diff --git a/olca-refdata/pom.xml b/olca-refdata/pom.xml
index e5526ea11..753ab11fc 100644
--- a/olca-refdata/pom.xml
+++ b/olca-refdata/pom.xml
@@ -31,12 +31,6 @@
 			<version>${project.version}</version>
 		</dependency>
 
-		<dependency>
-			<groupId>org.openlca</groupId>
-			<artifactId>olca-updates</artifactId>
-			<version>${project.version}</version>
-		</dependency>
-		
 		<dependency>
 			<groupId>org.openlca</groupId>
 			<artifactId>olca-cloud</artifactId>
diff --git a/olca-refdata/src/main/java/refdata/Main.java b/olca-refdata/src/main/java/refdata/Main.java
index 357143c4f..8d414a279 100644
--- a/olca-refdata/src/main/java/refdata/Main.java
+++ b/olca-refdata/src/main/java/refdata/Main.java
@@ -43,7 +43,6 @@ private static void create(String name, String dataDir) throws Exception {
 				importDQS(db);
 			}
 		}
-		Util.embedUpdates(db);
 		db.close();
 		System.out.println("  done");
 	}
diff --git a/olca-refdata/src/main/java/refdata/RepositoryBuild.java b/olca-refdata/src/main/java/refdata/RepositoryBuild.java
index 57fd9c4fc..82a05feb5 100644
--- a/olca-refdata/src/main/java/refdata/RepositoryBuild.java
+++ b/olca-refdata/src/main/java/refdata/RepositoryBuild.java
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 package refdata;
 
 import static org.openlca.core.model.ModelType.CURRENCY;
+import static org.openlca.core.model.ModelType.DQ_SYSTEM;
 import static org.openlca.core.model.ModelType.FLOW;
 import static org.openlca.core.model.ModelType.FLOW_PROPERTY;
 import static org.openlca.core.model.ModelType.LOCATION;
 import static org.openlca.core.model.ModelType.UNIT_GROUP;
-import static org.openlca.core.model.ModelType.DQ_SYSTEM;
 
 import java.io.File;
 import java.nio.file.Files;
@@ -49,7 +49,6 @@ private static void buildDb(String name, ModelType... modelTypes) throws Excepti
 			File data = downloadData(db, client, descriptors);
 			Files.move(data.toPath(), F("download/" + name + ".zip").toPath());
 		}
-		Util.embedUpdates(db);
 		db.close();
 	}
 
diff --git a/olca-refdata/src/main/java/refdata/Util.java b/olca-refdata/src/main/java/refdata/Util.java
index a67029395..46931ee00 100644
--- a/olca-refdata/src/main/java/refdata/Util.java
+++ b/olca-refdata/src/main/java/refdata/Util.java
@@ -3,12 +3,7 @@
 import java.io.File;
 import java.nio.file.Files;
 import java.nio.file.StandardCopyOption;
-import java.util.Set;
 
-import org.openlca.core.database.IDatabase;
-import org.openlca.updates.UpdateHelper;
-import org.openlca.updates.UpdateMetaInfo;
-import org.openlca.updates.UpdateMetaInfoStore;
 import org.openlca.util.Dirs;
 import org.zeroturnaround.zip.ZipUtil;
 
@@ -50,13 +45,4 @@ static File F(String path) {
 		return new File(path);
 	}
 
-	static void embedUpdates(IDatabase db) {
-		UpdateMetaInfoStore store = new UpdateMetaInfoStore(db);
-		UpdateHelper helper = new UpdateHelper(db, null, null);
-		Set<UpdateMetaInfo> all = helper.getAllUpdates();
-		for (UpdateMetaInfo m : all) {
-			m.executed = true;
-			store.save(m);
-		}
-	}
 }
diff --git a/update_modules.bat b/update_modules.bat
index 1ead8bd2e..21b01e22e 100644
--- a/update_modules.bat
+++ b/update_modules.bat
@@ -9,10 +9,6 @@ echo "install olca-modules from %modules_path%"
 cd %modules_path%
 call mvn install -DskipTests=true
 
-echo "install olca-updates from %updates_path%" 
-cd %updates_path%
-call mvn install -DskipTests=true
-
 echo "update packages in %app_path%/libs"
 cd %app_path%
 call mvn package
diff --git a/update_modules.sh b/update_modules.sh
index bec06b214..ec5fddda3 100755
--- a/update_modules.sh
+++ b/update_modules.sh
@@ -5,16 +5,11 @@
 current_path=$(pwd)
 app_path=$(pwd)/olca-app
 modules_path=$(pwd)/../olca-modules
-updates_path=$(pwd)/../olca-updates
 
 echo "install olca-modules from $modules_path" 
 cd $modules_path
 mvn install -DskipTests=true
 
-echo "install olca-updates from $updates_path"
-cd $updates_path
-mvn install -DskipTests=true
-
 echo "update packages in $app_path/libs"
 cd $app_path
 mvn package
diff --git a/update_modules_safe.sh b/update_modules_safe.sh
index 2e2790cba..9d70910f5 100755
--- a/update_modules_safe.sh
+++ b/update_modules_safe.sh
@@ -5,16 +5,11 @@
 current_path=$(pwd)
 app_path=$(pwd)/olca-app
 modules_path=$(pwd)/../olca-modules
-updates_path=$(pwd)/../olca-updates
 
 echo "install olca-modules from $modules_path" 
 cd $modules_path
 mvn install
 
-echo "install olca-updates from $updates_path"
-cd $updates_path
-mvn install
-
 echo "update packages in $app_path/libs"
 cd $app_path
 mvn package