diff --git a/lib/gitlab/backend/shell.rb b/lib/gitlab/backend/shell.rb
index cc320da751ccc2d97a0204288f96a4b6d86fd976..ddb1ac61bf57699638e2a3323811f31209c9ddb9 100644
--- a/lib/gitlab/backend/shell.rb
+++ b/lib/gitlab/backend/shell.rb
@@ -16,8 +16,7 @@ module Gitlab
     #   add_repository("gitlab/gitlab-ci")
     #
     def add_repository(name)
-      Gitlab::Utils.system_silent([gitlab_shell_projects_path,
-                                   'add-project', "#{name}.git"])
+      system gitlab_shell_projects_path, 'add-project', "#{name}.git"
     end
 
     # Import repository
@@ -28,8 +27,7 @@ module Gitlab
     #   import_repository("gitlab/gitlab-ci", "https://github.com/randx/six.git")
     #
     def import_repository(name, url)
-      Gitlab::Utils.system_silent([gitlab_shell_projects_path, 'import-project',
-                                   "#{name}.git", url, '240'])
+      system gitlab_shell_projects_path, 'import-project', "#{name}.git", url, '240'
     end
 
     # Move repository
@@ -41,8 +39,7 @@ module Gitlab
     #   mv_repository("gitlab/gitlab-ci", "randx/gitlab-ci-new.git")
     #
     def mv_repository(path, new_path)
-      Gitlab::Utils.system_silent([gitlab_shell_projects_path, 'mv-project',
-                                   "#{path}.git", "#{new_path}.git"])
+      system gitlab_shell_projects_path, 'mv-project', "#{path}.git", "#{new_path}.git"
     end
 
     # Update HEAD for repository
@@ -54,8 +51,7 @@ module Gitlab
     #  update_repository_head("gitlab/gitlab-ci", "3-1-stable")
     #
     def update_repository_head(path, branch)
-      Gitlab::Utils.system_silent([gitlab_shell_projects_path, 'update-head',
-                                   "#{path}.git", branch])
+      system gitlab_shell_projects_path, 'update-head', "#{path}.git", branch
     end
 
     # Fork repository to new namespace
@@ -67,8 +63,7 @@ module Gitlab
     #  fork_repository("gitlab/gitlab-ci", "randx")
     #
     def fork_repository(path, fork_namespace)
-      Gitlab::Utils.system_silent([gitlab_shell_projects_path, 'fork-project',
-                                   "#{path}.git", fork_namespace])
+      system gitlab_shell_projects_path, 'fork-project', "#{path}.git", fork_namespace
     end
 
     # Remove repository from file system
@@ -79,8 +74,7 @@ module Gitlab
     #   remove_repository("gitlab/gitlab-ci")
     #
     def remove_repository(name)
-      Gitlab::Utils.system_silent([gitlab_shell_projects_path,
-                                   'rm-project', "#{name}.git"])
+      system gitlab_shell_projects_path, 'rm-project', "#{name}.git"
     end
 
     # Add repository branch from passed ref
@@ -93,8 +87,7 @@ module Gitlab
     #   add_branch("gitlab/gitlab-ci", "4-0-stable", "master")
     #
     def add_branch(path, branch_name, ref)
-      Gitlab::Utils.system_silent([gitlab_shell_projects_path, 'create-branch',
-                                   "#{path}.git", branch_name, ref])
+      system gitlab_shell_projects_path, 'create-branch', "#{path}.git", branch_name, ref
     end
 
     # Remove repository branch
@@ -106,8 +99,7 @@ module Gitlab
     #   rm_branch("gitlab/gitlab-ci", "4-0-stable")
     #
     def rm_branch(path, branch_name)
-      Gitlab::Utils.system_silent([gitlab_shell_projects_path, 'rm-branch',
-                                   "#{path}.git", branch_name])
+      system gitlab_shell_projects_path, 'rm-branch', "#{path}.git", branch_name
     end
 
     # Add repository tag from passed ref
@@ -125,7 +117,7 @@ module Gitlab
       cmd = %W(#{gitlab_shell_path}/bin/gitlab-projects create-tag #{path}.git
                #{tag_name} #{ref})
       cmd << message unless message.nil? || message.empty?
-      Gitlab::Utils.system_silent(cmd)
+      system *cmd
     end
 
     # Remove repository tag
@@ -137,8 +129,7 @@ module Gitlab
     #   rm_tag("gitlab/gitlab-ci", "v4.0")
     #
     def rm_tag(path, tag_name)
-      Gitlab::Utils.system_silent([gitlab_shell_projects_path, 'rm-tag',
-                                   "#{path}.git", tag_name])
+      system gitlab_shell_projects_path, 'rm-tag', "#{path}.git", tag_name
     end
 
     # Add new key to gitlab-shell
@@ -147,8 +138,7 @@ module Gitlab
     #   add_key("key-42", "sha-rsa ...")
     #
     def add_key(key_id, key_content)
-      Gitlab::Utils.system_silent([gitlab_shell_keys_path,
-                                   'add-key', key_id, key_content])
+      system gitlab_shell_keys_path, 'add-key', key_id, key_content
     end
 
     # Batch-add keys to authorized_keys
@@ -167,8 +157,7 @@ module Gitlab
     #   remove_key("key-342", "sha-rsa ...")
     #
     def remove_key(key_id, key_content)
-      Gitlab::Utils.system_silent([gitlab_shell_keys_path,
-                                   'rm-key', key_id, key_content])
+      system gitlab_shell_keys_path, 'rm-key', key_id, key_content
     end
 
     # Remove all ssh keys from gitlab shell
@@ -177,7 +166,7 @@ module Gitlab
     #   remove_all_keys
     #
     def remove_all_keys
-      Gitlab::Utils.system_silent([gitlab_shell_keys_path, 'clear'])
+      system gitlab_shell_keys_path, 'clear'
     end
 
     # Add empty directory for storing repositories
diff --git a/lib/gitlab/git_ref_validator.rb b/lib/gitlab/git_ref_validator.rb
index 0fdd4dbe577db97f8416a5102e7b59bfdde36fc2..13cb08948bb71bad53bc9bddc2a14f09471a7962 100644
--- a/lib/gitlab/git_ref_validator.rb
+++ b/lib/gitlab/git_ref_validator.rb
@@ -5,8 +5,7 @@ module Gitlab
     #
     # Returns true for a valid reference name, false otherwise
     def validate(ref_name)
-      Gitlab::Utils.system_silent(
-        %W(git check-ref-format refs/#{ref_name})) == 0
+      system *%W(git check-ref-format refs/#{ref_name})
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/gitlab/utils.rb b/lib/gitlab/utils.rb
deleted file mode 100644
index bc30364550a753e32a0ec8b33326737af6d7c898..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
--- a/lib/gitlab/utils.rb
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,14 +0,0 @@
-module Gitlab
-  module Utils
-    extend self
-
-    # Run system command without outputting to stdout.
-    #
-    # @param  cmd [Array<String>]
-    # @return [Integer] exit status
-    def system_silent(cmd)
-      IO.popen(cmd).close
-      $?.exitstatus
-    end
-  end
-end