diff --git a/wp-includes/class-wp-rewrite.php b/wp-includes/class-wp-rewrite.php
index e6f768fed1..1107aa9d37 100644
--- a/wp-includes/class-wp-rewrite.php
+++ b/wp-includes/class-wp-rewrite.php
@@ -841,6 +841,28 @@ class WP_Rewrite {
 		}
 	}
 
+
+	/**
+	 * Removes an existing rewrite tag.
+	 *
+	 * @since 4.5.0
+	 * @access public
+	 *
+	 * @see WP_Rewrite::$rewritecode
+	 * @see WP_Rewrite::$rewritereplace
+	 * @see WP_Rewrite::$queryreplace
+	 *
+	 * @param string $tag Name of the rewrite tag to remove.
+	 */
+	public function remove_rewrite_tag( $tag ) {
+		$position = array_search( $tag, $this->rewritecode );
+		if ( false !== $position && null !== $position ) {
+			unset( $this->rewritecode[ $position ] );
+			unset( $this->rewritereplace[ $position ] );
+			unset( $this->queryreplace[ $position ] );
+		}
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Generates rewrite rules from a permalink structure.
 	 *
diff --git a/wp-includes/rewrite.php b/wp-includes/rewrite.php
index fe6b99adb7..c43abe8de9 100644
--- a/wp-includes/rewrite.php
+++ b/wp-includes/rewrite.php
@@ -172,6 +172,20 @@ function add_rewrite_tag( $tag, $regex, $query = '' ) {
 	$wp_rewrite->add_rewrite_tag( $tag, $regex, $query );
 }
 
+/**
+ * Removes an existing rewrite tag (like %postname%).
+ *
+ * @since 4.5.0
+ *
+ * @global WP_Rewrite $wp_rewrite WordPress rewrite component.
+ *
+ * @param string $tag Name of the rewrite tag.
+ */
+function remove_rewrite_tag( $tag ) {
+	global $wp_rewrite;
+	$wp_rewrite->remove_rewrite_tag( $tag );
+}
+
 /**
  * Add permalink structure.
  *
diff --git a/wp-includes/version.php b/wp-includes/version.php
index e4f293e578..314ddd6a86 100644
--- a/wp-includes/version.php
+++ b/wp-includes/version.php
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
  *
  * @global string $wp_version
  */
-$wp_version = '4.5-alpha-36216';
+$wp_version = '4.5-alpha-36217';
 
 /**
  * Holds the WordPress DB revision, increments when changes are made to the WordPress DB schema.