diff --git a/functions-common b/functions-common
index a13d611415..6be07b42bb 100644
--- a/functions-common
+++ b/functions-common
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@
 # - ``RECLONE``
 # - ``REQUIREMENTS_DIR``
 # - ``STACK_USER``
-# - ``TRACK_DEPENDS``
 # - ``http_proxy``, ``https_proxy``, ``no_proxy``
 #
 
@@ -44,7 +43,6 @@ declare -A -g GITREPO
 declare -A -g GITBRANCH
 declare -A -g GITDIR
 
-TRACK_DEPENDS=${TRACK_DEPENDS:-False}
 KILL_PATH="$(which kill)"
 
 # Save these variables to .stackenv
@@ -2075,11 +2073,7 @@ function _safe_permission_operation {
         return 0
     fi
 
-    if [[ $TRACK_DEPENDS = True ]]; then
-        sudo_cmd="env"
-    else
-        sudo_cmd="sudo"
-    fi
+    sudo_cmd="sudo"
 
     $xtrace
     $sudo_cmd $@
diff --git a/inc/python b/inc/python
index 81b6a960a4..fd43cef932 100644
--- a/inc/python
+++ b/inc/python
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ function disable_python3_package {
 
 # Wrapper for ``pip install`` to set cache and proxy environment variables
 # Uses globals ``OFFLINE``, ``PIP_VIRTUAL_ENV``,
-# ``PIP_UPGRADE``, ``TRACK_DEPENDS``, ``*_proxy``,
+# ``PIP_UPGRADE``, ``*_proxy``,
 # Usage:
 #  pip_install pip_arguments
 function pip_install {
@@ -219,37 +219,28 @@ function pip_install {
     # this works (for now...)
     local package_dir=${!#%\[*\]}
 
-    if [[ $TRACK_DEPENDS = True && ! "$@" =~ virtualenv ]]; then
-        # TRACK_DEPENDS=True installation creates a circular dependency when
-        # we attempt to install virtualenv into a virtualenv, so we must global
-        # that installation.
-        source $DEST/.venv/bin/activate
-        local cmd_pip=$DEST/.venv/bin/pip
+    if [[ -n ${PIP_VIRTUAL_ENV:=} && -d ${PIP_VIRTUAL_ENV} ]]; then
+        local cmd_pip=$PIP_VIRTUAL_ENV/bin/pip
         local sudo_pip="env"
     else
-        if [[ -n ${PIP_VIRTUAL_ENV:=} && -d ${PIP_VIRTUAL_ENV} ]]; then
-            local cmd_pip=$PIP_VIRTUAL_ENV/bin/pip
-            local sudo_pip="env"
-        else
-            local cmd_pip
-            cmd_pip=$(get_pip_command $PYTHON2_VERSION)
-            local sudo_pip="sudo -H"
-            if python3_enabled; then
-                # Special case some services that have experimental
-                # support for python3 in progress, but don't claim support
-                # in their classifier
-                echo "Check python version for : $package_dir"
-                if python3_disabled_for ${package_dir##*/}; then
-                    echo "Explicitly using $PYTHON2_VERSION version to install $package_dir based on DISABLED_PYTHON3_PACKAGES"
-                else
-                    # For everything that is not explicitly blacklisted with
-                    # DISABLED_PYTHON3_PACKAGES, assume it supports python3
-                    # and we will let pip sort out the install, regardless of
-                    # the package being local or remote.
-                    echo "Using $PYTHON3_VERSION version to install $package_dir based on default behavior"
-                    sudo_pip="$sudo_pip LC_ALL=en_US.UTF-8"
-                    cmd_pip=$(get_pip_command $PYTHON3_VERSION)
-                fi
+        local cmd_pip
+        cmd_pip=$(get_pip_command $PYTHON2_VERSION)
+        local sudo_pip="sudo -H"
+        if python3_enabled; then
+            # Special case some services that have experimental
+            # support for python3 in progress, but don't claim support
+            # in their classifier
+            echo "Check python version for : $package_dir"
+            if python3_disabled_for ${package_dir##*/}; then
+                echo "Explicitly using $PYTHON2_VERSION version to install $package_dir based on DISABLED_PYTHON3_PACKAGES"
+            else
+                # For everything that is not explicitly blacklisted with
+                # DISABLED_PYTHON3_PACKAGES, assume it supports python3
+                # and we will let pip sort out the install, regardless of
+                # the package being local or remote.
+                echo "Using $PYTHON3_VERSION version to install $package_dir based on default behavior"
+                sudo_pip="$sudo_pip LC_ALL=en_US.UTF-8"
+                cmd_pip=$(get_pip_command $PYTHON3_VERSION)
             fi
         fi
     fi
diff --git a/stack.sh b/stack.sh
index d0206ebac0..089510fa48 100755
--- a/stack.sh
+++ b/stack.sh
@@ -796,19 +796,6 @@ if [[ "$OFFLINE" != "True" ]]; then
     PYPI_ALTERNATIVE_URL=${PYPI_ALTERNATIVE_URL:-""} $TOP_DIR/tools/install_pip.sh
 fi
 
-TRACK_DEPENDS=${TRACK_DEPENDS:-False}
-
-# Install Python packages into a virtualenv so that we can track them
-if [[ $TRACK_DEPENDS = True ]]; then
-    echo_summary "Installing Python packages into a virtualenv $DEST/.venv"
-    pip_install -U virtualenv
-
-    rm -rf $DEST/.venv
-    virtualenv --system-site-packages $DEST/.venv
-    source $DEST/.venv/bin/activate
-    $DEST/.venv/bin/pip freeze > $DEST/requires-pre-pip
-fi
-
 # Do the ugly hacks for broken packages and distros
 source $TOP_DIR/tools/fixup_stuff.sh
 fixup_all
@@ -997,17 +984,6 @@ fi
 # osc commands. Alias dies with stack.sh.
 install_oscwrap
 
-if [[ $TRACK_DEPENDS = True ]]; then
-    $DEST/.venv/bin/pip freeze > $DEST/requires-post-pip
-    if ! diff -Nru $DEST/requires-pre-pip $DEST/requires-post-pip > $DEST/requires.diff; then
-        echo "Detect some changes for installed packages of pip, in depend tracking mode"
-        cat $DEST/requires.diff
-    fi
-    echo "Ran stack.sh in depend tracking mode, bailing out now"
-    exit 0
-fi
-
-
 # Syslog
 # ------