diff --git a/src/spec/.eslintrc.js b/src/spec/.eslintrc.js
index b4b3e6f19..a8ff87618 100644
--- a/src/spec/.eslintrc.js
+++ b/src/spec/.eslintrc.js
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ module.exports = {
     "getListElement": true,
     "getListLength": true,
     "getActiveListItem": true,
-    "getPreferredCountriesLength": true,
     "getSelectedCountryContainer": true,
     "getSelectedCountryElement": true,
     "getSelectedDialCodeElement": true,
diff --git a/src/spec/helpers/helpers.js b/src/spec/helpers/helpers.js
index 48b1b6a1b..7da849390 100644
--- a/src/spec/helpers/helpers.js
+++ b/src/spec/helpers/helpers.js
@@ -72,11 +72,6 @@ var getActiveListItem = function(i) {
   return getListElement(i).find("li.iti__active");
 };
 
-var getPreferredCountriesLength = function(i) {
-  i = i || input;
-  return getListElement(i).find("li.iti__preferred").length;
-};
-
 var getSelectedCountryContainer = function(i) {
   i = i || input;
   return i.parent().find(".iti__selected-country");
diff --git a/src/spec/tests/options/excludeCountries.js b/src/spec/tests/options/excludeCountries.js
index d8353ea6e..32049f987 100644
--- a/src/spec/tests/options/excludeCountries.js
+++ b/src/spec/tests/options/excludeCountries.js
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ describe("excludeCountries option:", function() {
     beforeEach(function() {
       iti = window.intlTelInput(input[0], {
         excludeCountries: excludeCountries,
-        preferredCountries: [],
       });
     });
 
diff --git a/src/spec/tests/options/onlyCountries.js b/src/spec/tests/options/onlyCountries.js
index bd58df47a..8d93964e9 100644
--- a/src/spec/tests/options/onlyCountries.js
+++ b/src/spec/tests/options/onlyCountries.js
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ describe("onlyCountries option:", function() {
   describe("init plugin with onlyCountries set to japan, china and korea", function() {
 
     beforeEach(function() {
-      //* China and Japan (note that none of the default preferredCountries are included here, so wont be in the list).
+      //* China and Japan.
       onlyCountries = ["jp", "cn", "kr"];
       iti = window.intlTelInput(input[0], {
         onlyCountries: onlyCountries,
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@ describe("onlyCountries option:", function() {
 
     beforeEach(function() {
       iti = window.intlTelInput(input[0], {
-        preferredCountries: [],
         onlyCountries: ["af", "kz", "ru"],
       });
     });