diff --git a/packages/espree/README.md b/packages/espree/README.md
index 0028f255..054685f6 100644
--- a/packages/espree/README.md
+++ b/packages/espree/README.md
@@ -156,9 +156,6 @@ const options = {
         // enable JSX parsing
         jsx: false,
 
-        // enable return in global scope (set to true automatically when sourceType is "commonjs")
-        globalReturn: false,
-
         // enable implied strict mode (if ecmaVersion >= 5)
         impliedStrict: false
     }
diff --git a/packages/espree/docs/README.md b/packages/espree/docs/README.md
index 550a4975..1f74d3bb 100644
--- a/packages/espree/docs/README.md
+++ b/packages/espree/docs/README.md
@@ -156,9 +156,6 @@ const options = {
         // enable JSX parsing
         jsx: false,
 
-        // enable return in global scope (set to true automatically when sourceType is "commonjs")
-        globalReturn: false,
-
         // enable implied strict mode (if ecmaVersion >= 5)
         impliedStrict: false
     }
diff --git a/packages/espree/lib/features.js b/packages/espree/lib/features.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 31467d28..00000000
--- a/packages/espree/lib/features.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,27 +0,0 @@
-/**
- * @fileoverview The list of feature flags supported by the parser and their default
- *      settings.
- * @author Nicholas C. Zakas
- */
-
-//------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-// Requirements
-//------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-// None!
-
-//------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-// Public
-//------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-export default {
-
-    // React JSX parsing
-    jsx: false,
-
-    // allow return statement in global scope
-    globalReturn: false,
-
-    // allow implied strict mode
-    impliedStrict: false
-};
diff --git a/packages/espree/lib/options.js b/packages/espree/lib/options.js
index 85bb9029..20764730 100644
--- a/packages/espree/lib/options.js
+++ b/packages/espree/lib/options.js
@@ -107,8 +107,12 @@ export function normalizeOptions(options) {
     }
     const allowReserved = ecmaVersion === 3 ? (options.allowReserved || "never") : false;
     const ecmaFeatures = options.ecmaFeatures || {};
-    const allowReturnOutsideFunction = options.sourceType === "commonjs" ||
-        Boolean(ecmaFeatures.globalReturn);
+
+    if (Object.hasOwn(ecmaFeatures, "globalReturn")) {
+        throw new Error("`ecmaFeatures.globalReturn` has been removed. To allow top-level return statements, set `sourceType` to 'commonjs'.");
+    }
+
+    const allowReturnOutsideFunction = options.sourceType === "commonjs";
 
