diff --git a/lib/wscript_build b/lib/wscript_build
index 2432df5e2f0..94bc7642a99 100644
--- a/lib/wscript_build
+++ b/lib/wscript_build
@@ -1,29 +1,5 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
 
-import os, Options
-
-# work out what python external libraries we need to install
-external_libs = {
-    }
-
-list = []
-
-for module, package in external_libs.items():
-    try:
-        __import__(module)
-    except ImportError:
-        list.append(package)
-
-for e in list:
-    bld.INSTALL_WILDCARD('${PYTHONARCHDIR}/samba/external', e + '/**/*', flat=False,
-                         exclude='*.pyc', trim_path=os.path.dirname(e))
-
-bld.SAMBA_GENERATOR('external_init_py',
-                    rule='touch ${TGT}',
-                    target='empty_file')
-
-bld.INSTALL_FILES('${PYTHONARCHDIR}/samba/external', 'empty_file', destname='__init__.py')
-
 # a grouping library for event and socket related subsystems
 bld.SAMBA_LIBRARY('samba-sockets',
                   source=[],
diff --git a/python/samba/__init__.py b/python/samba/__init__.py
index 0cbdec7800c..1d1f27db55a 100644
--- a/python/samba/__init__.py
+++ b/python/samba/__init__.py
@@ -354,22 +354,6 @@ def ensure_third_party_module(modulename, location):
             namespace="samba.third_party")
 
 
-def ensure_external_module(modulename, location):
-    """Add a location to sys.path if an external dependency can't be found.
-
-    :param modulename: Module name to import
-    :param location: Location to add to sys.path (can be relative to
-        ${srcdir}/lib)
-    """
-    # This is deprecated - please use ensure_third_party_module for
-    # new modules instead, and put them in third_party/.
-    try:
-        __import__(modulename)
-    except ImportError:
-        import_bundled_package(modulename, location,
-            source_tree_container="lib", namespace="samba.external")
-
-
 def dn_from_dns_name(dnsdomain):
     """return a DN from a DNS name domain/forest root"""
     return "DC=" + ",DC=".join(dnsdomain.split("."))