diff --git a/ci/deploy.sh b/ci/deploy.sh
index 2fd303e05..e72611d5c 100755
--- a/ci/deploy.sh
+++ b/ci/deploy.sh
@@ -48,8 +48,7 @@ git config --global commit.gpgsign true
 
 git clone git@github.com:nix-community/nur-combined
 
-result/bin/nur combine \
-  --irc-notify nur-bot@chat.freenode.net:6697/nixos-nur nur-combined
+result/bin/nur combine
 
 if [[ -z "$(git diff --exit-code)" ]]; then
   echo "No changes to the output on this push; exiting."
diff --git a/nur/__init__.py b/nur/__init__.py
index fab7ca290..ff03df55d 100644
--- a/nur/__init__.py
+++ b/nur/__init__.py
@@ -28,11 +28,6 @@ def parse_arguments(argv: List[str]) -> argparse.Namespace:
     subparsers = parser.add_subparsers(description="subcommands")
 
     combine = subparsers.add_parser("combine")
-    combine.add_argument(
-        "--irc-notify",
-        type=str,
-        help="Example nur-bot@chat.freenode.net:6697/nixos-nur",
-    )
     combine.add_argument("directory")
     combine.set_defaults(func=combine_command)
 
diff --git a/nur/combine.py b/nur/combine.py
index f9a299ead..a0e43d4d3 100644
--- a/nur/combine.py
+++ b/nur/combine.py
@@ -182,16 +182,4 @@ def combine_command(args: Namespace) -> None:
 
     with chdir(combined_path):
         setup_combined()
-    notifications = update_combined(combined_path)
-
-    if args.irc_notify:
-        try:
-            from .irc_notify import send
-        except ImportError as e:
-            print(f"failed to import irc_notify, skipping notification: {e}")
-            return
-
-        try:
-            send(args.irc_notify, notifications)
-        except Exception as e:
-            print(f"failed to send irc notifications: {e}")
+    update_combined(combined_path)
diff --git a/nur/irc_notify.py b/nur/irc_notify.py
deleted file mode 100644
index f826bbfb3..000000000
--- a/nur/irc_notify.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,86 +0,0 @@
-import ssl
-from typing import List, Optional
-from urllib.parse import urlparse
-
-from irc.client import Connection, Event, Reactor, ServerConnectionError, is_channel
-from irc.connection import Factory
-
-
-class Exit(SystemExit):
-    pass
-
-
-def send(url: str, notifications: List[str]) -> None:
-    parsed = urlparse(f"http://{url}")
-    username = parsed.username or "nur-bot"
-    server = parsed.hostname or "chat.freenode.de"
-    if parsed.path != "/" or parsed.path == "":
-        channel = f"#{parsed.path[1:]}"
-    else:
-        channel = "#nixos-nur"
-    port = parsed.port or 6697
-    password = parsed.password
-    if len(notifications) == 0:
-        return
-    _send(
-        notifications=notifications,
-        nickname=username,
-        password=password,
-        server=server,
-        channel=channel,
-        port=port,
-    )
-
-
-class _send:
-    def __init__(
-        self,
-        notifications: List[str],
-        server: str,
-        nickname: str,
-        port: int,
-        channel: str,
-        password: Optional[str] = None,
-        use_ssl: bool = True,
-    ) -> None:
-        self.notifications = notifications
-        self.channel = channel
-
-        ssl_factory = None
-        if use_ssl:
-            ssl_factory = Factory(wrapper=ssl.wrap_socket)
-        reactor = Reactor()
-        try:
-            s = reactor.server()
-            c = s.connect(
-                server, port, nickname, password=password, connect_factory=ssl_factory
-            )
-        except ServerConnectionError as e:
-            print(f"error sending irc notification {e}")
-            return
-
-        c.add_global_handler("welcome", self.on_connect)
-        c.add_global_handler("join", self.on_join)
-        c.add_global_handler("disconnect", self.on_disconnect)
-
-        try:
-            reactor.process_forever()
-        except Exit:
-            pass
-
-    def on_connect(self, connection: Connection, event: Event) -> None:
-        if is_channel(self.channel):
-            connection.join(self.channel)
-            return
-        self.main_loop(connection)
-
-    def on_join(self, connection: Connection, event: Event) -> None:
-        self.main_loop(connection)
-
-    def on_disconnect(self, connection: Connection, event: Event) -> None:
-        raise Exit()
-
-    def main_loop(self, connection: Connection) -> None:
-        for notification in self.notifications:
-            connection.privmsg(self.channel, notification)
-        connection.quit("Bye")
diff --git a/release.nix b/release.nix
index 0fcf5fee9..e5840565b 100644
--- a/release.nix
+++ b/release.nix
@@ -6,8 +6,6 @@ python3Packages.buildPythonApplication {
   name = "nur";
   src = ./.;
 
-  propagatedBuildInputs = [ python3Packages.irc ];
-
   makeWrapperArgs = [
     "--prefix" "PATH" ":" "${stdenv.lib.makeBinPath [ nix-prefetch-git git nix ]}"
     "--set" "LOCALE_ARCHIVE" "${glibcLocales}/lib/locale/locale-archive"
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 431d30867..4332d5454 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ setup(
     license="MIT",
     packages=find_packages(),
     entry_points={"console_scripts": ["nur = nur:main"]},
-    install_requires=["irc"],
     extras_require={"dev": ["mypy", "flake8>=3.5,<3.6", "black"]},
     classifiers=[
         "Development Status :: 5 - Production/Stable",