     if (sourceType === "module" && ecmaVersion < 6) {
         throw new Error("sourceType 'module' is not supported when ecmaVersion < 2015. Consider adding `{ ecmaVersion: 2015 }` to the parser options.");
diff --git a/packages/espree/tests/fixtures/ecma-features/globalReturn/return-identifier.result.js b/packages/espree/tests/fixtures/ecma-features/globalReturn/return-identifier.result.js
deleted file mode 100644
index d9ce1bc9..00000000
--- a/packages/espree/tests/fixtures/ecma-features/globalReturn/return-identifier.result.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,111 +0,0 @@
-export default {
-    "type": "Program",
-    "loc": {
-        "start": {
-            "line": 1,
-            "column": 0
-        },
-        "end": {
-            "line": 1,
-            "column": 12
-        }
-    },
-    "range": [
-        0,
-        12
-    ],
-    "body": [
-        {
-            "type": "ReturnStatement",
-            "loc": {
-                "start": {
-                    "line": 1,
-                    "column": 0
-                },
-                "end": {
-                    "line": 1,
-                    "column": 12
-                }
-            },
-            "range": [
-                0,
-                12
-            ],
-            "argument": {
-                "type": "Identifier",
-                "loc": {
-                    "start": {
-                        "line": 1,
-                        "column": 7
-                    },
-                    "end": {
-                        "line": 1,
-                        "column": 11
-                    }
-                },
-                "range": [
-                    7,
-                    11
-                ],
-                "name": "fooz"
-            }
-        }
-    ],
-    "sourceType": "script",
-    "tokens": [
-        {
-            "type": "Keyword",
-            "value": "return",
-            "loc": {
-                "start": {
-                    "line": 1,
-                    "column": 0
-                },
-                "end": {
-                    "line": 1,
-                    "column": 6
-                }
-            },
-            "range": [
-                0,
-                6
-            ]
-        },
-        {
-            "type": "Identifier",
-            "value": "fooz",
-            "loc": {
-                "start": {
-                    "line": 1,
-                    "column": 7
-                },
-                "end": {
-                    "line": 1,
-                    "column": 11
-                }
-            },
-            "range": [
-                7,
-                11
-            ]
-        },
-        {
-            "type": "Punctuator",
-            "value": ";",
-            "loc": {
-                "start": {
-                    "line": 1,
-                    "column": 11
-                },
-                "end": {
-                    "line": 1,
-                    "column": 12
-                }
-            },
-            "range": [
-                11,
-                12
-            ]
-        }
-    ]
-};
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/espree/tests/fixtures/ecma-features/globalReturn/return-identifier.src.js b/packages/espree/tests/fixtures/ecma-features/globalReturn/return-identifier.src.js
deleted file mode 100644
index aa6758b0..00000000
--- a/packages/espree/tests/fixtures/ecma-features/globalReturn/return-identifier.src.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-return fooz;
diff --git a/packages/espree/tests/fixtures/ecma-features/globalReturn/return-no-arg.result.js b/packages/espree/tests/fixtures/ecma-features/globalReturn/return-no-arg.result.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 7863be3d..00000000
--- a/packages/espree/tests/fixtures/ecma-features/globalReturn/return-no-arg.result.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,76 +0,0 @@
-export default {
-    "type": "Program",
-    "loc": {
-        "start": {
-            "line": 1,
-            "column": 0
-        },
-        "end": {
-            "line": 1,
-            "column": 7
-        }
-    },
-    "range": [
-        0,
-        7
-    ],
-    "body": [
-        {
-            "type": "ReturnStatement",
-            "loc": {
-                "start": {
-                    "line": 1,
-                    "column": 0
-                },
-                "end": {
-                    "line": 1,
-                    "column": 7
-                }
-            },
-            "range": [
-                0,
-                7
-            ],
-            "argument": null
-        }
-    ],
-    "sourceType": "script",
-    "tokens": [
-        {
-            "type": "Keyword",
-            "value": "return",
-            "loc": {
-                "start": {
-                    "line": 1,
-                    "column": 0
-                },
-                "end": {
-                    "line": 1,
-                    "column": 6
-                }
-            },
-            "range": [
-                0,
-                6
-            ]
-        },
-        {
-            "type": "Punctuator",
-            "value": ";",
-            "loc": {
-                "start": {
-                    "line": 1,
-                    "column": 6
-                },
-                "end": {
-                    "line": 1,
-                    "column": 7
-                }
-            },
