diff --git a/node/config.go b/node/config.go
index 49959d5ec..e2099ee0f 100644
--- a/node/config.go
+++ b/node/config.go
@@ -23,13 +23,11 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 	"runtime"
 	"strings"
-	"sync"
 
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/crypto"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/log"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/p2p"
-	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/p2p/enode"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/rpc"
 )
 
@@ -194,8 +192,6 @@ type Config struct {
 	// Logger is a custom logger to use with the p2p.Server.
 	Logger log.Logger `toml:",omitempty"`
 
-	staticNodesWarning     bool
-	trustedNodesWarning    bool
 	oldGethResourceWarning bool
 
 	// AllowUnprotectedTxs allows non EIP-155 protected transactions to be send over RPC.
@@ -340,8 +336,9 @@ func (c *Config) ResolvePath(path string) string {
 			oldpath = filepath.Join(c.DataDir, path)
 		}
 		if oldpath != "" && common.FileExist(oldpath) {
-			if warn {
-				c.warnOnce(&c.oldGethResourceWarning, "Using deprecated resource file %s, please move this file to the 'geth' subdirectory of datadir.", oldpath)
+			if warn && !c.oldGethResourceWarning {
+				c.oldGethResourceWarning = true
+				log.Warn("Using deprecated resource file, please move this file to the 'geth' subdirectory of datadir.", "file", oldpath)
 			}
 			return oldpath
 		}
@@ -394,48 +391,35 @@ func (c *Config) NodeKey() *ecdsa.PrivateKey {
 	return key
 }
 
-// StaticNodes returns a list of node enode URLs configured as static nodes.
-func (c *Config) StaticNodes() []*enode.Node {
-	return c.parsePersistentNodes(&c.staticNodesWarning, c.ResolvePath(datadirStaticNodes))
+// CheckLegacyFiles inspects the datadir for signs of legacy static-nodes
+// and trusted-nodes files. If they exist it raises an error.
+func (c *Config) checkLegacyFiles() {
+	c.checkLegacyFile(c.ResolvePath(datadirStaticNodes))
+	c.checkLegacyFile(c.ResolvePath(datadirTrustedNodes))
 }
 
-// TrustedNodes returns a list of node enode URLs configured as trusted nodes.
-func (c *Config) TrustedNodes() []*enode.Node {
-	return c.parsePersistentNodes(&c.trustedNodesWarning, c.ResolvePath(datadirTrustedNodes))
-}
-
-// parsePersistentNodes parses a list of discovery node URLs loaded from a .json
-// file from within the data directory.
-func (c *Config) parsePersistentNodes(w *bool, path string) []*enode.Node {
+// checkLegacyFile will only raise an error if a file at the given path exists.
+func (c *Config) checkLegacyFile(path string) {
 	// Short circuit if no node config is present
 	if c.DataDir == "" {
-		return nil
+		return
 	}
 	if _, err := os.Stat(path); err != nil {
-		return nil
+		return
 	}
-	c.warnOnce(w, "Found deprecated node list file %s, please use the TOML config file instead.", path)
-
-	// Load the nodes from the config file.
-	var nodelist []string
-	if err := common.LoadJSON(path, &nodelist); err != nil {
-		log.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Can't load node list file: %v", err))
-		return nil
+	logger := c.Logger
+	if logger == nil {
+		logger = log.Root()
 	}
-	// Interpret the list as a discovery node array
-	var nodes []*enode.Node
-	for _, url := range nodelist {
-		if url == "" {
-			continue
-		}
-		node, err := enode.Parse(enode.ValidSchemes, url)
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Node URL %s: %v\n", url, err))
-			continue
-		}
-		nodes = append(nodes, node)
+	switch fname := filepath.Base(path); fname {
+	case "static-nodes.json":
+		logger.Error("The static-nodes.json file is deprecated and ignored. Use P2P.StaticNodes in config.toml instead.")
+	case "trusted-nodes.json":
+		logger.Error("The trusted-nodes.json file is deprecated and ignored. Use P2P.TrustedNodes in config.toml instead.")
+	default:
+		// We shouldn't wind up here, but better print something just in case.
+		logger.Error("Ignoring deprecated file.", "file", path)
 	}
-	return nodes
 }
 
 // KeyDirConfig determines the settings for keydirectory
@@ -482,20 +466,3 @@ func getKeyStoreDir(conf *Config) (string, bool, error) {
 
 	return keydir, isEphemeral, nil
 }
-
-var warnLock sync.Mutex
-
-func (c *Config) warnOnce(w *bool, format string, args ...interface{}) {
-	warnLock.Lock()
-	defer warnLock.Unlock()
-
-	if *w {
-		return
-	}
-	l := c.Logger
-	if l == nil {
-		l = log.Root()
-	}
-	l.Warn(fmt.Sprintf(format, args...))
-	*w = true
-}
diff --git a/node/node.go b/node/node.go
index c8fda1fe3..4d9072e2c 100644
--- a/node/node.go
+++ b/node/node.go
@@ -133,12 +133,7 @@ func New(conf *Config) (*Node, error) {
 	node.server.Config.PrivateKey = node.config.NodeKey()
 	node.server.Config.Name = node.config.NodeName()
 	node.server.Config.Logger = node.log
-	if node.server.Config.StaticNodes == nil {
-		node.server.Config.StaticNodes = node.config.StaticNodes()
-	}
-	if node.server.Config.TrustedNodes == nil {
-		node.server.Config.TrustedNodes = node.config.TrustedNodes()
-	}
+	node.config.checkLegacyFiles()
 	if node.server.Config.NodeDatabase == "" {
 		node.server.Config.NodeDatabase = node.config.NodeDB()
 	}