diff --git a/packages/templating/deftemplate.js b/packages/templating/deftemplate.js
deleted file mode 100644
index cd99ab477b..0000000000
--- a/packages/templating/deftemplate.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,225 +0,0 @@
-
-Template = {};
-/*
-var registeredPartials = {};
-
-// If minimongo is available (it's a weak dependency) use its ID stringifier to
-// label branches (so that, eg, ObjectId and strings don't overlap). Otherwise
-// just use the identity function.
-var idStringify = Package.minimongo
-  ? Package.minimongo.LocalCollection._idStringify
-  : function (id) { return id; };
-
-// XXX Handlebars hooking is janky and gross
-var hookHandlebars = function () {
-  hookHandlebars = function(){}; // install the hook only once
-
-  var orig = Handlebars._default_helpers.each;
-  Handlebars._default_helpers.each = function (arg, options) {
-    var isArgValid = function () {
-      return !arg // falsey
-        || (arg instanceof Array)
-        || (arg instanceof Object && 'observeChanges' in arg);
-    };
-    if (!isArgValid())
-      throw new Error("{{#each}} only accepts arrays, cursors, or falsey "
-                      + "values. You passed: " + arg);
-
-    // if arg isn't an observable (like LocalCollection.Cursor),
-    // don't use this reactive implementation of #each.
-    if (!(arg && 'observeChanges' in arg))
-      return orig.call(this, arg, options);
-
-    return Spark.list(
-      arg,
-      function (item) {
-        return Spark.labelBranch(
-          (item && item._id && idStringify(item._id)) || Spark.UNIQUE_LABEL, function () {
-            var html = Spark.isolate(_.bind(options.fn, null, item));
-            return Spark.setDataContext(item, html);
-          });
-      },
-      function () {
-        return options.inverse ?
-          Spark.isolate(options.inverse) : '';
-      }
-    );
-  };
-
-  _.extend(Handlebars._default_helpers, {
-    isolate: function (options) {
-      var data = this;
-      return Spark.isolate(function () {
-        return options.fn(data);
-      });
-    },
-    constant: function (options) {
-      var data = this;
-      return Spark.createLandmark({ constant: true }, function () {
-        return options.fn(data);
-      });
-    }
-  });
-};
-
-// map from landmark id, to the 'this' object for
-// created/rendered/destroyed callbacks on templates
-var templateInstanceData = {};
-
-var templateObjFromLandmark = function (landmark) {
-  var template = templateInstanceData[landmark.id] || (
-    templateInstanceData[landmark.id] = {
-      // set these once
-      find: function (selector) {
-        if (! landmark.hasDom())
-          throw new Error("Template not in DOM");
-        return landmark.find(selector);
-      },
-      findAll: function (selector) {
-        if (! landmark.hasDom())
-          throw new Error("Template not in DOM");
-        return landmark.findAll(selector);
-      }
-    });
-  // set these each time
-  template.firstNode = landmark.hasDom() ? landmark.firstNode() : null;
-  template.lastNode = landmark.hasDom() ? landmark.lastNode() : null;
-  return template;
-};
-
-// XXX forms hooks into this to add "bind"?
-var templateBase = {
-  // methods store data here (event map, etc.).  initialized per template.
-  _tmpl_data: null,
-  // these functions must be generic (i.e. use `this`)
-  events: function (eventMap) {
-    var events =
-          (this._tmpl_data.events = (this._tmpl_data.events || {}));
-    _.each(eventMap, function(callback, spec) {
-      events[spec] = (events[spec] || []);
-      events[spec].push(callback);
-    });
-  },
-  preserve: function (preserveMap) {
-    var preserve =
-          (this._tmpl_data.preserve = (this._tmpl_data.preserve || {}));
-
-    if (_.isArray(preserveMap))
-      _.each(preserveMap, function (selector) {
-        preserve[selector] = true;
-      });
-    else
-      _.extend(preserve, preserveMap);
-  },
-  helpers: function (helperMap) {
-    var helpers =
-          (this._tmpl_data.helpers = (this._tmpl_data.helpers || {}));
-    for(var h in helperMap)
-      helpers[h] = helperMap[h];
-  }
-};
-
-Template.__define__ = function (name, raw_func) {
-  hookHandlebars();
-
-  if (name === '__define__')
-    throw new Error("Sorry, '__define__' is a special name and " +
-                    "cannot be used as the name of a template");
-
-  // Define the function assigned to Template.<name>.
