diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/api/cxapp/exec.ts b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/api/cxapp/exec.ts
index 642bf11c7fcf0..c0d987a65d4f6 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/api/cxapp/exec.ts
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/api/cxapp/exec.ts
@@ -147,14 +147,6 @@ function appToArray(app: any) {
 
 type CommandGenerator = (file: string) => string[];
 
-/**
- * Direct execution of a YAML file, assume that we're deploying an Applet
- */
-function executeApplet(appletFile: string): string[] {
-    const appletBinary = path.resolve(require.resolve('@aws-cdk/applet-js'));
-    return [process.execPath, appletBinary, appletFile];
-}
-
 /**
  * Execute the given file with the same 'node' process as is running the current process
  */
@@ -166,8 +158,6 @@ function executeNode(scriptFile: string): string[] {
  * Mapping of extensions to command-line generators
  */
 const EXTENSION_MAP = new Map<string, CommandGenerator>([
-  ['.yml', executeApplet],
-  ['.yaml', executeApplet],
   ['.js', executeNode],
 ]);
 
diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk/package.json b/packages/aws-cdk/package.json
index 6a2e8e46adb73..0f15cd7e587a5 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk/package.json
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk/package.json
@@ -51,7 +51,6 @@
     "sinon": "^7.3.1"
   },
   "dependencies": {
-    "@aws-cdk/applet-js": "^0.33.0",
     "@aws-cdk/cloudformation-diff": "^0.33.0",
     "@aws-cdk/cx-api": "^0.33.0",
     "@aws-cdk/region-info": "^0.33.0",