diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index c42416e..a6b09fe 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -363,6 +363,7 @@
             inc_dirs += os.getenv('C_INCLUDE_PATH', '').split(os.pathsep)
 
         # OSF/1 and Unixware have some stuff in /usr/ccs/lib (like -ldb)
+        # XXX db is not needed anymore, should this be removed?
         if platform in ['osf1', 'unixware7', 'openunix8']:
             lib_dirs += ['/usr/ccs/lib']
 
@@ -625,179 +626,6 @@
             exts.append( Extension('_md5', ['md5module.c']) )
             exts.append( Extension('_sha1', ['sha1module.c']) )
 
-        # Modules that provide persistent dictionary-like semantics.  You will
-        # probably want to arrange for at least one of them to be available on
-        # your machine, though none are defined by default because of library
-        # dependencies.  The Python module dbm/__init__.py provides an
-        # implementation independent wrapper for these; dbm/dumb.py provides
-        # similar functionality (but slower of course) implemented in Python.
-
-        # Sleepycat^WOracle Berkeley DB interface.
-        #  http://www.oracle.com/database/berkeley-db/db/index.html
-        #
-        # This requires the Sleepycat^WOracle DB code. The supported versions
-        # are set below.  Visit the URL above to download
-        # a release.  Most open source OSes come with one or more
-        # versions of BerkeleyDB already installed.
-
-        max_db_ver = (4, 7)
-        min_db_ver = (3, 3)
-        db_setup_debug = False   # verbose debug prints from this script?
-
-        def allow_db_ver(db_ver):
-            """Returns a boolean if the given BerkeleyDB version is acceptable.
-
-            Args:
-              db_ver: A tuple of the version to verify.
-            """
-            if not (min_db_ver <= db_ver <= max_db_ver):
-                return False
-            return True
-
-        def gen_db_minor_ver_nums(major):
-            if major == 4:
-                for x in range(max_db_ver[1]+1):
-                    if allow_db_ver((4, x)):
-                        yield x
-            elif major == 3:
-                for x in (3,):
-                    if allow_db_ver((3, x)):
-                        yield x
-            else:
-                raise ValueError("unknown major BerkeleyDB version", major)
-
-        # construct a list of paths to look for the header file in on
-        # top of the normal inc_dirs.
-        db_inc_paths = [
-            '/usr/include/db4',
-            '/usr/local/include/db4',
-            '/opt/sfw/include/db4',
-            '/usr/include/db3',
-            '/usr/local/include/db3',
-            '/opt/sfw/include/db3',
-            # Fink defaults (http://fink.sourceforge.net/)
-            '/sw/include/db4',
-            '/sw/include/db3',
-        ]
-        # 4.x minor number specific paths
-        for x in gen_db_minor_ver_nums(4):
-            db_inc_paths.append('/usr/include/db4%d' % x)
-            db_inc_paths.append('/usr/include/db4.%d' % x)
-            db_inc_paths.append('/usr/local/BerkeleyDB.4.%d/include' % x)
-            db_inc_paths.append('/usr/local/include/db4%d' % x)
-            db_inc_paths.append('/pkg/db-4.%d/include' % x)
-            db_inc_paths.append('/opt/db-4.%d/include' % x)
-            # MacPorts default (http://www.macports.org/)
-            db_inc_paths.append('/opt/local/include/db4%d' % x)
-        # 3.x minor number specific paths
-        for x in gen_db_minor_ver_nums(3):
-            db_inc_paths.append('/usr/include/db3%d' % x)
-            db_inc_paths.append('/usr/local/BerkeleyDB.3.%d/include' % x)
-            db_inc_paths.append('/usr/local/include/db3%d' % x)
-            db_inc_paths.append('/pkg/db-3.%d/include' % x)
-            db_inc_paths.append('/opt/db-3.%d/include' % x)
-
-        # Add some common subdirectories for Sleepycat DB to the list,
-        # based on the standard include directories. This way DB3/4 gets
-        # picked up when it is installed in a non-standard prefix and
-        # the user has added that prefix into inc_dirs.
-        std_variants = []
-        for dn in inc_dirs:
-            std_variants.append(os.path.join(dn, 'db3'))
-            std_variants.append(os.path.join(dn, 'db4'))
-            for x in gen_db_minor_ver_nums(4):
-                std_variants.append(os.path.join(dn, "db4%d"%x))
-                std_variants.append(os.path.join(dn, "db4.%d"%x))
-            for x in gen_db_minor_ver_nums(3):
-                std_variants.append(os.path.join(dn, "db3%d"%x))
-                std_variants.append(os.path.join(dn, "db3.%d"%x))
-
-        db_inc_paths = std_variants + db_inc_paths
-        db_inc_paths = [p for p in db_inc_paths if os.path.exists(p)]
-
-        db_ver_inc_map = {}
-
-        class db_found(Exception): pass
-        try:
-            # See whether there is a Sleepycat header in the standard
-            # search path.
-            for d in inc_dirs + db_inc_paths:
-                f = os.path.join(d, "db.h")
