @return bool
-     */
-    public function uses_post_requests() {
-        return true;
-    }
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/repository/repository_ajax.php b/repository/repository_ajax.php
index a8c5e825467..51ecb3b21c5 100644
--- a/repository/repository_ajax.php
+++ b/repository/repository_ajax.php
@@ -86,8 +86,7 @@ if (!empty($course)) {
     $coursemaxbytes = $course->maxbytes;
 }
 // Make sure maxbytes passed is within site filesize limits.
-$maxbytes = get_user_max_upload_file_size($context, $CFG->maxbytes, $coursemaxbytes, $maxbytes,
-        null, $repo->uses_post_requests());
+$maxbytes = get_user_max_upload_file_size($context, $CFG->maxbytes, $coursemaxbytes, $maxbytes);
 
 // Wait as long as it takes for this script to finish
 core_php_time_limit::raise();