diff --git a/Lib/distutils/command/build_ext.py b/Lib/distutils/command/build_ext.py
index 08449e1a51b..2ffab181623 100644
--- a/Lib/distutils/command/build_ext.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/command/build_ext.py
@@ -545,15 +545,8 @@ def build_extension(self, ext):
                                          extra_postargs=extra_args,
                                          depends=ext.depends)
 
-        # XXX -- this is a Vile HACK!
-        #
-        # The setup.py script for Python on Unix needs to be able to
-        # get this list so it can perform all the clean up needed to
-        # avoid keeping object files around when cleaning out a failed
-        # build of an extension module.  Since Distutils does not
-        # track dependencies, we have to get rid of intermediates to
-        # ensure all the intermediates will be properly re-built.
-        #
+        # XXX outdated variable, kept here in case third-part code
+        # needs it.
         self._built_objects = objects[:]
 
         # Now link the object files together into a "shared object" --
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index a0a22a5f9dc..ffc7741a051 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -381,17 +381,6 @@ def check_extension_import(self, ext):
                 os.remove(newname)
             os.rename(ext_filename, newname)
 
-            # XXX -- This relies on a Vile HACK in
-            # distutils.command.build_ext.build_extension().  The
-            # _built_objects attribute is stored there strictly for
-            # use here.
-            # If there is a failure, _built_objects may not be there,
-            # so catch the AttributeError and move on.
-            try:
-                for filename in self._built_objects:
-                    os.remove(filename)
-            except AttributeError:
-                self.announce('unable to remove files (ignored)')
         except:
             exc_type, why, tb = sys.exc_info()
             self.announce('*** WARNING: importing extension "%s" '