-                if db_setup_debug: print("db: looking for db.h in", f)
-                if os.path.exists(f):
-                    f = open(f).read()
-                    m = re.search(r"#define\WDB_VERSION_MAJOR\W(\d+)", f)
-                    if m:
-                        db_major = int(m.group(1))
-                        m = re.search(r"#define\WDB_VERSION_MINOR\W(\d+)", f)
-                        db_minor = int(m.group(1))
-                        db_ver = (db_major, db_minor)
-
-                        # Avoid 4.6 prior to 4.6.21 due to a BerkeleyDB bug
-                        if db_ver == (4, 6):
-                            m = re.search(r"#define\WDB_VERSION_PATCH\W(\d+)", f)
-                            db_patch = int(m.group(1))
-                            if db_patch < 21:
-                                print("db.h:", db_ver, "patch", db_patch,
-                                      "being ignored (4.6.x must be >= 4.6.21)")
-                                continue
-
-                        if ( (db_ver not in db_ver_inc_map) and
-                            allow_db_ver(db_ver) ):
-                            # save the include directory with the db.h version
-                            # (first occurrence only)
-                            db_ver_inc_map[db_ver] = d
-                            if db_setup_debug:
-                                print("db.h: found", db_ver, "in", d)
-                        else:
-                            # we already found a header for this library version
-                            if db_setup_debug: print("db.h: ignoring", d)
-                    else:
-                        # ignore this header, it didn't contain a version number
-                        if db_setup_debug:
-                            print("db.h: no version number version in", d)
-
-            db_found_vers = list(db_ver_inc_map.keys())
-            db_found_vers.sort()
-
-            while db_found_vers:
-                db_ver = db_found_vers.pop()
-                db_incdir = db_ver_inc_map[db_ver]
-
-                # check lib directories parallel to the location of the header
-                db_dirs_to_check = [
-                    db_incdir.replace("include", 'lib64'),
-                    db_incdir.replace("include", 'lib'),
-                ]
-                db_dirs_to_check = list(filter(os.path.isdir, db_dirs_to_check))
-
-                # Look for a version specific db-X.Y before an ambiguoius dbX
-                # XXX should we -ever- look for a dbX name?  Do any
-                # systems really not name their library by version and
-                # symlink to more general names?
-                for dblib in (('db-%d.%d' % db_ver),
-                              ('db%d%d' % db_ver),
-                              ('db%d' % db_ver[0])):
-                    dblib_file = self.compiler.find_library_file(
-                                    db_dirs_to_check + lib_dirs, dblib )
-                    if dblib_file:
-                        dblib_dir = [ os.path.abspath(os.path.dirname(dblib_file)) ]
-                        raise db_found
-                    else:
-                        if db_setup_debug: print("db lib: ", dblib, "not found")
-
-        except db_found:
-            if db_setup_debug:
-                print("bsddb using BerkeleyDB lib:", db_ver, dblib)
-                print("bsddb lib dir:", dblib_dir, " inc dir:", db_incdir)
-            db_incs = [db_incdir]
-            dblibs = [dblib]
-        else:
-            if db_setup_debug: print("db: no appropriate library found")
-            db_incs = None
-            dblibs = []
-            dblib_dir = None
-
         # The sqlite interface
         sqlite_setup_debug = False   # verbose debug prints from this script?
 
@@ -902,7 +730,7 @@
             if dbm_args:
                 dbm_order = dbm_args[-1].split(":")
             else:
-                dbm_order = "ndbm:gdbm:bdb".split(":")
+                dbm_order = "ndbm:gdbm".split(":")
             dbmext = None
             for cand in dbm_order:
                 if cand == "ndbm":
@@ -943,18 +771,6 @@
                                     ],
                                 libraries = gdbm_libs)
                             break
-                elif cand == "bdb":
-                    if db_incs is not None:
-                        print("building dbm using bdb")
-                        dbmext = Extension('_dbm', ['_dbmmodule.c'],
-                                           library_dirs=dblib_dir,
-                                           runtime_library_dirs=dblib_dir,
-                                           include_dirs=db_incs,
-                                           define_macros=[
-                                               ('HAVE_BERKDB_H', None),
-                                               ('DB_DBM_HSEARCH', None),
-                                               ],
-                                           libraries=dblibs)
                         break
             if dbmext is not None:
                 exts.append(dbmext)