diff --git a/scikits/image/io/_plugins/fits_plugin.py b/scikits/image/io/_plugins/fits_plugin.py
index 5c673bb3..84215d96 100644
--- a/scikits/image/io/_plugins/fits_plugin.py
+++ b/scikits/image/io/_plugins/fits_plugin.py
@@ -11,15 +11,13 @@ except ImportError:
         "for further instructions.")
 
 
-def imread(fname, as_grey=True, dtype=None):
+def imread(fname, dtype=None):
     """Load an image from a FITS file.
 
     Parameters
     ----------
     fname : string
         Image file name, e.g. ``test.fits``.
-    as_grey : bool
-        For FITS images, this is ignored (treated as True).
     dtype : dtype, optional
         For FITS, this argument is ignored because Stefan is planning on
         removing the dtype argument from imread anyway.
diff --git a/scikits/image/io/_plugins/freeimage_plugin.py b/scikits/image/io/_plugins/freeimage_plugin.py
index 0109e371..8c67c888 100644
--- a/scikits/image/io/_plugins/freeimage_plugin.py
+++ b/scikits/image/io/_plugins/freeimage_plugin.py
@@ -496,25 +496,20 @@ def _array_to_bitmap(array):
       raise
 
 
-def imread(filename, as_grey=False):
+def imread(filename):
     """
-    img = imread(filename, as_grey=False)
+    img = imread(filename)
 
     Reads an image from file `filename`
 
     Parameters
     ----------
       filename : file name
-      as_grey : Whether to convert to grey scale image (default: no)
     Returns
     -------
       img : ndarray
     """
     img = read(filename)
-    if as_grey and len(img) == 3:
-        # these are the values that wikipedia says are typical
-        transform = numpy.array([ 0.30,  0.59,  0.11])
-        return numpy.dot(img, transform).astype('uint8')
     return img
 
 def imsave(filename, img):
diff --git a/scikits/image/io/_plugins/pil_plugin.py b/scikits/image/io/_plugins/pil_plugin.py
index 5b87b34b..7fc3a0fc 100644
--- a/scikits/image/io/_plugins/pil_plugin.py
+++ b/scikits/image/io/_plugins/pil_plugin.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ except ImportError:
                       "Please refer to http://pypi.python.org/pypi/PIL/ "
                       "for further instructions.")
 
-def imread(fname, as_grey=False, dtype=None):
+def imread(fname, dtype=None):
     """Load an image from file.
 
     """
@@ -20,10 +20,6 @@ def imread(fname, as_grey=False, dtype=None):
         else:
             im = im.convert('RGB')
 
-    if as_grey and not \
-           im.mode in ('1', 'L', 'I', 'F', 'I;16', 'I;16L', 'I;16B', 'LA'):
-        im = im.convert('F')
-
     if 'A' in im.mode:
         im = im.convert('RGBA')
 
diff --git a/scikits/image/io/_plugins/test_plugin.py b/scikits/image/io/_plugins/test_plugin.py
index d17a91ec..2956f14f 100644
--- a/scikits/image/io/_plugins/test_plugin.py
+++ b/scikits/image/io/_plugins/test_plugin.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # This mock-up is called by ../tests/test_plugin.py
 # to verify the behaviour of the plugin infrastructure
 
-def imread(fname, as_grey=False, dtype=None):
+def imread(fname, dtype=None):
     assert fname == 'test.png'
     assert dtype == 'i4'