diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 5d234a4..641efac 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -5,21 +5,22 @@
 try:
     # pip >=20
     from pip._internal.network.session import PipSession
-    from pip._internal.req import parse_requirements
 except ImportError:
     try:
         # 10.0.0 <= pip <= 19.3.1
         from pip._internal.download import PipSession
-        from pip._internal.req import parse_requirements
     except ImportError:
         # pip <= 9.0.3
         from pip.download import PipSession
-        from pip.req import parse_requirements
+
+def parse_requirements(filename):
+    """ load requirements from a pip requirements file """
+    lines = (line.strip() for line in open(filename))
+    return [line for line in lines if line and not line.startswith("#")]
 
 __author__ = 'Andreas Thienemann <andreas@bawue.net>'
 
-install_reqs = parse_requirements('requirements.txt', session=uuid.uuid1())
-reqs = [str(ir.req) for ir in install_reqs]
+reqs = parse_requirements('requirements.txt')
 
 setup(
     name="napalm-procurve",