diff --git a/debian/patches/fix_gacutil.patch b/debian/patches/fix_gacutil.patch
deleted file mode 100644
index f6ecde28a3..0000000000
--- a/debian/patches/fix_gacutil.patch
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,227 +0,0 @@
-diff --git a/mono/metadata/appdomain.c b/mono/metadata/appdomain.c
-index 9b73ccd..579b93a 100644
---- a/mono/metadata/appdomain.c
-+++ b/mono/metadata/appdomain.c
-@@ -1927,20 +1927,6 @@ mono_domain_assembly_search (MonoAssemblyName *aname,
- 	return NULL;
- }
- 
--static gboolean
--prevent_running_reference_assembly (MonoAssembly *ass, MonoError *error)
--{
--	mono_error_init (error);
--	gboolean refasm = mono_assembly_get_reference_assembly_attribute (ass, error);
--	if (!is_ok (error))
--		return TRUE;
--	if (refasm) {
--		mono_error_set_bad_image (error, ass->image, "Could not load file or assembly or one of its dependencies. Reference assemblies should not be loaded for execution.  They can only be loaded in the Reflection-only loader context.\n");
--		return TRUE;
--	}
--	return FALSE;
--}
--
- MonoReflectionAssembly *
- ves_icall_System_Reflection_Assembly_LoadFrom (MonoString *fname, MonoBoolean refOnly)
- {
-@@ -1949,40 +1935,37 @@ ves_icall_System_Reflection_Assembly_LoadFrom (MonoString *fname, MonoBoolean re
- 	MonoDomain *domain = mono_domain_get ();
- 	char *name, *filename;
- 	MonoImageOpenStatus status = MONO_IMAGE_OK;
--	MonoAssembly *ass = NULL;
--
--	name = NULL;
--	result = NULL;
--
--	mono_error_init (&error);
-+	MonoAssembly *ass;
- 
- 	if (fname == NULL) {
--		mono_error_set_argument_null (&error, "assemblyFile", "");
--		goto leave;
-+		MonoException *exc = mono_get_exception_argument_null ("assemblyFile");
-+		mono_set_pending_exception (exc);
-+		return NULL;
- 	}
- 		
- 	name = filename = mono_string_to_utf8_checked (fname, &error);
--	if (!is_ok (&error))
--		goto leave;
-+	if (mono_error_set_pending_exception (&error))
-+		return NULL;
- 	
- 	ass = mono_assembly_open_full (filename, &status, refOnly);
- 	
- 	if (!ass) {
-+		MonoException *exc;
-+
- 		if (status == MONO_IMAGE_IMAGE_INVALID)
--			mono_error_set_bad_image_name (&error, name, "");
-+			exc = mono_get_exception_bad_image_format2 (NULL, fname);
- 		else
--			mono_error_set_exception_instance (&error, mono_get_exception_file_not_found2 (NULL, fname));
--		goto leave;
-+			exc = mono_get_exception_file_not_found2 (NULL, fname);
-+		g_free (name);
-+		mono_set_pending_exception (exc);
-+		return NULL;
- 	}
- 
--	if (!refOnly && prevent_running_reference_assembly (ass, &error))
--		goto leave;
-+	g_free (name);
- 
- 	result = mono_assembly_get_object_checked (domain, ass, &error);
--
--leave:
--	mono_error_set_pending_exception (&error);
--	g_free (name);
-+	if (!result)
-+		mono_error_set_pending_exception (&error);
- 	return result;
- }
- 
-@@ -2017,11 +2000,6 @@ ves_icall_System_AppDomain_LoadAssemblyRaw (MonoAppDomain *ad,
- 		return NULL; 
- 	}
- 
--	if (!refonly && prevent_running_reference_assembly (ass, &error)) {
--		mono_error_set_pending_exception (&error);
--		return NULL;
--	}
--
- 	refass = mono_assembly_get_object_checked (domain, ass, &error);
- 	if (!refass)
- 		mono_error_set_pending_exception (&error);
-@@ -2039,7 +2017,7 @@ ves_icall_System_AppDomain_LoadAssembly (MonoAppDomain *ad,  MonoString *assRef,
- 	MonoAssembly *ass;
- 	MonoAssemblyName aname;
- 	MonoReflectionAssembly *refass = NULL;
--	gchar *name = NULL;
-+	gchar *name;
- 	gboolean parsed;
- 
- 	g_assert (assRef);
-@@ -2048,13 +2026,16 @@ ves_icall_System_AppDomain_LoadAssembly (MonoAppDomain *ad,  MonoString *assRef,
- 	if (mono_error_set_pending_exception (&error))
- 		return NULL;
- 	parsed = mono_assembly_name_parse (name, &aname);
-+	g_free (name);
- 
- 	if (!parsed) {
- 		/* This is a parse error... */
- 		if (!refOnly) {
- 			refass = mono_try_assembly_resolve (domain, assRef, NULL, refOnly, &error);
--			if (!is_ok (&error))
--				goto leave;
-+			if (!mono_error_ok (&error)) {
-+				mono_error_set_pending_exception (&error);
-+				return NULL;
-+			}
- 		}
- 		return refass;
- 	}
-@@ -2066,31 +2047,25 @@ ves_icall_System_AppDomain_LoadAssembly (MonoAppDomain *ad,  MonoString *assRef,
