diff --git a/packages/fhs/src/main/assembly/fhs.xml b/packages/fhs/src/main/assembly/fhs.xml
index b9b2cdbd37a..327b06ddca8 100644
--- a/packages/fhs/src/main/assembly/fhs.xml
+++ b/packages/fhs/src/main/assembly/fhs.xml
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
     <dependencySets>
         <dependencySet>
             <excludes>
-                <exclude>*saxon:saxon*:*:*</exclude>
                 <exclude>org.dcache:dcache-view:jar:*</exclude>
                 <exclude>org.dcache:dcache-view-admin:jar:*</exclude>
             </excludes>
@@ -14,15 +13,6 @@
             <fileMode>644</fileMode>
             <directoryMode>755</directoryMode>
         </dependencySet>
-        <dependencySet>
-            <includes>
-                <include>*saxon:saxon*:*:*</include>
-            </includes>
-            <outputDirectory>usr/share/dcache/classes/saxon</outputDirectory>
-            <useProjectArtifact>false</useProjectArtifact>
-            <fileMode>644</fileMode>
-            <directoryMode>755</directoryMode>
-        </dependencySet>
         <dependencySet>
             <includes>
                 <include>org.dcache:dcache-view:jar:*</include>
diff --git a/packages/pom.xml b/packages/pom.xml
index a1b27d568d9..2c04c540f20 100644
--- a/packages/pom.xml
+++ b/packages/pom.xml
@@ -215,11 +215,6 @@
       <artifactId>dcache-view-admin</artifactId>
     </dependency>
 
-    <dependency>
-        <groupId>saxon</groupId>
-        <artifactId>saxon</artifactId>
-        <scope>runtime</scope>
-    </dependency>
   </dependencies>
 
   <modules>
diff --git a/packages/system-test/src/main/assembly/assembly.xml b/packages/system-test/src/main/assembly/assembly.xml
index eeba512e253..7d53d472ec5 100644
--- a/packages/system-test/src/main/assembly/assembly.xml
+++ b/packages/system-test/src/main/assembly/assembly.xml
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
         <dependencySet>
             <excludes>
                 <exclude>*:*:war:*</exclude>
-                <exclude>saxon:saxon:*:*</exclude>
                 <exclude>org.dcache:dcache-plugin-hsqldb:zip:*</exclude>
                 <exclude>org.dcache:dcache-view:jar:*</exclude>
                 <exclude>org.dcache:dcache-view-admin:jar:*</exclude>
@@ -16,14 +15,6 @@
             <fileMode>644</fileMode>
             <directoryMode>755</directoryMode>
         </dependencySet>
-        <dependencySet>
-            <includes>
-                <include>saxon:saxon:*:*</include>
-            </includes>
-            <outputDirectory>share/classes/saxon</outputDirectory>
-            <fileMode>644</fileMode>
-            <directoryMode>755</directoryMode>
-        </dependencySet>
         <dependencySet>
             <includes>
                 <include>org.dcache:dcache-plugin-hsqldb:zip:*</include>
diff --git a/packages/tar/src/main/assembly/tar.xml b/packages/tar/src/main/assembly/tar.xml
index 76b697222e4..232c04dcf02 100644
--- a/packages/tar/src/main/assembly/tar.xml
+++ b/packages/tar/src/main/assembly/tar.xml
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
         <dependencySet>
             <excludes>
                 <exclude>*:*:war:*</exclude>
-                <exclude>saxon:saxon:*:*</exclude>
                 <exclude>org.dcache:dcache-view:jar:*</exclude>
                 <exclude>org.dcache:dcache-view-admin:jar:*</exclude>
             </excludes>
@@ -15,14 +14,6 @@
             <fileMode>644</fileMode>
             <directoryMode>755</directoryMode>
         </dependencySet>
-        <dependencySet>
-            <includes>
-                <include>saxon:saxon:*:*</include>
-            </includes>
-            <outputDirectory>share/classes/saxon</outputDirectory>
-            <fileMode>644</fileMode>
-            <directoryMode>755</directoryMode>
-        </dependencySet>
         <dependencySet>
             <includes>
                 <include>org.dcache:dcache-view:jar:*</include>
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 3cfd0fd82b0..bb0c1876798 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -642,12 +642,6 @@
                 <version>2.3.1</version>
             </dependency>
 
-            <dependency>
-                <groupId>saxon</groupId>
-                <artifactId>saxon</artifactId>
-                <version>6.5.3</version>
-            </dependency>
-
             <dependency>
                 <groupId>java.jndi</groupId>
                 <artifactId>nis</artifactId>