diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 2efe9fa23..f73907c04 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -697,10 +697,6 @@ else()
       message(STATUS "Selecting VFP for ARMv6")
       set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} -mfpu=vfp")
       set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -mfpu=vfp")
-      if(DEPENDS)
-        set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} -marm")
-        set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -marm")
-      endif()
     endif(ARM6)
 
     if(ARM7)
@@ -830,11 +826,7 @@ add_library(icu INTERFACE)
 if(MINGW)
   set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG} -Wa,-mbig-obj")
   target_link_libraries(extra INTERFACE mswsock ws2_32 iphlpapi crypt32 bcrypt)
-  if(DEPENDS)
-    link_dep_libs(icu INTERFACE "" icuio icui18n icuuc icudata icutu iconv)
-  else()
-    link_dep_libs(icu INTERFACE "" icuio icuin icuuc icudt icutu iconv)
-  endif()
+  link_dep_libs(icu INTERFACE "" icuio icuin icuuc icudt icutu iconv)
 elseif(FREEBSD)
   target_link_libraries(extra INTERFACE execinfo)
 elseif(DRAGONFLY)
@@ -843,14 +835,10 @@ elseif(DRAGONFLY)
 elseif(CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME MATCHES "(SunOS|Solaris)")
   target_link_libraries(extra INTERFACE socket nsl resolv)
 elseif(APPLE)
-  if(DEPENDS)
-    target_link_libraries(extra INTERFACE "-framework Foundation" "-framework IOKit" "-framework AppKit" "-framework IOKit")
-  else()
-    find_library(COREFOUNDATION CoreFoundation)
-    find_library(IOKIT IOKit)
-    target_link_libraries(extra INTERFACE ${IOKIT} ${COREFOUNDATION})
-  endif()
-elseif(NOT (MSVC OR DEPENDS OR APPLE OR OPENBSD OR ANDROID))
+  find_library(COREFOUNDATION CoreFoundation)
+  find_library(IOKIT IOKit)
+  target_link_libraries(extra INTERFACE ${IOKIT} ${COREFOUNDATION})
+elseif(NOT (MSVC OR APPLE OR OPENBSD OR ANDROID))
   find_library(RT rt)
   target_link_libraries(extra INTERFACE rt)
 endif()
@@ -865,7 +853,7 @@ else()
   option(USE_READLINE "Build with GNU readline support." ON)
   if(USE_READLINE AND BUILD_STATIC_DEPS)
     # readline target already set up
-  elseif(USE_READLINE AND NOT DEPENDS)
+  elseif(USE_READLINE)
     find_package(Readline)
     if(READLINE_FOUND AND GNU_READLINE_FOUND)
       add_library(readline INTERFACE)
@@ -876,14 +864,6 @@ else()
     else()
       message(STATUS "Could not find GNU readline library so building without readline support")
     endif()
-  elseif(USE_READLINE AND DEPENDS AND NOT MINGW)
-    find_path(Readline_INCLUDE_PATH readline/readline.h)
-    find_library(Readline_LIBRARY readline)
-    find_library(Terminfo_LIBRARY tinfo)
-    add_library(readline INTERFACE)
-    target_link_libraries(readline INTERFACE ${Readline_LIBRARY} ${Terminfo_LIBRARY})
-    target_include_directories(readline INTERFACE ${Readline_INCLUDE_PATH})
-    target_compile_definitions(readline INTERFACE HAVE_READLINE)
   endif()
 endif()
 
diff --git a/external/CMakeLists.txt b/external/CMakeLists.txt
index 83459f010..a3c55d6bf 100644
--- a/external/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/external/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -74,14 +74,6 @@ endif()
 
 if(NOT LOKIMQ_FOUND)
   message(STATUS "Using in-tree oxenmq")
-  if (DEPENDS)
-    # The depends system builds a static libzmq so set up a target loki-mq can use to avoid building
-    add_library(libzmq STATIC IMPORTED GLOBAL)
-    set_target_properties(libzmq PROPERTIES IMPORTED_LOCATION ${ZMQ_LIBRARIES})
-    target_link_libraries(libzmq INTERFACE sodium)
-    target_include_directories(libzmq INTERFACE ${ZMQ_INCLUDE_DIRS})
-    message(STATUS "${ZMQ_INCLUDE_DIRS} ${ZMQ_LIBRARIES}")
-  endif()
   add_subdirectory(loki-mq)
 else()
   add_library(oxenmq INTERFACE)
diff --git a/src/common/CMakeLists.txt b/src/common/CMakeLists.txt
index 9163be4ac..1365732d8 100644
--- a/src/common/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/common/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -86,7 +86,6 @@ if(STACK_TRACE)
 # On ARM, having libunwind package (with .so's only) installed breaks static link.
 # When possible, avoid stack tracing using libunwind in favor of using easylogging++.
   if (APPLE)
-  elseif (DEPENDS AND NOT LINUX)
   elseif(CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID STREQUAL "GNU" AND NOT MINGW)
     target_link_libraries(common PRIVATE easylogging) # for diag output only
   elseif (ARM AND STATIC)