diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index a4ea7f788..de2260174 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -558,8 +558,7 @@ jobs:
             apt update
             apt-get install --no-install-recommends --yes \
               git \
-              ca-certificates \
-              quilt
+              ca-certificates
       - run:
           name: "Download sources for Tahoe-LAFS and @merkys Debian packaging"
           command: |
@@ -571,7 +570,6 @@ jobs:
             git clone https://salsa.debian.org/merkys/tahoe-lafs.git merkys-tahoe-lafs
             cd tahoe-lafs/
             ln -s ../merkys-tahoe-lafs/debian
-            ln -s ../merkys-tahoe-lafs/debian/patches
       - run:
           name: "Install Tahoe-LAFS dependencies from the Debian repositories"
           command: |
@@ -592,15 +590,6 @@ jobs:
                   if (dep && !seen[dep]++) print dep
                 }
               }' /tmp/debian-13-package/tahoe-lafs/debian/control)
-      # Don't apply the patches in the package.  We aim for
-      # compatibility without need for downstream patches.
-      #
-      # - run:
-      #     name: "Apply the Debian package's patches"
-      #     command: |
-      #       cd /tmp/debian-13-package/tahoe-lafs/
-      #       # TODO decide: Should we honour quilt's opinion about this build?
-      #       quilt push -a || true
       - run:
           name: "Build & run tests"
           command: |