diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 41686a44b..b93a3cfcb 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -265,19 +265,6 @@ class Config(object):
                     "-std=c++11",  # because we use unordered_map/unordered_set
                     ]
 
-    def data_files(self):
-        """
-        Gets the data files to add
-        """
-        if platform.system() == "Windows":
-            bits = os.getenv("KLAYOUT_BITS")
-            return [ os.path.join(bits, "zlib", "bin", "zlib1.dll"),
-                     os.path.join(bits, "ptw", "bin", "pthreadVCE2.dll"),
-                     os.path.join(bits, "expat", "bin", "expat.dll"),
-                     os.path.join(bits, "curl", "bin", "libcurl.dll") ]
-        else:
-            return []
-
     def libraries(self, mod):
         """
         Gets the libraries to add
@@ -565,6 +552,5 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
           ],
           url='https://github.com/klayout/klayout',
           packages=find_packages('src/pymod/distutils_src'),
-          data_files=[('lib\\site-packages\\',config.data_files())],   # https://github.com/pypa/setuptools/issues/405
           package_dir={'': 'src/pymod/distutils_src'},  # https://github.com/pypa/setuptools/issues/230
           ext_modules=[_tl, _gsi, _pya, _db, _lib, _rdb] + db_plugins + [tl, db, lib, rdb])