diff --git a/libcockatrice_deck_list/libcockatrice/deck_list/tree/abstract_deck_list_card_node.cpp b/libcockatrice_deck_list/libcockatrice/deck_list/tree/abstract_deck_list_card_node.cpp
index 7200ede5f..685238d53 100644
--- a/libcockatrice_deck_list/libcockatrice/deck_list/tree/abstract_deck_list_card_node.cpp
+++ b/libcockatrice_deck_list/libcockatrice/deck_list/tree/abstract_deck_list_card_node.cpp
@@ -34,17 +34,6 @@ bool AbstractDecklistCardNode::compareName(AbstractDecklistNode *other) const
     }
 }
 
-int AbstractDecklistCardNode::readElement(QXmlStreamReader *xml, int /* limit */)
-{
-    while (!xml->atEnd()) {
-        xml->readNext();
-        if (xml->isEndElement() && xml->name().toString() == "card") {
-            return 0;
-        }
-    }
-    return 0;
-}
-
 void AbstractDecklistCardNode::writeElement(QXmlStreamWriter *xml)
 {
     xml->writeEmptyElement("card");
diff --git a/libcockatrice_deck_list/libcockatrice/deck_list/tree/abstract_deck_list_card_node.h b/libcockatrice_deck_list/libcockatrice/deck_list/tree/abstract_deck_list_card_node.h
index 52dd56529..0942a4601 100644
--- a/libcockatrice_deck_list/libcockatrice/deck_list/tree/abstract_deck_list_card_node.h
+++ b/libcockatrice_deck_list/libcockatrice/deck_list/tree/abstract_deck_list_card_node.h
@@ -134,15 +134,6 @@ public:
      */
     bool compareName(AbstractDecklistNode *other) const;
 
-    /**
-     * @brief Deserialize this node’s properties from XML.
-     * @param xml QXmlStreamReader positioned at the element.
-     * @return true if parsing succeeded.
-     *
-     * This supports loading deck files from Cockatrice’s XML format.
-     */
-    int readElement(QXmlStreamReader *xml, int limit) override;
-
     /**
      * @brief Serialize this node’s properties to XML.
      * @param xml Writer to append this node’s XML element.
diff --git a/libcockatrice_deck_list/libcockatrice/deck_list/tree/abstract_deck_list_node.h b/libcockatrice_deck_list/libcockatrice/deck_list/tree/abstract_deck_list_node.h
index 9c4290db0..38d1d44b8 100644
--- a/libcockatrice_deck_list/libcockatrice/deck_list/tree/abstract_deck_list_node.h
+++ b/libcockatrice_deck_list/libcockatrice/deck_list/tree/abstract_deck_list_node.h
@@ -179,11 +179,10 @@ public:
 
     /**
      * @name XML serialization
-     * These methods support reading and writing decks from/to
+     * This method supports writing this node and its children to the
      * Cockatrice deck XML format.
      * @{
      */
-    virtual int readElement(QXmlStreamReader *xml, int limit) = 0;
     virtual void writeElement(QXmlStreamWriter *xml) = 0;
     /// @}
 };
diff --git a/libcockatrice_deck_list/libcockatrice/deck_list/tree/inner_deck_list_node.cpp b/libcockatrice_deck_list/libcockatrice/deck_list/tree/inner_deck_list_node.cpp
index d082b3cca..510a710cd 100644
--- a/libcockatrice_deck_list/libcockatrice/deck_list/tree/inner_deck_list_node.cpp
+++ b/libcockatrice_deck_list/libcockatrice/deck_list/tree/inner_deck_list_node.cpp
@@ -164,12 +164,11 @@ int InnerDecklistNode::readElement(QXmlStreamReader *xml, int limit)
             } else if (childName == "card") {
                 int amount = xml->attributes().value("number").toString().toInt();
                 amount = qMin(amount, limit - totalCards);
-                auto *newCard = new DecklistCardNode(xml->attributes().value("name").toString(), amount, this, -1,
-                                                     xml->attributes().value("setShortName").toString(),
-                                                     xml->attributes().value("collectorNumber").toString(),
-                                                     xml->attributes().value("uuid").toString());
+                new DecklistCardNode(xml->attributes().value("name").toString(), amount, this, -1,
+                                     xml->attributes().value("setShortName").toString(),
+                                     xml->attributes().value("collectorNumber").toString(),
+                                     xml->attributes().value("uuid").toString());
                 totalCards += amount;
-                totalCards += newCard->readElement(xml, limit - totalCards);
             }
         } else if (xml->isEndElement() && (childName == "zone")) {
             return totalCards;
diff --git a/libcockatrice_deck_list/libcockatrice/deck_list/tree/inner_deck_list_node.h b/libcockatrice_deck_list/libcockatrice/deck_list/tree/inner_deck_list_node.h
index 0d454c11e..958229883 100644
--- a/libcockatrice_deck_list/libcockatrice/deck_list/tree/inner_deck_list_node.h
+++ b/libcockatrice_deck_list/libcockatrice/deck_list/tree/inner_deck_list_node.h
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ public:
      * @param limit The maximum amount of cards to read
      * @return the amount of cards found
      */
-    int readElement(QXmlStreamReader *xml, int limit) override;
+    int readElement(QXmlStreamReader *xml, int limit);
 
     /**
      * @brief Serialize this node and its children to XML.