- 		/* MS.NET doesn't seem to call the assembly resolve handler for refonly assemblies */
- 		if (!refOnly) {
- 			refass = mono_try_assembly_resolve (domain, assRef, NULL, refOnly, &error);
--			if (!is_ok (&error))
--				goto leave;
-+			if (!mono_error_ok (&error)) {
-+				mono_error_set_pending_exception (&error);
-+				return NULL;
-+			}
- 		}
- 		else
- 			refass = NULL;
--		if (!refass)
--			goto leave;
--		ass = refass->assembly;
-+		if (!refass) {
-+			return NULL;
-+		}
- 	}
- 
--	if (!refOnly && prevent_running_reference_assembly (ass, &error))
--		goto leave;
--
--	g_assert (ass);
--	if (refass == NULL) {
-+	if (refass == NULL)
- 		refass = mono_assembly_get_object_checked (domain, ass, &error);
--		if (!is_ok (&error))
--			goto leave;
--	}
--
--	MONO_OBJECT_SETREF (refass, evidence, evidence);
- 
--leave:
--	g_free (name);
--	mono_error_set_pending_exception (&error);
-+	if (refass == NULL)
-+		mono_error_set_pending_exception (&error);
-+	else
-+		MONO_OBJECT_SETREF (refass, evidence, evidence);
- 	return refass;
- }
- 
-diff --git a/mono/metadata/assembly.c b/mono/metadata/assembly.c
-index 7bd02ff..c1e88da 100644
---- a/mono/metadata/assembly.c
-+++ b/mono/metadata/assembly.c
-@@ -1176,23 +1176,6 @@ mono_assembly_load_reference (MonoImage *image, int index)
- 				   aname.major, aname.minor, aname.build, aname.revision,
- 				   strlen ((char*)aname.public_key_token) == 0 ? "(none)" : (char*)aname.public_key_token, extra_msg);
- 		g_free (extra_msg);
--
--	} else if (!image->assembly->ref_only) {
--		MonoError error;
--		if (mono_assembly_get_reference_assembly_attribute (reference, &error)) {
--			mono_trace (G_LOG_LEVEL_WARNING, MONO_TRACE_ASSEMBLY, "The following reference assembly assembly referenced from %s was not loaded.  Reference assemblies should not be loaded for execution.  They can only be loaded in the Reflection-only loader context:\n"
--				    "     Assembly:   %s    (assemblyref_index=%d)\n"
--				    "     Version:    %d.%d.%d.%d\n"
--				    "     Public Key: %s\n",
--				    image->name, aname.name, index,
--				    aname.major, aname.minor, aname.build, aname.revision,
--				    strlen ((char*)aname.public_key_token) == 0 ? "(none)" : (char*)aname.public_key_token);
--			reference = NULL; /* don't load reference assemblies for execution */
--		}
--		if (!is_ok (&error)) {
--			reference = NULL;
--			mono_error_cleanup (&error);
--		}
- 	}
- 
- 	mono_assemblies_lock ();
-diff --git a/mono/metadata/class.c b/mono/metadata/class.c
-index 56e12ad..17da478 100644
---- a/mono/metadata/class.c
-+++ b/mono/metadata/class.c
-@@ -5544,7 +5544,6 @@ mono_class_setup_parent (MonoClass *klass, MonoClass *parent)
- 			/* set the parent to something useful and safe, but mark the type as broken */
- 			parent = mono_defaults.object_class;
- 			mono_class_set_failure (klass, MONO_EXCEPTION_TYPE_LOAD, NULL);
--			g_assert (parent);
- 		}
- 
- 		klass->parent = parent;
-diff --git a/mono/metadata/domain.c b/mono/metadata/domain.c
-index 93aced6..a3ba4a7 100644
---- a/mono/metadata/domain.c
-+++ b/mono/metadata/domain.c
-@@ -807,16 +807,6 @@ mono_init_internal (const char *filename, const char *exe_filename, const char *
- 
- 	mono_profiler_appdomain_name (domain, domain->friendly_name);
- 
--	/* Have to do this quite late so that we at least have System.Object */
--	MonoError custom_attr_error;
--	if (mono_assembly_get_reference_assembly_attribute (ass, &custom_attr_error)) {
--		char *corlib_file = g_build_filename (mono_assembly_getrootdir (), "mono", current_runtime->framework_version, "mscorlib.dll", NULL);
--		g_print ("Could not load file or assembly %s. Reference assemblies should not be loaded for execution.  They can only be loaded in the Reflection-only loader context.", corlib_file);
--		g_free (corlib_file);
--		exit (1);
--	}
--	mono_error_assert_ok (&custom_attr_error);
--
- 	return domain;
- }
- 
diff --git a/debian/patches/series b/debian/patches/series
deleted file mode 100644
index f519e0e8ca..0000000000
--- a/debian/patches/series
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-fix_gacutil.patch