diff --git a/includes/class-wc-product-variation.php b/includes/class-wc-product-variation.php
index 2204f85d963..ccb80f21be6 100644
--- a/includes/class-wc-product-variation.php
+++ b/includes/class-wc-product-variation.php
@@ -598,7 +598,6 @@ class WC_Product_Variation extends WC_Product_Simple {
 			return false;
 		}
 
-		wp_delete_object_term_relationships( $variation_id, wc_get_attribute_taxonomy_names() );
 		return true;
 	}
 }
diff --git a/includes/data-stores/class-wc-product-variable-data-store-cpt.php b/includes/data-stores/class-wc-product-variable-data-store-cpt.php
index 0f09da96679..eeece0d2d61 100644
--- a/includes/data-stores/class-wc-product-variable-data-store-cpt.php
+++ b/includes/data-stores/class-wc-product-variable-data-store-cpt.php
@@ -661,7 +661,6 @@ class WC_Product_Variable_Data_Store_CPT extends WC_Product_Data_Store_CPT imple
 				if ( $force_delete ) {
 					do_action( 'woocommerce_before_delete_product_variation', $variation_id );
 					wp_delete_post( $variation_id, true );
-					wp_delete_object_term_relationships( $variation_id, wc_get_attribute_taxonomy_names() );
 					do_action( 'woocommerce_delete_product_variation', $variation_id );
 				} else {
 					wp_trash_post( $variation_id );
diff --git a/includes/data-stores/class-wc-product-variation-data-store-cpt.php b/includes/data-stores/class-wc-product-variation-data-store-cpt.php
index fddea2d2374..5dd45b04536 100644
--- a/includes/data-stores/class-wc-product-variation-data-store-cpt.php
+++ b/includes/data-stores/class-wc-product-variation-data-store-cpt.php
@@ -495,21 +495,6 @@ class WC_Product_Variation_Data_Store_CPT extends WC_Product_Data_Store_CPT impl
 			foreach ( $delete_attribute_keys as $key ) {
 				delete_post_meta( $product_id, $key );
 			}
-
-			// Set the attributes as regular taxonomy terms too...
-			$variation_attributes = array_keys( $product->get_variation_attributes( false ) );
-			foreach ( $attributes as $name => $value ) {
-				$value = strval( $value );
-				if ( '' !== $value && in_array( $name, $variation_attributes, true ) && term_exists( $value, $name ) ) {
-					wp_set_post_terms( $product_id, array( $value ), $name );
-				} elseif ( taxonomy_exists( $name ) ) {
-					wp_delete_object_term_relationships( $product_id, $name );
-				}
-			}
-
-			// ...and remove old taxonomy terms.
-			$attributes_to_delete = array_diff( wc_get_attribute_taxonomy_names(), array_keys( $attributes ) );
-			wp_delete_object_term_relationships( $product_id, $attributes_to_delete );
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/tests/legacy/unit-tests/product/product-variation.php b/tests/legacy/unit-tests/product/product-variation.php
index c8102764cce..4767adb1f78 100644
--- a/tests/legacy/unit-tests/product/product-variation.php
+++ b/tests/legacy/unit-tests/product/product-variation.php
@@ -114,20 +114,4 @@ class WC_Tests_Product_Variation extends WC_Unit_Test_Case {
 		$actual = $sut->get_variation_attributes( $with_prefix );
 		$this->assertEquals( $expected, $actual );
 	}
-
-	/**
-	 * @testdox Test that the delete method removes the attribute terms for the variation.
-	 */
-	public function test_delete_removes_attribute_terms() {
-		$product = WC_Helper_Product::create_variation_product();
-		$sut     = wc_get_product( $product->get_children()[2] );
-		$id      = $sut->get_id();
-
-		$sut->delete( true );
-
-		$attribute_names           = wc_get_attribute_taxonomy_names();
-		$variation_attribute_terms = wp_get_post_terms( $id, $attribute_names );
-
-		$this->assertEmpty( $variation_attribute_terms );
-	}
 }
diff --git a/tests/unit-tests/product/class-wc-tests-product-variable-data-store-cpt.php b/tests/unit-tests/product/class-wc-tests-product-variable-data-store-cpt.php
deleted file mode 100644
index 46b5c9b30a1..00000000000
--- a/tests/unit-tests/product/class-wc-tests-product-variable-data-store-cpt.php
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,29 +0,0 @@
-<?php
-/**
- * Data Store Tests for variable products: WC_Product_Variable_Data_Store.
- *
- * @package WooCommerce\Tests\Product
- */
-
-/**
- * Class WC_Tests_Product_Variable_Data_Store
- */
-class WC_Tests_Product_Variable_Data_Store extends WC_Unit_Test_Case {
-
-	/**
-	 * @testdox Test that "delete" on a variation removes the associated attribute terms too.
