diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index bbfa13b4..d93b2e04 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@ AH_VERBATIM([OLD_PERL],[#undef OLD_PERL])
 AH_VERBATIM([PREFIX],[#undef PREFIX])
 AH_VERBATIM([HEXCHATLIBDIR],[#undef HEXCHATLIBDIR])
 AH_VERBATIM([HEXCHATSHAREDIR],[#undef HEXCHATSHAREDIR])
-AH_VERBATIM([SOCKS],[#undef SOCKS])
 AH_VERBATIM([USE_LIBPROXY],[#undef USE_LIBPROXY])
 AH_VERBATIM([HAVE_ISO_CODES],[#undef HAVE_ISO_CODES])
 AH_VERBATIM([HAVE_GTK_MAC],[#undef HAVE_GTK_MAC])
@@ -83,10 +82,6 @@ dnl *********************************************************************
 dnl ** configure switches ***********************************************
 dnl *********************************************************************
 
-AC_ARG_ENABLE(socks,
-	[AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-socks],[link with SOCKS5 library (default: no)])],
-        socks=$enableval, socks=no)
-
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(openssl,
 	[AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-openssl[=PATH]],[enable use of openSSL])],
         openssl=$enableval, openssl=yes)
@@ -604,23 +599,6 @@ AM_CONDITIONAL(USE_DBUS, test "x$dbus" = "xyes")
 AM_CONDITIONAL(HAVE_ISO_CODES, test "x$isocodes" = "xyes")
 AM_CONDITIONAL(WITH_TM, test "x$theme_manager" != "xno")
 
-dnl *********************************************************************
-dnl ** SOCKS5 ***********************************************************
-dnl *********************************************************************
-
-if test "$socks" = yes; then
-	socks=no
-	AC_CHECK_LIB(socks5, SOCKSconnect, have_socks=yes)
-	if test "$have_socks" = yes; then
-		AC_CHECK_HEADERS(socks.h, have_socks_h=yes)
-		if test "$have_socks_h" = yes; then
-			socks=yes
-			AC_DEFINE(SOCKS)
-			LIBS="$LIBS -lsocks5"
-		fi
-	fi
-fi
-
 dnl *********************************************************************
 dnl ** GCC FLAGS ********************************************************
 dnl *********************************************************************
diff --git a/src/common/hexchat.c b/src/common/hexchat.c
index 7db7e6ca..021c5838 100644
--- a/src/common/hexchat.c
+++ b/src/common/hexchat.c
@@ -1038,10 +1038,6 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
 	/* we MUST do this after load_config () AND before fe_init (thus gtk_init) otherwise it will fail */
 	set_locale ();
 
-#ifdef SOCKS
-	SOCKSinit (argv[0]);
-#endif
-
 	ret = fe_args (argc, argv);
 	if (ret != -1)
 		return ret;
diff --git a/src/common/hexchat.h b/src/common/hexchat.h
index e914da27..c1acfe45 100644
--- a/src/common/hexchat.h
+++ b/src/common/hexchat.h
@@ -38,14 +38,6 @@
 
 #include "history.h"
 
-#ifdef SOCKS
-#ifdef __sgi
-#include <sys/time.h>
-#define INCLUDE_PROTOTYPES 1
-#endif
-#include <socks.h>
-#endif
-
 #ifdef USE_OPENSSL
 #include <openssl/ssl.h>		  /* SSL_() */
 #endif
diff --git a/src/common/util.c b/src/common/util.c
index 9deec8c2..37d214c0 100644
--- a/src/common/util.c
+++ b/src/common/util.c
@@ -51,9 +51,6 @@
 #if defined (USING_FREEBSD) || defined (__APPLE__)
 #include <sys/sysctl.h>
 #endif
-#ifdef SOCKS
-#include <socks.h>
-#endif
 
 /* SASL mechanisms */
 #ifdef USE_OPENSSL