diff --git a/Doc/lib/libcommands.tex b/Doc/lib/libcommands.tex
index 53b8a20..fa9b464 100644
--- a/Doc/lib/libcommands.tex
+++ b/Doc/lib/libcommands.tex
@@ -39,6 +39,10 @@
 Return the output of \samp{ls -ld \var{file}} as a string.  This
 function uses the \function{getoutput()} function, and properly
 escapes backslashes and dollar signs in the argument.
+
+\deprecated{2.6}{This function is nonobvious and useless,
+                 also the name is misleading in the presence of
+		 \function{getstatusoutput()}.}
 \end{funcdesc}
 
 Example:
diff --git a/Lib/commands.py b/Lib/commands.py
index cfbb541..d19aa1a 100644
--- a/Lib/commands.py
+++ b/Lib/commands.py
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@
 #
 def getstatus(file):
     """Return output of "ls -ld <file>" in a string."""
+    import warnings
+    warnings.warn("commands.getstatus() is deprecated", DeprecationWarning)
     return getoutput('ls -ld' + mkarg(file))