diff --git a/fdroidserver/build_local_prepare.py b/fdroidserver/build_local_prepare.py
index a495d0a8..7ac01631 100644
--- a/fdroidserver/build_local_prepare.py
+++ b/fdroidserver/build_local_prepare.py
@@ -19,58 +19,13 @@
 
 import os
 import pathlib
-import logging
+# import logging
 import argparse
 
 from fdroidserver import _
 import fdroidserver.common
 
 
-def sudo_run(app, build):
-    # before doing anything, run the sudo commands to setup the VM
-    if build.sudo:
-        logging.info("Running 'sudo' commands in %s" % os.getcwd())
-
-        p = fdroidserver.common.FDroidPopen(
-            [
-                'sudo',
-                'DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive',
-                'bash',
-                '-e',
-                '-u',
-                '-o',
-                'pipefail',
-                '-x',
-                '-c',
-                '; '.join(build.sudo),
-            ]
-        )
-        if p.returncode != 0:
-            raise BuildException(
-                "Error running sudo command for %s:%s" % (app.id, build.versionName),
-                p.output,
-            )
-
-
-def sudo_lock_root(app, build):
-    p = fdroidserver.common.FDroidPopen(['sudo', 'passwd', '--lock', 'root'])
-    if p.returncode != 0:
-        raise BuildException(
-            "Error locking root account for %s:%s" % (app.id, build.versionName),
-            p.output,
-        )
-
-
-def sudo_uninstall(app, build):
-    p = fdroidserver.common.FDroidPopen(
-        ['sudo', 'SUDO_FORCE_REMOVE=yes', 'dpkg', '--purge', 'sudo']
-    )
-    if p.returncode != 0:
-        raise BuildException(
-            "Error removing sudo for %s:%s" % (app.id, build.versionName), p.output
-        )
-
-
 def log_tools_version(app, build, log_dir):
     log_path = os.path.join(
         log_dir, fdroidserver.common.get_toolsversion_logname(app, build)
@@ -86,24 +41,6 @@ def main():
             "for one specific build"
         ),
     )
-    parser.add_argument(
-        "--sudo-run",
-        action="store_true",
-        default=False,
-        help=_("run commands listed in sudo-metadata"),
-    )
-    parser.add_argument(
-        "--sudo-uninstall",
-        action="store_true",
-        default=False,
-        help=_("uninstall sudo executing sudo-metadata"),
-    )
-    parser.add_argument(
-        "--sudo-lock-root",
-        action="store_true",
-        default=False,
-        help=_("lock root user account"),
-    )
     parser.add_argument(
         "APP_VERSION",
         help=_("app id and version code tuple 'APPID:VERCODE'"),
@@ -114,6 +51,8 @@ def main():
     options = fdroidserver.common.parse_args(parser)
     config = fdroidserver.common.get_config()
 
+    config  # silence pyflakes
+
     package_name, version_code = fdroidserver.common.split_pkg_arg(options.APP_VERSION)
     app, build = fdroidserver.metadata.read_build_metadata(package_name, version_code)
 
@@ -126,17 +65,8 @@ def main():
     for d in (srclib_dir, extlib_dir, log_dir, output_dir):
         d.mkdir(exist_ok=True, parents=True)
 
-    # run sudo stuff
-    fdroidserver.common.set_FDroidPopen_env(build)
-    if options.sudo_run:
-        sudo_run(app, build)
-    if options.sudo_lock_root:
-        sudo_lock_root(app, build)
-    if options.sudo_uninstall:
-        sudo_uninstall(app, build)
-
     # TODO: in the past this was only logged when running as 'fdroid build
-    # --onserver' is this this output still valuable or can we remove it?
+    # --onserver', is this output still valuable or can we remove it?
     log_tools_version(app, build, log_dir)
 
     # do git/vcs checkout