diff --git a/pyethapp/console_service.py b/pyethapp/console_service.py
index cf436fe3..62ff397c 100644
--- a/pyethapp/console_service.py
+++ b/pyethapp/console_service.py
@@ -240,13 +240,7 @@ def block_from_rlp(this, rlp_data):
             solc_wrapper = None
             pass
 
-        try:
-            import serpent
-        except ImportError:
-            serpent = None
-            pass
-
-        self.console_locals = dict(eth=Eth(self.app), solidity=solc_wrapper, serpent=serpent,
+        self.console_locals = dict(eth=Eth(self.app), solidity=solc_wrapper,
                                    denoms=denoms, true=True, false=False, Eth=Eth)
 
         for k, v in list(self.app.script_globals.items()):
diff --git a/pyethapp/eth_service.py b/pyethapp/eth_service.py
index 86befb53..95795624 100644
--- a/pyethapp/eth_service.py
+++ b/pyethapp/eth_service.py
@@ -86,9 +86,11 @@ def run(self):
         try:
             dao_headers = self.deferred.get(block=True, timeout=self.request_timeout)
             log.debug("received DAO challenge answer", proto=self.proto, answer=dao_headers)
-            result = len(dao_headers) == 1 and \
+            # Accept peers without DAO header
+            result = len(dao_headers) == 0 or (
                     dao_headers[0].hash == self.config['DAO_FORK_BLKHASH'] and \
                     dao_headers[0].extra_data == self.config['DAO_FORK_BLKEXTRA']
+            )
             self.chainservice.on_dao_challenge_answer(self.proto, result)
         except gevent.Timeout:
             log.debug('challenge dao timed out', proto=self.proto)
diff --git a/pyethapp/jsonrpc.py b/pyethapp/jsonrpc.py
index 24ccd888..8b1209b6 100644
--- a/pyethapp/jsonrpc.py
+++ b/pyethapp/jsonrpc.py
@@ -716,12 +716,6 @@ def __init__(self):
     def compilers(self):
         if self.compilers_ is None:
             self.compilers_ = {}
-            try:
-                import serpent
-                self.compilers_['serpent'] = serpent.compile
-                self.compilers_['lll'] = serpent.compile_lll
-            except ImportError:
-                pass
             try:
                 import ethereum.tools._solidity
                 s = ethereum.tools._solidity.get_solidity()
@@ -744,22 +738,6 @@ def compileSolidity(self, code):
         except KeyError:
             raise MethodNotFoundError()
 
-    @public
-    @encode_res(data_encoder)
-    def compileSerpent(self, code):
-        try:
-            return self.compilers['serpent'](code)
-        except KeyError:
-            raise MethodNotFoundError()
-
-    @public
-    @encode_res(data_encoder)
-    def compileLLL(self, code):
-        try:
-            return self.compilers['lll'](code)
-        except KeyError:
-            raise MethodNotFoundError()
-
 
 class Miner(Subdispatcher):
 
diff --git a/pyethapp/tests/test_console_service.py b/pyethapp/tests/test_console_service.py
index 6b330f5c..cf9a4815 100644
--- a/pyethapp/tests/test_console_service.py
+++ b/pyethapp/tests/test_console_service.py
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 from builtins import str
 from itertools import count
 import pytest
-import serpent
 from devp2p.peermanager import PeerManager
 import ethereum
 from ethereum.tools import tester
@@ -121,12 +120,11 @@ def fin():
 
