diff --git a/common/content/events.js b/common/content/events.js
index 0e20bb87..e2331780 100644
--- a/common/content/events.js
+++ b/common/content/events.js
@@ -372,8 +372,6 @@ var Events = Module("events", {
             if (quiet)
                 commandline.quiet = quiet;
 
-            keys = mappings.expandLeader(keys);
-
             for (let [, evt_obj] in Iterator(DOM.Event.parse(keys))) {
                 let now = Date.now();
                 let key = DOM.Event.stringify(evt_obj);
diff --git a/common/content/hints.js b/common/content/hints.js
index bc3180d7..73059aae 100644
--- a/common/content/hints.js
+++ b/common/content/hints.js
@@ -722,7 +722,7 @@ var HintSession = Class("HintSession", CommandMode, {
      * Display the current status to the user.
      */
     updateStatusline: function _updateStatusline() {
-        statusline.inputBuffer = (this.escapeNumbers ? options["mapleader"] : "") +
+        statusline.inputBuffer = (this.escapeNumbers ? "\\" : "") +
                                  (this.hintNumber ? this.getHintString(this.hintNumber) : "");
     },
 });
@@ -1266,7 +1266,7 @@ var Hints = Module("hints", {
             "Delete the previous character",
             function ({ self }) self.backspace());
 
-        bind(["<Leader>"],
+        bind(["\\"],
             "Toggle hint filtering",
             function ({ self }) { self.escapeNumbers = !self.escapeNumbers; });
     },
diff --git a/common/content/mappings.js b/common/content/mappings.js
index 149f3fb8..67385d97 100644
--- a/common/content/mappings.js
+++ b/common/content/mappings.js
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ var Mappings = Module("mappings", {
 
     get userHives() this.allHives.filter(function (h) h !== this.builtin, this),
 
-    expandLeader: function expandLeader(keyString) keyString.replace(/<Leader>/i, function () options["mapleader"]),
+    expandLeader: deprecated("your brain", function expandLeader(keyString) keyString),
 
     prefixes: Class.Memoize(function () {
         let list = Array.map("CASM", function (s) s + "-");
@@ -365,8 +365,6 @@ var Mappings = Module("mappings", {
     }),
 
     expand: function expand(keys) {
-        keys = keys.replace(/<leader>/i, options["mapleader"]);
-
         if (!/<\*-/.test(keys))
             var res = keys;
         else
@@ -541,7 +539,7 @@ var Mappings = Module("mappings", {
                     args["-builtin"] = true;
 
                 if (!rhs) // list the mapping
-                    mappings.list(mapmodes, mappings.expandLeader(lhs), hives);
+                    mappings.list(mapmodes, lhs, hives);
                 else {
                     util.assert(args["-group"].modifiable,
                                 _("map.builtinImmutable"));
@@ -828,18 +826,10 @@ var Mappings = Module("mappings", {
                 function (context, obj, args) [[m.names, m.description] for (m in this.iterate(args[0]))]
             ]);
     },
-    options: function initOptions(dactyl, modules, window) {
-        options.add(["mapleader", "ml"],
-            "Define the replacement keys for the <Leader> pseudo-key",
-            "string", "\\", {
-                setter: function (value) {
-                    if (this.hasChanged)
-                        for (let hive in values(mappings.allHives))
-                            for (let stack in values(hive.stacks))
-                                delete stack.states;
-                    return value;
-                }
-            });
+    mappings: function initMappings(dactyl, modules, window) {
+        mappings.add([modes.COMMAND],
+             ["\\"], "Emits <Leader> pseudo-key",
+             function () { events.feedkeys("<Leader>") });
     }
 });
 
diff --git a/common/locale/en-US/hints.xml b/common/locale/en-US/hints.xml
index 769f7da7..571afab7 100644
--- a/common/locale/en-US/hints.xml
+++ b/common/locale/en-US/hints.xml
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@
             <dt><k name="Tab"/></dt>
             <dd>Moves the focus to the next hintable element</dd>
 
-            <dt><k name="Leader"/></dt>
+            <dt><k>\</k></dt>
             <dd>Temporarily treats all numbers (or other keys, depending on the
                 value of <o>hintkeys</o>) as ordinary text</dd>
 
diff --git a/common/locale/en-US/map.xml b/common/locale/en-US/map.xml
index 9ff5c88b..39e81cbc 100644
--- a/common/locale/en-US/map.xml
+++ b/common/locale/en-US/map.xml
@@ -395,25 +395,6 @@
     </description>
 </item>
 
-<item>
-    <tags><![CDATA[<Leader> \]]></tags>
-    <strut/>
-    <spec><![CDATA[<Leader>]]></spec>
-    <description>
-        <p>
-            A pseudo-key which expands to the value of the <o>mapleader</o>
-            option. For example, by default,
-        </p>
-        <code><ex>:map <k name="Leader"/>h</ex> <ex>:echo <str>Hello</str><k name="CR"/></ex></code>
-        <p>works like</p>
-        <code><ex>:map \h</ex> <ex>:echo <str>Hello</str><k name="CR"/></ex></code>
-        <p>but after</p>
-        <set opt="mapleader"><str>,</str></set>
-        <p>it works like</p>
-        <code><ex>:map ,h</ex> <ex>:echo <str>Hello</str><k name="CR"/></ex></code>
-    </description>
-</item>
-
 <h3 tag="map-examples">Mapping examples</h3>
 
 <p>Make <k name="A-n" link="false"/> do the same as <k name="Down" link="false"/> in input <t>modes</t>:</p>
diff --git a/common/locale/en-US/options.xml b/common/locale/en-US/options.xml
index 24566080..92abf233 100644
--- a/common/locale/en-US/options.xml
+++ b/common/locale/en-US/options.xml
@@ -694,7 +694,7 @@
     <strut/>
     <type>&option.extendedhinttags.type;</type>
     <default>[asOTvVWy]:':-moz-any-link',area[href],img[src],iframe[src],
-          [A]:[id],
+          [A]:[id],a[name],
           [f]:body,
           [F]:body,code,div,html,p,pre,span,
           [iI]:img,
@@ -1116,16 +1116,6 @@
     </description>
 </item>
 
-<item>
-    <tags>'ml' 'mapleader'</tags>
-    <spec>'mapleader' 'ml'</spec>
-    <type>&option.mapleader.type;</type>
-    <default>&option.mapleader.default;</default>
-    <description>
-        <p>Defines the replacement keys for the <k name="Leader"/> pseudo-key.</p>
-    </description>
-</item>
-
 <item>
     <tags>'maxitems'</tags>
     <spec>'maxitems'</spec>
diff --git a/pentadactyl/NEWS b/pentadactyl/NEWS
index c2901f64..4d3ba41c 100644
--- a/pentadactyl/NEWS
+++ b/pentadactyl/NEWS
@@ -217,8 +217,8 @@
         still be used for this purpose. [b4]
       - 'loadplugins' is now a [regexplist] option rather than
         a boolean. [b2]
-      - 'mapleader' is now an option rather than a :let
-        variable. [b4]
+      - 'mapleader' is no longer an option rather or a :let
+        variable. [b4][rc2]
       - 'passkeys' is now a [sitemap] with key chain support rather
         than a [regexpmap]. [b6]
       - The precise format of 'sanitizeitems' has changed slightly. [b8]