diff --git a/psycopg/pqpath.c b/psycopg/pqpath.c
index 5e56838e..4de0b065 100644
--- a/psycopg/pqpath.c
+++ b/psycopg/pqpath.c
@@ -940,10 +940,8 @@ _pq_execute_sync(cursorObject *curs, const char *query, int no_result, int no_be
 }
 
 RAISES_NEG int
-_pq_execute_async(cursorObject *curs, const char *query, int no_result, int no_begin)
+_pq_execute_async(cursorObject *curs, const char *query, int no_result)
 {
-    PGresult *pgres = NULL;
-    char *error = NULL;
     int async_status = ASYNC_WRITE;
     int ret;
 
@@ -952,15 +950,6 @@ _pq_execute_async(cursorObject *curs, const char *query, int no_result, int no_b
     Py_BEGIN_ALLOW_THREADS;
     pthread_mutex_lock(&(curs->conn->lock));
 
-    /* TODO: is this needed here? */
-    if (!no_begin && pq_begin_locked(curs->conn, &pgres, &error, &_save) < 0) {
-        pthread_mutex_unlock(&(curs->conn->lock));
-        Py_BLOCK_THREADS;
-        pq_complete_error(curs->conn, &pgres, &error);
-        return -1;
-    }
-
-
     Dprintf("pq_execute: executing ASYNC query: pgconn = %p", curs->conn->pgconn);
     Dprintf("    %-.200s", query);
 
@@ -1028,7 +1017,7 @@ pq_execute(cursorObject *curs, const char *query, int async, int no_result, int
     if (!async) {
         return _pq_execute_sync(curs, query, no_result, no_begin);
     } else {
-        return _pq_execute_async(curs, query, no_result, no_begin);
+        return _pq_execute_async(curs, query, no_result);
     }
 }