-            "range": [
-                6,
-                7
-            ]
-        }
-    ]
-};
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/espree/tests/fixtures/ecma-features/globalReturn/return-no-arg.src.js b/packages/espree/tests/fixtures/ecma-features/globalReturn/return-no-arg.src.js
deleted file mode 100644
index f312410b..00000000
--- a/packages/espree/tests/fixtures/ecma-features/globalReturn/return-no-arg.src.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-return;
diff --git a/packages/espree/tests/fixtures/ecma-features/globalReturn/return-true.result.js b/packages/espree/tests/fixtures/ecma-features/globalReturn/return-true.result.js
deleted file mode 100644
index c645bad2..00000000
--- a/packages/espree/tests/fixtures/ecma-features/globalReturn/return-true.result.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,112 +0,0 @@
-export default {
-    "type": "Program",
-    "loc": {
-        "start": {
-            "line": 1,
-            "column": 0
-        },
-        "end": {
-            "line": 1,
-            "column": 12
-        }
-    },
-    "range": [
-        0,
-        12
-    ],
-    "body": [
-        {
-            "type": "ReturnStatement",
-            "loc": {
-                "start": {
-                    "line": 1,
-                    "column": 0
-                },
-                "end": {
-                    "line": 1,
-                    "column": 12
-                }
-            },
-            "range": [
-                0,
-                12
-            ],
-            "argument": {
-                "type": "Literal",
-                "loc": {
-                    "start": {
-                        "line": 1,
-                        "column": 7
-                    },
-                    "end": {
-                        "line": 1,
-                        "column": 11
-                    }
-                },
-                "range": [
-                    7,
-                    11
-                ],
-                "value": true,
-                "raw": "true"
-            }
-        }
-    ],
-    "sourceType": "script",
-    "tokens": [
-        {
-            "type": "Keyword",
-            "value": "return",
-            "loc": {
-                "start": {
-                    "line": 1,
-                    "column": 0
-                },
-                "end": {
-                    "line": 1,
-                    "column": 6
-                }
-            },
-            "range": [
-                0,
-                6
-            ]
-        },
-        {
-            "type": "Boolean",
-            "value": "true",
-            "loc": {
-                "start": {
-                    "line": 1,
-                    "column": 7
-                },
-                "end": {
-                    "line": 1,
-                    "column": 11
-                }
-            },
-            "range": [
-                7,
-                11
-            ]
-        },
-        {
-            "type": "Punctuator",
-            "value": ";",
-            "loc": {
-                "start": {
-                    "line": 1,
-                    "column": 11
-                },
-                "end": {
-                    "line": 1,
-                    "column": 12
-                }
-            },
-            "range": [
-                11,
-                12
-            ]
-        }
-    ]
-};
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/espree/tests/fixtures/ecma-features/globalReturn/return-true.src.js b/packages/espree/tests/fixtures/ecma-features/globalReturn/return-true.src.js
deleted file mode 100644
index c1c6922d..00000000
--- a/packages/espree/tests/fixtures/ecma-features/globalReturn/return-true.src.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-return true;
diff --git a/packages/espree/tests/lib/ecma-features.test.js b/packages/espree/tests/lib/ecma-features.test.js
index 99cd2f55..3e691363 100644
--- a/packages/espree/tests/lib/ecma-features.test.js
+++ b/packages/espree/tests/lib/ecma-features.test.js
@@ -43,20 +43,21 @@ function shouldThrowInTestsWhenEnabled(feature) {
 
 describe("ecmaFeatures", () => {
 
-    let config;
-
-    beforeEach(() => {
-        config = {
-            loc: true,
-            range: true,
-            tokens: true,
-            ecmaVersion: 6,
-            ecmaFeatures: {}
-        };
-    });
     testFiles.forEach(filename => {
         describe(filename, () => {
 
+            let config;
+
+            beforeEach(() => {
+                config = {
+                    loc: true,
+                    range: true,
+                    tokens: true,
+                    ecmaVersion: 6,
+                    ecmaFeatures: {}
+                };
+            });
+
             // Uncomment and fill in filename to focus on a single file
             // var filename = "jsx/invalid-matching-placeholder-in-closing-tag";
             const feature = path.dirname(filename),
@@ -81,4 +82,12 @@ describe("ecmaFeatures", () => {
             });
         });
     });
+
+    describe("globalReturn", () => {
+        it("should throw an error when globalReturn is specified", () => {
+            assert.throws(() => {
+                espree.parse("foo", { ecmaFeatures: { globalReturn: true } });
+            }, /`ecmaFeatures\.globalReturn` has been removed\. To allow top-level return statements, set `sourceType` to 'commonjs'\./u);
+        });
+    });
 });