diff --git a/coverage.sh b/coverage.sh
index 5e54b32..2d11ffa 100755
--- a/coverage.sh
+++ b/coverage.sh
@@ -74,7 +74,6 @@ SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH=$(date --date="$(grep-dctrl -s Date -n '' "$mirrordir/dists/$D
 export LC_ALL=C.UTF-8
 
 : "${HAVE_UNSHARE:=yes}"
-: "${HAVE_PROOT:=yes}"
 : "${HAVE_BINFMT:=yes}"
 
 # by default, use the mmdebstrap executable in the current directory together
diff --git a/make_mirror.sh b/make_mirror.sh
index 1ab7d68..470054c 100755
--- a/make_mirror.sh
+++ b/make_mirror.sh
@@ -391,7 +391,6 @@ components=main
 : "${DEFAULT_DIST:=unstable}"
 : "${HAVE_QEMU:=yes}"
 : "${RUN_MA_SAME_TESTS:=yes}"
-: "${HAVE_PROOT:=yes}"
 # by default, use the mmdebstrap executable in the current directory
 : "${CMD:=./mmdebstrap}"
 
@@ -505,9 +504,6 @@ if [ "$HAVE_QEMU" = "yes" ]; then
 	if [ "$DEFAULT_DIST" != "oldstable" ]; then
 		pkgs="$pkgs,squashfs-tools-ng,genext2fs"
 	fi
-	if [ "$HAVE_PROOT" = "yes" ]; then
-		pkgs="$pkgs,proot"
-	fi
 	if [ ! -e ./mmdebstrap ]; then
 		pkgs="$pkgs,mmdebstrap"
 	fi