diff --git a/parsl/channels/base.py b/parsl/channels/base.py
index 18a573d0e6..754e89c385 100644
--- a/parsl/channels/base.py
+++ b/parsl/channels/base.py
@@ -120,14 +120,3 @@ def isdir(self, path: str) -> bool:
             Path of directory to check.
         """
         pass
-
-    @abstractmethod
-    def abspath(self, path: str) -> str:
-        """Return the absolute path.
-
-        Parameters
-        ----------
-        path : str
-            Path for which the absolute path will be returned.
-        """
-        pass
diff --git a/parsl/channels/local/local.py b/parsl/channels/local/local.py
index b94629095e..8a52b853d3 100644
--- a/parsl/channels/local/local.py
+++ b/parsl/channels/local/local.py
@@ -145,16 +145,6 @@ def makedirs(self, path, mode=0o700, exist_ok=False):
 
         return os.makedirs(path, mode, exist_ok)
 
-    def abspath(self, path):
-        """Return the absolute path.
-
-        Parameters
-        ----------
-        path : str
-            Path for which the absolute path will be returned.
-        """
-        return os.path.abspath(path)
-
     @property
     def script_dir(self):
         return self._script_dir
@@ -162,5 +152,5 @@ def script_dir(self):
     @script_dir.setter
     def script_dir(self, value):
         if value is not None:
-            value = self.abspath(value)
+            value = os.path.abspath(value)
         self._script_dir = value
diff --git a/parsl/channels/ssh/ssh.py b/parsl/channels/ssh/ssh.py
index c53a26b831..0bcb8a06b4 100644
--- a/parsl/channels/ssh/ssh.py
+++ b/parsl/channels/ssh/ssh.py
@@ -287,16 +287,6 @@ def makedirs(self, path, mode=0o700, exist_ok=False):
         self.execute_wait('mkdir -p {}'.format(path))
         self._valid_sftp_client().chmod(path, mode)
 
-    def abspath(self, path):
-        """Return the absolute path on the remote side.
-
-        Parameters
-        ----------
-        path : str
-            Path for which the absolute path will be returned.
-        """
-        return self._valid_sftp_client().normalize(path)
-
     @property
     def script_dir(self):
         return self._script_dir