diff --git a/archivebox/vendor/__init__.py b/archivebox/vendor/__init__.py
index 85e08e54..a3f276aa 100644
--- a/archivebox/vendor/__init__.py
+++ b/archivebox/vendor/__init__.py
@@ -6,11 +6,11 @@ VENDOR_DIR = Path(__file__).parent
 
 VENDORED_LIBS = {
     # sys.path dir:         library name
-    'python-atomicwrites':  'atomicwrites',
-    'django-taggit':        'taggit',
-    'pydantic-pkgr':        'pydantic_pkgr',
+    #'python-atomicwrites':  'atomicwrites',
+    #'django-taggit':        'taggit',
+    #'pydantic-pkgr':        'pydantic_pkgr',
     'pocket':               'pocket',
-    'base32-crockford':     'base32_crockford',
+    #'base32-crockford':     'base32_crockford',
 }
 
 def load_vendored_libs():
diff --git a/archivebox/vendor/base32-crockford b/archivebox/vendor/base32-crockford
deleted file mode 160000
index 1ffb6021..00000000
--- a/archivebox/vendor/base32-crockford
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit 1ffb6021485b666ea6a562abd0a1ea6f7021188f
diff --git a/archivebox/vendor/django-taggit b/archivebox/vendor/django-taggit
deleted file mode 160000
index 3847b3cb..00000000
--- a/archivebox/vendor/django-taggit
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit 3847b3cb32cd80448a1ef4c319951a2a4a6a971c
diff --git a/archivebox/vendor/pydantic-pkgr b/archivebox/vendor/pydantic-pkgr
deleted file mode 160000
index 7647d375..00000000
--- a/archivebox/vendor/pydantic-pkgr
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit 7647d3757ef0655bd8ba106c4c5b27ae16909e03
diff --git a/archivebox/vendor/python-atomicwrites b/archivebox/vendor/python-atomicwrites
deleted file mode 160000
index 4183999d..00000000
--- a/archivebox/vendor/python-atomicwrites
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit 4183999d9b7e81af85dee070d5311299bdf5164c
diff --git a/archivebox/vendor/requirements.txt b/archivebox/vendor/requirements.txt
index 3d4872b0..ee7fa139 100644
--- a/archivebox/vendor/requirements.txt
+++ b/archivebox/vendor/requirements.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 # this folder contains vendored versions of these packages
 
-atomicwrites==1.4.0
-pocket==0.3.7
-django-taggit==1.3.0
-base32-crockford==0.3.0
+#atomicwrites==1.4.0
+#pocket==0.3.7
+#pocket@git+https://github.com/tapanpandita/pocket.git@v0.3.7
+#django-taggit==1.3.0
+#base32-crockford==0.3.0
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index f711e458..2cab5801 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [project]
 name = "archivebox"
-version = "0.8.5"
+version = "0.8.5-rc1"
 requires-python = ">=3.10"
 description = "Self-hosted internet archiving solution."
 authors = [{name = "Nick Sweeting", email = "pyproject.toml@archivebox.io"}]
@@ -83,11 +83,11 @@ dependencies = [
     ############# VENDORED LIBS ######################
     # these can be safely omitted when installation subsystem does not provide these as packages (e.g. apt/debian)
     # archivebox will automatically load fallback vendored copies bundled via archivebox/vendor/__init__.py
-    "pydantic-pkgr>=0.4.2",
+    "pydantic-pkgr>=0.4.3",
     "atomicwrites==1.4.1",
-    "pocket@git+https://github.com/tapanpandita/pocket.git@v0.3.7",
     "django-taggit==1.3.0",
     "base32-crockford==0.3.0",
+    # "pocket@git+https://github.com/tapanpandita/pocket.git@v0.3.7",
     #################################################
 ]