diff --git a/Doc/distutils/apiref.rst b/Doc/distutils/apiref.rst
index 69ec0de..26d04d1 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
@@ -1311,9 +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 optparse
 
 .. function:: fancy_getopt(options, negative_opt, object, args)
 
diff --git a/Doc/distutils/builtdist.rst b/Doc/distutils/builtdist.rst
index ee06fb4..d3c067b 100644
--- a/Doc/distutils/builtdist.rst
+++ b/Doc/distutils/builtdist.rst
@@ -141,13 +141,13 @@
 commands.
 
 
-.. _creating-dumb:
+.. .. _creating-dumb:
 
-Creating dumb built distributions
-=================================
+.. 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/commandref.rst b/Doc/distutils/commandref.rst
index fbe40de..6a2ac96 100644
--- a/Doc/distutils/commandref.rst
+++ b/Doc/distutils/commandref.rst
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@
 Creating a source distribution: the :command:`sdist` command
 ============================================================
 
-**\*\*** fragment moved down from above: needs context! **\*\***
+.. XXX fragment moved down from above: needs context!
 
 The manifest template commands are:
 
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@
 character" is platform-specific: on Unix it is anything except slash; on Windows
 anything except backslash or colon.
 
-**\*\*** Windows support not there yet **\*\***
+.. XXX Windows support not there yet
 
 .. % \section{Creating a built distribution: the
 .. % \protect\command{bdist} command family}
diff --git a/Doc/distutils/setupscript.rst b/Doc/distutils/setupscript.rst
index 5ec94c7..9208e36 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 96e891b..b829f1d 100644
--- a/Doc/distutils/sourcedist.rst
+++ b/Doc/distutils/sourcedist.rst
@@ -70,8 +70,8 @@
 * all C source files mentioned in the :option:`ext_modules` or
   :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 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`.