diff --git a/INSTALL b/INSTALL
index b131f1f4e..503c1a53a 100644
--- a/INSTALL
+++ b/INSTALL
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 Install the dependencies:
 
-apt-get install libpython2.7 pandoc psmisc python2.7 python-bcrypt python-cherrypy3 python-django python-passlib python-simplejson python-bootstrapform libjs-twitter-bootstrap sudo
+apt-get install libpython2.7 pandoc psmisc python2.7 python-bcrypt python-cherrypy3 python-django python-passlib python-bootstrapform libjs-twitter-bootstrap sudo
 
 Unzip and untar the source into a directory.  Change to the directory
 containing the program. Run:
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 71990e49f..298bc0bb5 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ default: config dirs docs
 all: default
 
 predepend:
-	sudo sh -c "apt-get install libpython2.7 pandoc psmisc python2.7 python-bcrypt python-cherrypy3 python-django python-passlib python-simplejson python-bootstrapform libjs-twitter-bootstrap sudo"
+	sudo sh -c "apt-get install libpython2.7 pandoc psmisc python2.7 python-bcrypt python-cherrypy3 python-django python-passlib python-bootstrapform libjs-twitter-bootstrap sudo"
 	git submodule init
 	git submodule update
 	touch predepend
diff --git a/fabfile.py b/fabfile.py
index f56e08b29..c8bde9722 100644
--- a/fabfile.py
+++ b/fabfile.py
@@ -7,10 +7,7 @@
 # plinth box
 
 import os,sys, subprocess
-try:
-    import simplejson as json
-except ImportError:
-    import json
+import json
 import fabric.api
 from fabric.api import local, env, cd, put, get, task
 
@@ -150,7 +147,7 @@ def apache():
 @task
 def deps():
    "Basic plinth dependencies"
-   sudo('apt-get install --no-install-recommends -y python make pandoc python-simplejson python-pyme python-django python-bootstrapform libjs-twitter-bootstrap')
+   sudo('apt-get install --no-install-recommends -y python make pandoc python-pyme python-django python-bootstrapform libjs-twitter-bootstrap')
 
 @task
 def update():
diff --git a/filedict.py b/filedict.py
index d4f9a35ad..94f779759 100644
--- a/filedict.py
+++ b/filedict.py
@@ -5,13 +5,9 @@ Author: Erez Shinan
 Date  : 31-May-2009
 """
 
-try:
-    import simplejson as json ## jlv replaced pickle with json
-except ImportError:
-    import json
+import json
  
 import UserDict
-##import cPickle as pickle
  
 import sqlite3
  
diff --git a/modules/installed/lib/user_store.py b/modules/installed/lib/user_store.py
index 595e83893..41d13f947 100644
--- a/modules/installed/lib/user_store.py
+++ b/modules/installed/lib/user_store.py
@@ -1,8 +1,3 @@
-import os
-try:
-    import simplejson as json
-except ImportError:
-    import json
 import cherrypy
 import cfg
 from model import User
diff --git a/modules/installed/santiago/santiago.py b/modules/installed/santiago/santiago.py
index 6d179c50b..b052daab7 100644
--- a/modules/installed/santiago/santiago.py
+++ b/modules/installed/santiago/santiago.py
@@ -7,10 +7,6 @@ haven't figured that one all the way through yet.
 
 import os, sys
 import cherrypy
-try:
-    import simplejson as json
-except ImportError:
-    import json
 from gettext import gettext as _
 from plugin_mount import PagePlugin
 from modules.auth import require
diff --git a/modules/installed/system/config.py b/modules/installed/system/config.py
index dde4329e3..d39777e29 100644
--- a/modules/installed/system/config.py
+++ b/modules/installed/system/config.py
@@ -23,10 +23,7 @@ import cherrypy
 from django import forms
 from django.core import validators
 from gettext import gettext as _
-try:
-    import simplejson as json
-except ImportError:
-    import json
+import json
 import os
 import socket