-
-  var partial = function (data) {
-    var tmpl = name && Template[name] || {};
-    var tmplData = tmpl._tmpl_data || {};
-
-    var html = Spark.labelBranch("Template."+name, function () {
-      var html = Spark.createLandmark({
-        preserve: tmplData.preserve || {},
-        created: function () {
-          var template = templateObjFromLandmark(this);
-          template.data = data;
-          tmpl.created && tmpl.created.call(template);
-        },
-        rendered: function () {
-          var template = templateObjFromLandmark(this);
-          template.data = data;
-          tmpl.rendered && tmpl.rendered.call(template);
-        },
-        destroyed: function () {
-          // template.data is already set from previous callbacks
-          tmpl.destroyed &&
-            tmpl.destroyed.call(templateObjFromLandmark(this));
-          delete templateInstanceData[this.id];
-        }
-      }, function (landmark) {
-        var html = Spark.isolate(function () {
-          // XXX Forms needs to run a hook before and after raw_func
-          // (and receive 'landmark')
-          return raw_func(data, {
-            helpers: _.extend({}, partial, tmplData.helpers || {}),
-            partials: registeredPartials,
-            name: name
-          });
-        });
-
-        // take an event map with `function (event, template)` handlers
-        // and produce one with `function (event, landmark)` handlers
-        // for Spark, by inserting logic to create the template object.
-        var wrapEventMap = function (oldEventMap) {
-          var newEventMap = {};
-          _.each(oldEventMap, function (handlers, key) {
-            if ('function' === typeof handlers) {
-              //Template.foo.events = ... way will give a fn, not an array
-              handlers = [ handlers ];
-            }
-            newEventMap[key] = _.map(handlers, function (handler) {
-              return function (event, landmark) {
-                return handler.call(this, event,
-                                    templateObjFromLandmark(landmark));
-              };
-            });
-          });
-          return newEventMap;
-        };
-
-        // support old Template.foo.events = {...} format
-        var events =
-              (tmpl.events !== templateBase.events ?
-               tmpl.events : tmplData.events);
-        // events need to be inside the landmark, not outside, so
-        // that when an event fires, you can retrieve the enclosing
-        // landmark to get the template data
-        if (tmpl.events)
-          html = Spark.attachEvents(wrapEventMap(events), html);
-        return html;
-      });
-      html = Spark.setDataContext(data, html);
-      return html;
-    });
-
-    return html;
-  };
-
-  // XXX hack.. copy all of Handlebars' built in helpers over to
-  // the partial. it would be better to hook helperMissing (or
-  // something like that?) so that Template.foo is searched only
-  // if it's not a built-in helper.
-  _.extend(partial, Handlebars.helpers);
-
-
-  if (name) {
-    if (Template[name])
-      throw new Error("There are multiple templates named '" + name +
-                      "'. Each template needs a unique name.");
-
-    Template[name] = partial;
-    _.extend(partial, templateBase);
-    partial._tmpl_data = {};
-
-    registeredPartials[name] = partial;
-  }
-
-  // useful for unnamed templates, like body
-  return partial;
-};
-*/
diff --git a/packages/templating/package.js b/packages/templating/package.js
index f140ab5bb2..d77f4b9b59 100644
--- a/packages/templating/package.js
+++ b/packages/templating/package.js
@@ -22,17 +22,9 @@ Package.on_use(function (api) {
   // XXX would like to do the following only when the first html file
   // is encountered
 
-  api.use(['underscore', 'ui', 'spacebars'], 'client');
-
   api.add_files('global_template_object.js', 'client');
   api.export('Template', 'client');
 
-
-  // If we have minimongo available, use its idStringify function.
-  api.use('minimongo', 'client', {weak: true});
-  // provides the runtime logic to instantiate our templates
-  //api.add_files('deftemplate.js', 'client');
-
   // html_scanner.js emits client code that calls Meteor.startup and
   // UI, so anybody using templating (eg apps) need to implicitly use
   // 'meteor' and 'ui'.