 
 def test_send_transaction_with_contract(test_app):
-    serpent_code = '''
-def main(a,b):
-    return(a ^ b)
-'''
     tx_to = b''
-    evm_code = serpent.compile(serpent_code)
+    # Serpent code:
+    # def main(a,b):
+    #     return(a ^ b)
+    evm_code = b'a\x00K\x80a\x00\x0e`\x009a\x00YV|\x01\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00`\x005\x04c\x97\xd8W\xaa\x81\x14\x15a\x00IW`\x045`@R`$5``R``Q`@Q\n`\x80R` `\x80\xf3[P[`\x00\xf3'
     chain = test_app.services.chain.chain
     chainservice = test_app.services.chain
     hc_state = State(chainservice.head_candidate.state_root, chain.env)
diff --git a/pyethapp/tests/test_jsonrpc.py b/pyethapp/tests/test_jsonrpc.py
index caf5eeb4..1e535bc7 100644
--- a/pyethapp/tests/test_jsonrpc.py
+++ b/pyethapp/tests/test_jsonrpc.py
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@
 
 import pytest
 import rlp
-import serpent
 import ethereum
 import ethereum.config
 import ethereum.tools.keys
@@ -580,12 +579,11 @@ def test_send_transaction(test_app):
 
 
 def test_send_transaction_with_contract(test_app):
-    serpent_code = '''
-def main(a,b):
-    return(a ^ b)
-'''
     tx_to = b''
-    evm_code = serpent.compile(serpent_code)
+    # Serpent code:
+    # def main(a,b):
+    #     return(a ^ b)
+    evm_code = b'a\x00K\x80a\x00\x0e`\x009a\x00YV|\x01\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00`\x005\x04c\x97\xd8W\xaa\x81\x14\x15a\x00IW`\x045`@R`$5``R``Q`@Q\n`\x80R` `\x80\xf3[P[`\x00\xf3'
     chainservice = test_app.services.chain
     chain = test_app.services.chain.chain
     state = State(chainservice.head_candidate.state_root, chain.env)
@@ -616,12 +614,11 @@ def main(a,b):
 
 
 def test_send_raw_transaction_with_contract(test_app):
-    serpent_code = '''
-def main(a,b):
-    return(a ^ b)
-'''
     tx_to = b''
-    evm_code = serpent.compile(serpent_code)
+    # Serpent code:
+    # def main(a,b):
+    #     return(a ^ b)
+    evm_code = b'a\x00K\x80a\x00\x0e`\x009a\x00YV|\x01\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00`\x005\x04c\x97\xd8W\xaa\x81\x14\x15a\x00IW`\x045`@R`$5``R``Q`@Q\n`\x80R` `\x80\xf3[P[`\x00\xf3'
     chainservice = test_app.services.chain
     chain = test_app.services.chain.chain
     state = State(chainservice.head_candidate.state_root, chain.env)
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index 17065682..5d7864ab 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -21,4 +21,3 @@ pyelliptic==1.5.7
 tinyrpc[gevent,httpclient,jsonext,websocket,wsgi]
 pycryptodome==3.4.6
 future
-https://github.com/ethereum/serpent/tarball/develop
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 4c081903..388cf0cf 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -30,18 +30,6 @@ def run_tests(self):
 
 LONG_DESCRIPTION = README + '\n\n' + HISTORY
 
-# requirements
-install_requires = set(x.strip() for x in open('requirements.txt'))
-install_requires_replacements = {
-    'https://github.com/ethereum/serpent/tarball/develop': 'ethereum-serpent',
-}
-install_requires = [install_requires_replacements.get(r, r) for r in install_requires]
-
-# dependency links
-dependency_links = [
-    'https://github.com/ethereum/serpent/tarball/develop#egg=ethereum-serpent-9.99.9',
-]
-
 # *IMPORTANT*: Don't manually change the version here. Use the 'bump2version' utility.
 # see: https://github.com/ethereum/pyethapp/wiki/Development:-Versions-and-Releases
 version = '1.5.1a0'
@@ -73,10 +61,7 @@ def run_tests(self):
         'Programming Language :: Python :: 3.6',
     ],
     cmdclass={'test': PyTest},
-    install_requires=install_requires,
-    dependency_links=dependency_links,
     tests_require=[
-        # 'ethereum-serpent>=1.8.1',
         'mock==2.0.0',
         'pytest-mock==1.6.0',
     ],