diff --git a/lib/external/match.c b/lib/external/match.c
index 55843cd0..dc7890ab 100644
--- a/lib/external/match.c
+++ b/lib/external/match.c
@@ -29,56 +29,9 @@
 
 #include "xbps_api_impl.h"
 
-/*
- * Perform alternate match on "pkg" against "pattern",
- * calling pkg_match (recursively) to resolve any other patterns.
- * Return 1 on match, 0 otherwise or -1 on error.
- */
-static int
-alternate_match(const char *pattern, const char *pkg)
-{
-	char   *sep;
-	char    buf[PATH_MAX];
-	char   *last;
-	char   *alt;
-	char   *cp;
-	int     cnt;
-	int     found;
-
-	if ((sep = strchr(pattern, '{')) == (char *)NULL)
-		return -1;
-
-	(void)strncpy(buf, pattern, (size_t)(sep - pattern));
-	alt = &buf[sep - pattern];
-	last = (char *)NULL;
-	for (cnt = 0, cp = sep; *cp && last == (char *)NULL; cp++) {
-		if (*cp == '{') {
-			cnt++;
-		} else if (*cp == '}' && --cnt == 0 && last == (char *)NULL) {
-			last = cp + 1;
-		}
-	}
-	if (cnt != 0)
-		return -1;
-
-	for (found = 0, cp = sep + 1; *sep != '}'; cp = sep + 1) {
-		for (cnt = 0, sep = cp; cnt > 0 || (cnt == 0 && *sep != '}' && *sep != ','); sep++) {
-			if (*sep == '{') {
-				cnt++;
-			} else if (*sep == '}') {
-				cnt--;
-			}
-		}
-		(void)snprintf(alt, sizeof(buf) - (alt - buf), "%.*s%s", (int)(sep - cp), cp, last);
-		if (xbps_pkgpattern_match(buf, pkg) == 1)
-			found = 1;
-	}
-	return found;
-}
-
 /*
  * Perform glob match on "pkg" against "pattern".
- * Return 1 on match, 0 otherwise
+ * Return 1 on match, 0 otherwise.
  */
 static int
 glob_match(const char *pattern, const char *pkg)
@@ -88,7 +41,7 @@ glob_match(const char *pattern, const char *pkg)
 
 /*
  * Perform simple match on "pkg" against "pattern". 
- * Return 1 on match, 0 otherwise
+ * Return 1 on match, 0 otherwise.
  */
 static int
 simple_match(const char *pattern, const char *pkg)
@@ -126,36 +79,20 @@ xbps_pkgpattern_match(const char *pkg, const char *pattern)
 	if (!quick_pkg_match(pattern, pkg))
 		return 0;
 
-	if (strchr(pattern, '{') != (char *)NULL) {
-		/* emulate csh-type alternates */
-		return alternate_match(pattern, pkg);
-	}
-	if (strpbrk(pattern, "<>") != (char *)NULL) {
+	if (strpbrk(pattern, "<>") != NULL) {
 		/* perform relational dewey match on version number */
 		return dewey_match(pattern, pkg);
 	}
-	if (strpbrk(pattern, "*?[]") != (char *)NULL) {
+	if (strpbrk(pattern, "*?[]") != NULL) {
 		/* glob match */
 		if (glob_match(pattern, pkg))
 			return 1;
 	}
 
-	/* no alternate, dewey or glob match -> simple compare */
+	/* no dewey or glob match -> simple compare */
 	if (simple_match(pattern, pkg))
 		return 1;
 
-	/* globbing patterns and simple matches may be specified with or
-	 * without the version number, so check for both cases. */
-	{
-		char *pattern_ver;
-		int retval;
-
-		pattern_ver = xbps_xasprintf("%s-[0-9]*", pattern);
-		if (pattern_ver == NULL)
-			return -1;
-
-		retval = glob_match(pattern_ver, pkg);
-		free(pattern_ver);
-		return retval;
-	}
+	/* no match */
+	return 0;
 }