diff --git a/modules/core/include/opencv2/core/mat.hpp b/modules/core/include/opencv2/core/mat.hpp
index 4007031b2f..05edeac523 100644
--- a/modules/core/include/opencv2/core/mat.hpp
+++ b/modules/core/include/opencv2/core/mat.hpp
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ public:
         STD_VECTOR        = 3 << KIND_SHIFT,
         STD_VECTOR_VECTOR = 4 << KIND_SHIFT,
         STD_VECTOR_MAT    = 5 << KIND_SHIFT,
-        EXPR              = 6 << KIND_SHIFT,
+        EXPR              = 6 << KIND_SHIFT,  //!< removed
         OPENGL_BUFFER     = 7 << KIND_SHIFT,
         CUDA_HOST_MEM     = 8 << KIND_SHIFT,
         CUDA_GPU_MAT      = 9 << KIND_SHIFT,
diff --git a/modules/core/src/matrix_expressions.cpp b/modules/core/src/matrix_expressions.cpp
index d4f8b743cf..58c99ed19a 100644
--- a/modules/core/src/matrix_expressions.cpp
+++ b/modules/core/src/matrix_expressions.cpp
@@ -1739,13 +1739,7 @@ MatExpr Mat::mul(InputArray m, double scale) const
     CV_INSTRUMENT_REGION();
 
     MatExpr e;
-    if(m.kind() == _InputArray::EXPR)
-    {
-        const MatExpr& me = *(const MatExpr*)m.getObj();
-        me.op->multiply(MatExpr(*this), me, e, scale);
-    }
-    else
-        MatOp_Bin::makeExpr(e, '*', *this, m.getMat(), scale);
+    MatOp_Bin::makeExpr(e, '*', *this, m.getMat(), scale);
     return e;
 }
 
@@ -1840,7 +1834,6 @@ void MatExpr::swap(MatExpr& other)
 
 _InputArray::_InputArray(const MatExpr& expr)
 {
-#if 1
     if (!isIdentity(expr))
     {
         Mat result = expr;  // TODO improve through refcount == 1 of expr.a (inplace operation is possible - except gemm?)
@@ -1849,9 +1842,6 @@ _InputArray::_InputArray(const MatExpr& expr)
     }
     CV_Assert(isIdentity(expr));
     init(FIXED_TYPE + FIXED_SIZE + MAT + ACCESS_READ, &expr.a);
-#else
-    init(FIXED_TYPE + FIXED_SIZE + EXPR + ACCESS_READ, &expr);
-#endif
 }
 
 } // cv::
diff --git a/modules/core/src/matrix_wrap.cpp b/modules/core/src/matrix_wrap.cpp
index 4c5efd6ba5..d410ab7719 100644
--- a/modules/core/src/matrix_wrap.cpp
+++ b/modules/core/src/matrix_wrap.cpp
@@ -33,12 +33,6 @@ Mat _InputArray::getMat_(int i) const
         return m->getMat(accessFlags).row(i);
     }
 
-    if( k == EXPR )
-    {
-        CV_Assert( i < 0 );
-        return (Mat)*((const MatExpr*)obj);
-    }
-
     if( k == MATX || k == STD_ARRAY )
     {
         CV_Assert( i < 0 );
@@ -179,17 +173,6 @@ void _InputArray::getMatVector(std::vector<Mat>& mv) const
         return;
     }
 
-    if( k == EXPR )
-    {
-        Mat m = *(const MatExpr*)obj;
-        int n = m.size[0];
-        mv.resize(n);
-
-        for( int i = 0; i < n; i++ )
-            mv[i] = m.row(i);
-        return;
-    }
-
     if( k == MATX || k == STD_ARRAY )
     {
         size_t n = sz.height, esz = CV_ELEM_SIZE(flags);
@@ -378,7 +361,9 @@ ogl::Buffer _InputArray::getOGlBuffer() const
 
 int _InputArray::kind() const
 {
-    return flags & KIND_MASK;
+    int k = flags & KIND_MASK;
+    CV_DbgAssert(k != EXPR);
+    return k;
 }
 
 int _InputArray::rows(int i) const
@@ -401,12 +386,6 @@ Size _InputArray::size(int i) const
         return ((const Mat*)obj)->size();
     }
 
