diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index a02a70ef2..a9fe03cbe 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -30,6 +30,5 @@ share/man/
 toc.txt
 user_doc/
 xcuserdata
-xsel-1.2.0/
 tests/*tmp.*
 tests/foo.txt
diff --git a/Makefile.in b/Makefile.in
index 6cd355aa5..0706fe5f3 100644
--- a/Makefile.in
+++ b/Makefile.in
@@ -197,12 +197,12 @@ DOC_SRC_DIR_FILES := $(HDR_FILES_SRC) $(HELP_SRC)
 # Files in ./
 #
 
-MAIN_DIR_FILES_UNSORTED := Doxyfile Doxyfile.user Doxyfile.help		\
-    Makefile.in configure configure.ac config.h.in install-sh			\
-    key_reader.cpp $(MIME_OBJS:.o=.h)					\
-    $(MIME_OBJS:.o=.cpp) $(FISH_OBJS:.o=.h) $(BUILTIN_FILES)				\
-    $(COMMON_FILES) $(COMMON_FILES:.cpp=.h) $(FISH_OBJS:.o=.cpp)			\
-    fish.spec.in INSTALL README user_doc.head.html xsel-0.9.6.tar		\
+MAIN_DIR_FILES_UNSORTED := Doxyfile Doxyfile.user Doxyfile.help					\
+    Makefile.in configure configure.ac config.h.in install-sh					\
+    key_reader.cpp $(MIME_OBJS:.o=.h)											\
+    $(MIME_OBJS:.o=.cpp) $(FISH_OBJS:.o=.h) $(BUILTIN_FILES)					\
+    $(COMMON_FILES) $(COMMON_FILES:.cpp=.h) $(FISH_OBJS:.o=.cpp)				\
+    fish.spec.in INSTALL README user_doc.head.html								\
     ChangeLog config.sub config.guess fish_tests.cpp fish.cpp fish_pager.cpp	\
     fishd.cpp make_vcs_completions.fish $(FISH_INDENT_OBJS:.o=.cpp)
 
@@ -241,16 +241,14 @@ FUNCTIONS_DIR_FILES := $(wildcard share/functions/*.fish)
 # Programs to install
 #
 
-SIMPLE_PROGRAMS := fish mimedb fish_pager fishd fish_indent
-PROGRAMS := $(SIMPLE_PROGRAMS) @XSEL_BIN@
-
+PROGRAMS := fish mimedb fish_pager fishd fish_indent
 
 #
 # Manual pages to install
 #
 
 MANUALS := $(addsuffix .1, $(addprefix share/man/man1/,	\
-	$(SIMPLE_PROGRAMS))) @XSEL_MAN_PATH@
+	$(PROGRAMS)))
 
 
 #
@@ -261,13 +259,6 @@ TRANSLATIONS_SRC := $(wildcard po/*.po)
 TRANSLATIONS := $(TRANSLATIONS_SRC:.po=.gmo)
 
 
-#
-# Extra util
-#
-
-XSEL := @XSEL@
-XSEL_BIN := @XSEL_BIN@
-
 #
 # Make everything needed for installing fish
 #
@@ -341,14 +332,6 @@ test: $(PROGRAMS) fish_tests
 .PHONY: test
 
 
-#
-# Build the xsel program, which is maintained in its own tarball
-#
-
-$(XSEL_BIN):
-	$(MAKE) -C $(XSEL) || echo "Failed to build xsel - either add the required dependencies or use './configure --without-xsel' to disable it."
-
-
 #
 # commands.hdr collects documentation on all commands, functions and
 # builtins
@@ -656,7 +639,6 @@ uninstall: uninstall-translations
 	-for i in $(PROGRAMS); do \
 		rm -f $(DESTDIR)$(bindir)/$$i; \
 	done;
-	-rm -f $(DESTDIR)$(bindir)/xsel
 	-rm -rf $(DESTDIR)$(sysconfdir)/fish
 	-if test -d $(DESTDIR)$(datadir)/fish; then \
 		rm -r $(DESTDIR)$(datadir)/fish; \
@@ -838,7 +820,6 @@ rpm: fish-@PACKAGE_VERSION@.tar.bz2 fish.spec
 distclean: clean
 	rm -f fish.spec
 	rm -f config.status config.log config.h Makefile
-	rm -rf $(XSEL)
 .PHONY: distclean
 