-	 */
-	public function test_attribute_terms_are_deleted_for_deleted_variations() {
-		$product      = WC_Helper_Product::create_variation_product();
-		$variation    = wc_get_product( $product->get_children()[2] );
-		$variation_id = $variation->get_id();
-
-		$sut = new WC_Product_Variable_Data_Store_CPT();
-		$sut->delete_variations( $product->get_id(), true );
-
-		$attribute_names           = wc_get_attribute_taxonomy_names();
-		$variation_attribute_terms = wp_get_post_terms( $variation_id, $attribute_names );
-
-		$this->assertEmpty( $variation_attribute_terms );
-	}
-}
diff --git a/tests/unit-tests/product/class-wc-tests-product-variation-data-store-cpt.php b/tests/unit-tests/product/class-wc-tests-product-variation-data-store-cpt.php
deleted file mode 100644
index b38b9a2dcdf..00000000000
--- a/tests/unit-tests/product/class-wc-tests-product-variation-data-store-cpt.php
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,137 +0,0 @@
-<?php
-/**
- * Data Store Tests for product variations: WC_Product_Variation_Data_Store.
- *
- * @package WooCommerce\Tests\Product
- */
-
-/**
- * Class WC_Tests_Product_Variation_Data_Store
- */
-class WC_Tests_Product_Variation_Data_Store extends WC_Unit_Test_Case {
-
-	/**
-	 * Create and save a variable product with size and category attributes, then create a corresponding
-	 * variation object with size "small" and color "red", and return it without saving it to database.
-	 *
-	 * @return WC_Product_Variation The created variation object.
-	 */
-	private function create_variation_object_for_existing_variable_product() {
-		$attr_size  = WC_Helper_Product::create_product_attribute_object( 'size', array( 'small', 'large' ) );
-		$attr_color = WC_Helper_Product::create_product_attribute_object( 'color', array( 'red', 'blue' ) );
-
-		$product = new WC_Product_Variable();
-		$product->set_attributes( array( $attr_size, $attr_color ) );
-		$product->save();
-
-		$variation = WC_Helper_Product::create_product_variation_object(
-			$product->get_id(),
-			'SMALL RED THING',
-			10,
-			array(
-				'pa_size'  => 'small',
-				'pa_color' => 'red',
-			)
-		);
-
-		return $variation;
-	}
-
-	/**
-	 * Return a simplified list with the attribute terms for a variation object.
-	 *
-	 * @param int $variation_id Id of the variation product.
-	 *
-	 * @return array Attributes as an "attribute"=>"term" associative array.
-	 */
-	private function get_attribute_terms_for_variation( $variation_id ) {
-		$attribute_names           = wc_get_attribute_taxonomy_names();
-		$variation_attribute_terms = wp_get_post_terms( $variation_id, $attribute_names );
-		$terms                     = array();
-		foreach ( $variation_attribute_terms as $term ) {
-			$terms[ $term->taxonomy ] = $term->name;
-		}
-		return $terms;
-	}
-
-	/**
-	 * @testdox Test that attribute terms are created for new variations.
-	 */
-	public function test_attribute_terms_are_created_for_new_variations() {
-		$variation = $this->create_variation_object_for_existing_variable_product();
-
-		$sut = new WC_Product_Variation_Data_Store_CPT();
-		$sut->create( $variation );
-
-		$terms = $this->get_attribute_terms_for_variation( $variation->get_id() );
-
-		$expected = array(
-			'pa_size'  => 'small',
-			'pa_color' => 'red',
-		);
-
-		$this->assertEquals( $expected, $terms );
-
-		$variation->set_attributes(
-			array(
-				'pa_size'  => 'large',
-				'pa_color' => 'blue',
-			)
-		);
-
-		$sut->update( $variation );
-
-		$terms = $this->get_attribute_terms_for_variation( $variation->get_id() );
-
-		$expected = array(
-			'pa_size'  => 'large',
-			'pa_color' => 'blue',
-		);
-
-		$this->assertEquals( $expected, $terms );
-	}
-
-	/**
-	 * @testdox Test that attribute terms are updated for updated variations.
-	 */
-	public function test_attribute_terms_are_updated_for_modified_variations() {
-		$variation = $this->create_variation_object_for_existing_variable_product();
-
-		$sut = new WC_Product_Variation_Data_Store_CPT();
-		$sut->create( $variation );
-
-		$new_attributes = array(
-			'pa_size'  => 'small',
-			'pa_color' => 'red',
-		);
-		$variation->set_attributes( $new_attributes );
-		$sut->update( $variation );
-
-		$terms = $this->get_attribute_terms_for_variation( $variation->get_id() );
-
-		$this->assertEquals( $new_attributes, $terms );
-	}
-
-	/**
-	 * @testdox Test that attribute terms are removed for variations updated with "Any" value.
-	 */
-	public function test_attribute_terms_are_removed_for_variations_set_to_any_attribute_value() {
-		$variation = $this->create_variation_object_for_existing_variable_product();
-
-		$sut = new WC_Product_Variation_Data_Store_CPT();
-		$sut->create( $variation );
-
-		$new_attributes = array(
-			'pa_size'  => 'small',
-			'pa_color' => '',
-		);
-		$variation->set_attributes( $new_attributes );
-		$sut->update( $variation );
-
-		$terms = $this->get_attribute_terms_for_variation( $variation->get_id() );
-
-		$expected = array( 'pa_size' => 'small' );
-
-		$this->assertEquals( $expected, $terms );
-	}
-}