diff --git a/milli/src/update/delete_documents.rs b/milli/src/update/delete_documents.rs
index 9044f03be..0299e1e4f 100644
--- a/milli/src/update/delete_documents.rs
+++ b/milli/src/update/delete_documents.rs
@@ -255,12 +255,14 @@ impl<'t, 'u, 'i> DeleteDocuments<'t, 'u, 'i> {
         }
         // We acquire the current external documents ids map...
         // Note that its soft-deleted document ids field will be equal to the `to_delete_docids`
-        let mut new_external_documents_ids = self.index.external_documents_ids(self.wtxn)?;
+        //let mut new_external_documents_ids = self.index.external_documents_ids(self.wtxn)?;
         // We then remove the soft-deleted docids from it
-        new_external_documents_ids.delete_soft_deleted_documents_ids_from_fsts()?;
+        //new_external_documents_ids.delete_soft_deleted_documents_ids_from_fsts()?;
         // and write it back to the main database.
-        let new_external_documents_ids = new_external_documents_ids.into_static();
-        self.index.put_external_documents_ids(self.wtxn, &new_external_documents_ids)?;
+        //let new_external_documents_ids = new_external_documents_ids.into_static();
+        //self.index.put_external_documents_ids(self.wtxn, &new_external_documents_ids)?;
+
+        todo!("please autobatch deletions for now");
 
         let mut words_to_keep = BTreeSet::default();
         let mut words_to_delete = BTreeSet::default();
diff --git a/milli/src/update/index_documents/mod.rs b/milli/src/update/index_documents/mod.rs
index d1fa28826..8d187a89d 100644
--- a/milli/src/update/index_documents/mod.rs
+++ b/milli/src/update/index_documents/mod.rs
@@ -457,10 +457,10 @@ where
         self.index.put_primary_key(self.wtxn, &primary_key)?;
 
         // We write the external documents ids into the main database.
-        let mut external_documents_ids = self.index.external_documents_ids(self.wtxn)?;
-        external_documents_ids.insert_ids(&new_external_documents_ids)?;
-        let external_documents_ids = external_documents_ids.into_static();
-        self.index.put_external_documents_ids(self.wtxn, &external_documents_ids)?;
+        //let mut external_documents_ids = self.index.external_documents_ids(self.wtxn)?;
+        //external_documents_ids.insert_ids(&new_external_documents_ids)?;
+        //let external_documents_ids = external_documents_ids.into_static();
+        //self.index.put_external_documents_ids(self.wtxn, &external_documents_ids)?;
 
         // FIXME: remove `new_documents_ids` entirely and `replaced_documents_ids`
         let all_documents_ids = index_documents_ids | new_documents_ids;
diff --git a/milli/src/update/index_documents/transform.rs b/milli/src/update/index_documents/transform.rs
index 2b77768cb..e02da8cb5 100644
--- a/milli/src/update/index_documents/transform.rs
+++ b/milli/src/update/index_documents/transform.rs
@@ -763,14 +763,6 @@ impl<'a, 'i> Transform<'a, 'i> {
             .to_string();
         let field_distribution = self.index.field_distribution(wtxn)?;
 
-        // Delete the soft deleted document ids from the maps inside the external_document_ids structure
-        let new_external_documents_ids = {
-            let mut external_documents_ids = self.index.external_documents_ids(wtxn)?;
-            external_documents_ids.delete_soft_deleted_documents_ids_from_fsts()?;
-            // This call should be free and can't fail since the previous method merged both fsts.
-            external_documents_ids.into_static().to_fst()?.into_owned()
-        };
-
         let documents_ids = self.index.documents_ids(wtxn)?;
         let documents_count = documents_ids.len() as usize;
 
@@ -858,8 +850,10 @@ impl<'a, 'i> Transform<'a, 'i> {
             primary_key,
             fields_ids_map: new_fields_ids_map,
             field_distribution,
-            new_external_documents_ids,
+            // FIXME: remove this now unused field
+            new_external_documents_ids: fst::Map::default().map_data(Cow::Owned).unwrap(),
             new_documents_ids: documents_ids,
+            // FIXME: remove this now unused field
             replaced_documents_ids: RoaringBitmap::default(),
             documents_count,
             original_documents: original_documents.into_inner().map_err(|err| err.into_error())?,