diff --git a/Doc/distutils/apiref.rst b/Doc/distutils/apiref.rst
index 6541fc2..bce22bf 100644
--- a/Doc/distutils/apiref.rst
+++ b/Doc/distutils/apiref.rst
@@ -995,7 +995,7 @@
    errors are ignored (apart from being reported to ``sys.stdout`` if *verbose* is
    true).
 
-**\*\*** Some of this could be replaced with the shutil module? **\*\***
+.. XXX Some of this could be replaced with the shutil module?
 
 
 :mod:`distutils.file_util` --- Single file operations
@@ -1311,8 +1311,7 @@
   the "negative alias" of :option:`--verbose`, then :option:`--quiet` on the
   command line sets *verbose* to false.
 
-**\*\*** Should be replaced with :mod:`optik` (which is also now known as
-:mod:`optparse` in Python 2.3 and later). **\*\***
+.. XXX Should be replaced with :mod:`optparse`.
 
 
 .. function:: fancy_getopt(options, negative_opt, object, args)
diff --git a/Doc/distutils/builtdist.rst b/Doc/distutils/builtdist.rst
index 5832552..8ce94d3 100644
--- a/Doc/distutils/builtdist.rst
+++ b/Doc/distutils/builtdist.rst
@@ -146,8 +146,8 @@
 Creating dumb built distributions
 =================================
 
-**\*\*** Need to document absolute vs. prefix-relative packages here, but first
-I have to implement it! **\*\***
+.. XXX Need to document absolute vs. prefix-relative packages here, but first
+       I have to implement it!
 
 
 .. _creating-rpms:
diff --git a/Doc/distutils/setupscript.rst b/Doc/distutils/setupscript.rst
index faefd21..e457918 100644
--- a/Doc/distutils/setupscript.rst
+++ b/Doc/distutils/setupscript.rst
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@
 SWIG on the interface file and compile the resulting C/C++ file into your
 extension.
 
-**\*\*** SWIG support is rough around the edges and largely untested! **\*\***
+.. XXX SWIG support is rough around the edges and largely untested!
 
 This warning notwithstanding, options to SWIG can be currently passed like
 this::
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@
 (Again, this sort of non-portable construct should be avoided if you intend to
 distribute your code.)
 
-**\*\*** Should mention clib libraries here or somewhere else! **\*\***
+.. XXX Should mention clib libraries here or somewhere else!
 
 
 Other options
diff --git a/Doc/distutils/sourcedist.rst b/Doc/distutils/sourcedist.rst
index f6809c9..2cfdf69 100644
--- a/Doc/distutils/sourcedist.rst
+++ b/Doc/distutils/sourcedist.rst
@@ -76,10 +76,10 @@
   :option:`packages` options
 
 * all C source files mentioned in the :option:`ext_modules` or
-  :option:`libraries` options (
+  :option:`libraries` options
 
-  **\*\*** getting C library sources currently broken---no
-  :meth:`get_source_files` method in :file:`build_clib.py`! **\*\***)
+  .. XXX Getting C library sources is currently broken -- no
+     :meth:`get_source_files` method in :file:`build_clib.py`!
 
 * scripts identified by the :option:`scripts` option
   See :ref:`distutils-installing-scripts`.