diff --git a/features.json b/features.json
index 5c4ee8a2222..d9caf942b7a 100644
--- a/features.json
+++ b/features.json
@@ -35,10 +35,10 @@
     "ember-views.render-double-modify": "2.0.0",
     "ember-routing.router-resource": "2.0.0",
     "ember-routing.top-level-render-helper": "2.11.0",
+    "ember-runtime.controller-content": "2.16.0",
     "ember-runtime.controller-proxy": "2.0.0",
     "ember-runtime.action-handler-_actions": "2.0.0",
     "ember-runtime.enumerable-contains": "2.7.0",
-    "ember-runtime.will-merge-mixin": "2.0.0",
     "ember-runtime.frozen-copy": "2.0.0",
     "ember-runtime.freezable-init": "2.0.0",
     "ember-string-utils.fmt": "2.0.0",
diff --git a/packages/ember-runtime/lib/mixins/controller.js b/packages/ember-runtime/lib/mixins/controller.js
index c5363b6d4ff..bf7dd073ff4 100644
--- a/packages/ember-runtime/lib/mixins/controller.js
+++ b/packages/ember-runtime/lib/mixins/controller.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { Mixin, alias } from 'ember-metal';
+import { deprecatingAlias } from 'ember-runtime';
 import ActionHandler from './action_handler';
-import ControllerContentModelAliasDeprecation from './controller_content_model_alias_deprecation';
 
 /**
   @class ControllerMixin
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import ControllerContentModelAliasDeprecation from './controller_content_model_a
   @uses Ember.ActionHandler
   @private
 */
-export default Mixin.create(ActionHandler, ControllerContentModelAliasDeprecation, {
+export default Mixin.create(ActionHandler, {
   /* ducktype as a controller */
   isController: true,
 
@@ -38,12 +38,15 @@ export default Mixin.create(ActionHandler, ControllerContentModelAliasDeprecatio
 
     @property model
     @public
-   */
+  */
   model: null,
 
   /**
     @private
   */
-  content: alias('model')
-
+  content: deprecatingAlias('model', {
+    id: 'ember-runtime.controller.content-alias',
+    until: '2.16.0',
+    url: 'https://emberjs.com/deprecations/v2.x#toc_controller-content-alias'
+  })
 });
diff --git a/packages/ember-runtime/lib/mixins/controller_content_model_alias_deprecation.js b/packages/ember-runtime/lib/mixins/controller_content_model_alias_deprecation.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 4f59c8fa383..00000000000
--- a/packages/ember-runtime/lib/mixins/controller_content_model_alias_deprecation.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,49 +0,0 @@
-import { Mixin } from 'ember-metal';
-import { deprecate } from 'ember-debug';
-
-/*
-  The ControllerContentModelAliasDeprecation mixin is used to provide a useful
-  deprecation warning when specifying `content` directly on a `Ember.Controller`
-  (without also specifying `model`).
-
-  Ember versions prior to 1.7 used `model` as an alias of `content`, but due to
-  much confusion this alias was reversed (so `content` is now an alias of `model).
-
-  This change reduces many caveats with model/content, and also sets a
-  simple ground rule: Never set a controllers content, rather always set
-  its model and ember will do the right thing.
-
-  Used internally by Ember in `Ember.Controller`.
-*/
-export default Mixin.create({
-  /**
-    @private
-
-    Moves `content` to `model`  at extend time if a `model` is not also specified.
-
-    Note that this currently modifies the mixin themselves, which is technically
-    dubious but is practically of little consequence. This may change in the
-    future.
-
-    @method willMergeMixin
-    @since 1.4.0
-  */
-  willMergeMixin(props) {
-    // Calling super is only OK here since we KNOW that
-    // there is another Mixin loaded first.
-    this._super(...arguments);
-
-    let modelSpecified = !!props.model;
-
-    if (props.content && !modelSpecified) {
-      props.model = props.content;
-      delete props['content'];
-
-      deprecate(
-        'Do not specify `content` on a Controller, use `model` instead.',
-        false,
-        { id: 'ember-runtime.will-merge-mixin', until: '3.0.0' }
-      );
-    }
-  }
-});