diff --git a/phosphor-rsyslog-config/server-conf.cpp b/phosphor-rsyslog-config/server-conf.cpp
index 16955fc..716421b 100644
--- a/phosphor-rsyslog-config/server-conf.cpp
+++ b/phosphor-rsyslog-config/server-conf.cpp
@@ -15,19 +15,6 @@
 
 #include <string>
 
-#if __has_include(<filesystem>)
-#include <filesystem>
-#elif __has_include(<experimental/filesystem>)
-#include <experimental/filesystem>
-namespace std
-{
-// splice experimental::filesystem into std
-namespace filesystem = std::experimental::filesystem;
-} // namespace std
-#else
-#error filesystem not available
-#endif
-
 namespace phosphor
 {
 namespace rsyslog_config
@@ -36,7 +23,6 @@
 namespace utils = phosphor::rsyslog_utils;
 using namespace phosphor::logging;
 using namespace sdbusplus::xyz::openbmc_project::Common::Error;
-namespace fs = std::filesystem;
 
 std::string Server::address(std::string value)
 {
@@ -108,7 +94,6 @@
 void Server::writeConfig(const std::string& serverAddress, uint16_t serverPort,
                          const char* filePath)
 {
-    fs::create_directory(fs::path(filePath).parent_path());
     std::fstream stream(filePath, std::fstream::out);
 
     if (serverPort && !serverAddress.empty())
@@ -118,7 +103,8 @@
     }
     else // this is a disable request
     {
-        fs::remove(filePath);
+        // write '*.* ~' - this causes rsyslog to discard all messages
+        stream << "*.* ~";
     }
 
     restart();
@@ -144,11 +130,6 @@
 
 void Server::restore(const char* filePath)
 {
-    if (!fs::exists(filePath))
-    {
-        return;
-    }
-
     std::fstream stream(filePath, std::fstream::in);
     std::string line;