diff --git a/src/USER-COLVARS/fix_colvars.h b/src/USER-COLVARS/fix_colvars.h
index 509eca5de35892b3094cf5749b7d6d088d7b0d18..3029ba9db541e095af265657d5f940998cce224f 100644
--- a/src/USER-COLVARS/fix_colvars.h
+++ b/src/USER-COLVARS/fix_colvars.h
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ FixStyle(colvars,FixColvars)
 #define LMP_FIX_COLVARS_H
 
 #include "fix.h"
-#include <vector>
 
 // forward declaration
 class colvarproxy_lammps;
@@ -77,13 +76,6 @@ class FixColvars : public Fix {
   int   num_coords;    // total number of atoms controlled by this fix
   tagint *taglist;     // list of all atom IDs referenced by colvars.
 
-  // TODO get rid of these
-  // std::vector<cvm::atom_pos> *coords; // coordinates of colvar atoms
-  // std::vector<cvm::rvector> *forces; // received forces of colvar atoms
-  // std::vector<cvm::rvector> *oforce; // old total forces of colvar atoms
-  // std::vector<cvm::real> *masses;
-  // std::vector<cvm::real> *charges;
-
   int   nmax;          // size of atom communication buffer.
   int   size_one;      // bytes per atom in communication buffer.
   struct commdata *comm_buf; // communication buffer