-    if( k == EXPR )
-    {
-        CV_Assert( i < 0 );
-        return ((const MatExpr*)obj)->size();
-    }
-
     if( k == UMAT )
     {
         CV_Assert( i < 0 );
@@ -569,7 +548,7 @@ int _InputArray::sizend(int* arrsz, int i) const
     }
     else
     {
-        CV_CheckLE(dims(i), 2, "Not supported");  // TODO Support EXPR with 3+ dims
+        CV_CheckLE(dims(i), 2, "Not supported");
         Size sz2d = size(i);
         d = 2;
         if(arrsz)
@@ -626,12 +605,6 @@ int _InputArray::dims(int i) const
         return ((const Mat*)obj)->dims;
     }
 
-    if( k == EXPR )
-    {
-        CV_Assert( i < 0 );
-        return ((const MatExpr*)obj)->a.dims;
-    }
-
     if( k == UMAT )
     {
         CV_Assert( i < 0 );
@@ -772,9 +745,6 @@ int _InputArray::type(int i) const
     if( k == UMAT )
         return ((const UMat*)obj)->type();
 
-    if( k == EXPR )
-        return ((const MatExpr*)obj)->type();
-
     if( k == MATX || k == STD_VECTOR || k == STD_ARRAY || k == STD_VECTOR_VECTOR || k == STD_BOOL_VECTOR )
         return CV_MAT_TYPE(flags);
 
@@ -861,9 +831,6 @@ bool _InputArray::empty() const
     if( k == UMAT )
         return ((const UMat*)obj)->empty();
 
-    if( k == EXPR )
-        return false;
-
     if( k == MATX || k == STD_ARRAY )
         return false;
 
@@ -933,7 +900,7 @@ bool _InputArray::isContinuous(int i) const
     if( k == UMAT )
         return i < 0 ? ((const UMat*)obj)->isContinuous() : true;
 
-    if( k == EXPR || k == MATX || k == STD_VECTOR || k == STD_ARRAY ||
+    if( k == MATX || k == STD_VECTOR || k == STD_ARRAY ||
         k == NONE || k == STD_VECTOR_VECTOR || k == STD_BOOL_VECTOR )
         return true;
 
@@ -974,7 +941,7 @@ bool _InputArray::isSubmatrix(int i) const
     if( k == UMAT )
         return i < 0 ? ((const UMat*)obj)->isSubmatrix() : false;
 
-    if( k == EXPR || k == MATX || k == STD_VECTOR || k == STD_ARRAY ||
+    if( k == MATX || k == STD_VECTOR || k == STD_ARRAY ||
         k == NONE || k == STD_VECTOR_VECTOR || k == STD_BOOL_VECTOR )
         return false;
 
@@ -1019,7 +986,7 @@ size_t _InputArray::offset(int i) const
         return ((const UMat*)obj)->offset;
     }
 
-    if( k == EXPR || k == MATX || k == STD_VECTOR || k == STD_ARRAY ||
+    if( k == MATX || k == STD_VECTOR || k == STD_ARRAY ||
         k == NONE || k == STD_VECTOR_VECTOR || k == STD_BOOL_VECTOR )
         return 0;
 
@@ -1082,7 +1049,7 @@ size_t _InputArray::step(int i) const
         return ((const UMat*)obj)->step;
     }
 
-    if( k == EXPR || k == MATX || k == STD_VECTOR || k == STD_ARRAY ||
+    if( k == MATX || k == STD_VECTOR || k == STD_ARRAY ||
         k == NONE || k == STD_VECTOR_VECTOR || k == STD_BOOL_VECTOR )
         return 0;
 
@@ -1137,14 +1104,6 @@ void _InputArray::copyTo(const _OutputArray& arr) const
         Mat m = getMat();
         m.copyTo(arr);
     }
-    else if( k == EXPR )
-    {
-        const MatExpr& e = *((MatExpr*)obj);
-        if( arr.kind() == MAT )
-            arr.getMatRef() = e;
-        else
-            Mat(e).copyTo(arr);
-    }
     else if( k == UMAT )
         ((UMat*)obj)->copyTo(arr);
 #ifdef HAVE_CUDA