diff --git a/acme/api/handler.go b/acme/api/handler.go
index ca5de02e..e6aad131 100644
--- a/acme/api/handler.go
+++ b/acme/api/handler.go
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/smallstep/certificates/api/render"
 	"github.com/smallstep/certificates/authority"
 	"github.com/smallstep/certificates/authority/provisioner"
-	"github.com/smallstep/certificates/utils/debug/q"
 )
 
 func link(url, typ string) string {
@@ -356,8 +355,6 @@ func GetChallenge(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	q.Q(ch)
-
 	linker.LinkChallenge(ctx, ch, azID)
 
 	w.Header().Add("Link", link(linker.GetLink(ctx, acme.AuthzLinkType, azID), "up"))
diff --git a/acme/db/nosql/challenge.go b/acme/db/nosql/challenge.go
index bb1c4080..c9224574 100644
--- a/acme/db/nosql/challenge.go
+++ b/acme/db/nosql/challenge.go
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/smallstep/nosql"
 
 	"github.com/smallstep/certificates/acme"
-	"github.com/smallstep/certificates/utils/debug/q"
 )
 
 type dbChallenge struct {
@@ -32,7 +31,6 @@ func (dbc *dbChallenge) clone() *dbChallenge {
 
 func (db *DB) getDBChallenge(ctx context.Context, id string) (*dbChallenge, error) {
 	data, err := db.db.Get(challengeTable, []byte(id))
-	q.Q(data)
 	if nosql.IsErrNotFound(err) {
 		return nil, acme.NewError(acme.ErrorMalformedType, "challenge %s not found", id)
 	} else if err != nil {
@@ -43,7 +41,6 @@ func (db *DB) getDBChallenge(ctx context.Context, id string) (*dbChallenge, erro
 	if err := json.Unmarshal(data, dbch); err != nil {
 		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "error unmarshaling dbChallenge")
 	}
-	q.Q(dbch)
 	return dbch, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index e4f5848f..784827b2 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -56,8 +56,6 @@ require (
 	gopkg.in/square/go-jose.v2 v2.6.0
 )
 
-require github.com/ryboe/q v1.0.18
-
 require (
 	cloud.google.com/go/compute v1.14.0 // indirect
 	cloud.google.com/go/compute/metadata v0.2.3 // indirect
@@ -124,7 +122,6 @@ require (
 	github.com/jackc/pgx/v4 v4.17.2 // indirect
 	github.com/jmespath/go-jmespath v0.4.0 // indirect
 	github.com/klauspost/compress v1.15.11 // indirect
-	github.com/kr/text v0.2.0 // indirect
 	github.com/manifoldco/promptui v0.9.0 // indirect
 	github.com/mgutz/ansi v0.0.0-20200706080929-d51e80ef957d // indirect
 	github.com/miekg/pkcs11 v1.1.1 // indirect
@@ -136,7 +133,6 @@ require (
 	github.com/oklog/run v1.0.0 // indirect
 	github.com/pierrec/lz4 v2.5.2+incompatible // indirect
 	github.com/pmezard/go-difflib v1.0.0 // indirect
-	github.com/rogpeppe/go-internal v1.9.0 // indirect
 	github.com/russross/blackfriday/v2 v2.1.0 // indirect
 	github.com/ryanuber/go-glob v1.0.0 // indirect
 	github.com/shopspring/decimal v1.2.0 // indirect
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 6760b242..83aab357 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -599,8 +599,6 @@ github.com/ryanuber/columnize v0.0.0-20160712163229-9b3edd62028f/go.mod h1:sm1tb
 github.com/ryanuber/columnize v2.1.0+incompatible/go.mod h1:sm1tb6uqfes/u+d4ooFouqFdy9/2g9QGwK3SQygK0Ts=
 github.com/ryanuber/go-glob v1.0.0 h1:iQh3xXAumdQ+4Ufa5b25cRpC5TYKlno6hsv6Cb3pkBk=
 github.com/ryanuber/go-glob v1.0.0/go.mod h1:807d1WSdnB0XRJzKNil9Om6lcp/3a0v4qIHxIXzX/Yc=
-github.com/ryboe/q v1.0.18 h1:uTonPt1eZjy7GSpB0XpYpsCvX+Yf9f+M4CUKuH2r+vg=
-github.com/ryboe/q v1.0.18/go.mod h1:elqvVf/GBuZHvZ9gvHv4MKM6NZAMz2rFajnTgQZ46wU=
 github.com/samuel/go-zookeeper v0.0.0-20190923202752-2cc03de413da/go.mod h1:gi+0XIa01GRL2eRQVjQkKGqKF3SF9vZR/HnPullcV2E=
 github.com/satori/go.uuid v1.2.0/go.mod h1:dA0hQrYB0VpLJoorglMZABFdXlWrHn1NEOzdhQKdks0=
 github.com/sean-/seed v0.0.0-20170313163322-e2103e2c3529/go.mod h1:DxrIzT+xaE7yg65j358z/aeFdxmN0P9QXhEzd20vsDc=
diff --git a/utils/debug/q/debug.go b/utils/debug/q/debug.go
deleted file mode 100644
index e12c73cd..00000000
--- a/utils/debug/q/debug.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-package q
-
-import (
-	ryboeq "github.com/ryboe/q"
-)
-
-func Q(v ...interface{}) {
-	// TODO(hs): do or do not call ryboeq.Q based on e.g. debug flag,
-	// runtime (go run vs. build), based on compiled or not. Goal would be
-	// to not debug in prod builds at all times. Ideally, never leave a leftover
-	// call to q.Q in the code, so panic if there is?
-	ryboeq.Q(v...)
-}