 
@@ -866,7 +847,6 @@ clean:
 	fi
 	rm -rf fish-@PACKAGE_VERSION@
 	rm -f $(TRANSLATIONS)
-	test ! -d "$(XSEL)" || make -C $(XSEL) clean
 .PHONY: clean
 
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0d7ae9887..d08713232 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ fish can be built using autotools or Xcode.
 ### Autotools Build
 
     autoconf
-    ./configure [--without-xsel]
+    ./configure
     make [gmake on BSD]
     sudo make install
 
diff --git a/build_tools/make_pkg.sh b/build_tools/make_pkg.sh
index a1f1b33b0..3486c2b79 100755
--- a/build_tools/make_pkg.sh
+++ b/build_tools/make_pkg.sh
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ export CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -isysroot $OSX_SDK -mmacosx-version-min=$MACOSX_DEPLOYMEN
 export CXXFLAGS="$CXXFLAGS -isysroot $OSX_SDK -mmacosx-version-min=$MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET"
 export LDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS -isysroot $OSX_SDK -mmacosx-version-min=$MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET"
 autoconf
-./configure --without-xsel
+./configure
 
 # Actually build it now
 if make -j 4 DESTDIR=/tmp/fish_pkg install
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index f5a54837c..d961234b1 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -11,11 +11,6 @@
 
 AC_INIT(fish,2.0.0,fish-users@lists.sf.net)
 
-#
-# preserve configure arguments for xsel. This breaks if arguments 
-# contain whitespace, so don't do that. 
-#
-
 conf_arg=$@
 
 #
@@ -33,11 +28,6 @@ AC_SUBST(LIBS_MIMEDB)
 AC_SUBST(localedir)
 AC_SUBST(optbindirs)
 AC_SUBST(prefix)
-AC_SUBST(XSEL)
-AC_SUBST(XSEL_MAN)
-AC_SUBST(XSEL_BIN)
-AC_SUBST(XSEL_MAN_PATH)
-
 
 
 #
@@ -165,28 +155,6 @@ AC_PROG_CXX([g++ c++])
 AC_PROG_CPP
 AC_PROG_INSTALL
 
-#
-# Optionally drop xsel command
-#
-
-AC_ARG_WITH(
-  xsel,
-  AC_HELP_STRING(
-    [--without-xsel],
-    [do not build the xsel program needed for X clipboard integration.
-     If build xsel, it will be configured with the same options as fish.]
-  ),
-  [xsel=$withval],
-  [xsel=with_xsel]
-)
-
-if [[ "$xsel" = "with_xsel" ]]; then
-  XSEL=xsel-1.2.0
-  XSEL_BIN=$XSEL/xsel
-  XSEL_MAN=xsel.1x
-  XSEL_MAN_PATH=$XSEL/xsel.1x
-fi
-
 
 #
 # Optionally drop gettext support
@@ -917,12 +885,6 @@ if test ! x$local_found_posix_switch = xyes; then
   echo "Some fish features may be disabled."
 fi
 
-if [[ "$xsel" = "with_xsel" ]]; then
-  echo "Now configure xsel with $conf_arg"
-  rm -rf $XSEL
-  tar xf $XSEL.tar.gz
-  cd $XSEL && ./configure $conf_arg
-fi
 echo "fish is now configured."
 echo "Use 'make' and 'make install' to build and install fish."
 
diff --git a/fish.spec.in b/fish.spec.in
index 218b71ab3..0b57e96bd 100644
--- a/fish.spec.in
+++ b/fish.spec.in
@@ -121,7 +121,6 @@ fi
 %_mandir/man1/fishd.1*
 %_mandir/man1/mimedb.1*
 %_mandir/man1/set_color.1*
-%_mandir/man1/xsel.1x*
 
 # The program binaries
 %attr(0755,root,root) %_bindir/fish
@@ -130,7 +129,6 @@ fi
 %attr(0755,root,root) %_bindir/fishd
 %attr(0755,root,root) %_bindir/mimedb
 %attr(0755,root,root) %_bindir/set_color
-%attr(0755,root,root) %_bindir/xsel
 
 # Configuration files
 %config %_sysconfdir/fish/config.fish