diff --git a/tools/deprecate_features/deprecate_features.py b/tools/deprecate_features/deprecate_features.py
index 203d4d2a99dbf..3da00632ba9f5 100644
--- a/tools/deprecate_features/deprecate_features.py
+++ b/tools/deprecate_features/deprecate_features.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# A simple script to snag deprecated proto fields and add them to runtime_features.h
+# A simple script to snag deprecated proto fields and add them to runtime_features.cc
 
 from __future__ import print_function
 import re
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@ def deprecate_proto():
 
   # Compile the set of deprecated fields and the files they're in, deduping via set.
   deprecated_regex = re.compile(r'.*\/([^\/]*.proto):[^=]* ([^= ]+) =.*')
-  for line in grep_output.splitlines():
+  for byte_line in grep_output.splitlines():
+    line = str(byte_line)
     match = deprecated_regex.match(line)
     if match:
       filenames_and_fields.add(tuple([match.group(1), match.group(2)]))
@@ -46,46 +47,11 @@ def deprecate_proto():
   return email, code
 
 
-# Sorts out the list of features which should be default enabled and returns a tuple of
-# email and code changes.
-def flip_runtime_features():
-  grep_output = subprocess.check_output('grep -r "envoy.reloadable_features\." source/*',
-                                        shell=True)
-
-  features_to_flip = set()
-
-  # Compile the set of features to flip, deduping via set.
-  deprecated_regex = re.compile(r'.*"(envoy.reloadable_features\.[^"]+)".*')
-  for line in grep_output.splitlines():
-    match = deprecated_regex.match(line)
-    if match:
-      features_to_flip.add(match.group(1))
-    else:
-      print('no match in ' + line + ' please address manually!')
-
-  # Exempt the two test flags.
-  features_to_flip.remove('envoy.reloadable_features.my_feature_name')
-  features_to_flip.remove('envoy.reloadable_features.test_feature_true')
-
-  code_snippets = []
-  email_snippets = []
-  for (feature) in features_to_flip:
-    code_snippets.append('    "' + feature + '",\n')
-    email_snippets.append(feature + '\n')
-  code = ''.join(code_snippets)
-  email = ''
-  if email_snippets:
-    email = 'the following features will be defaulted to true:\n' + ''.join(email_snippets)
-
-  return email, code
-
-
 # Gather code and suggested email changes.
-runtime_email, runtime_features_code = flip_runtime_features()
 deprecate_email, deprecate_code = deprecate_proto()
 
 email = ('The Envoy maintainer team is cutting the next Envoy release.  In the new release ' +
-         runtime_email + deprecate_email)
+         deprecate_email)
 
 print('\n\nSuggested envoy-announce email: \n')
 print(email)
@@ -94,8 +60,6 @@ def flip_runtime_features():
   exit(1)
 
 for line in fileinput.FileInput('source/common/runtime/runtime_features.cc', inplace=1):
-  if 'envoy.reloadable_features.test_feature_true' in line:
-    line = line.replace(line, line + runtime_features_code)
   if 'envoy.deprecated_features.deprecated.proto:is_deprecated_fatal' in line:
     line = line.replace(line, line + deprecate_code)
   print(line, end='')
diff --git a/tools/deprecate_features/requirements.txt b/tools/deprecate_features/requirements.txt
index dc2a917a768ee..b1013c19345c4 100644
--- a/tools/deprecate_features/requirements.txt
+++ b/tools/deprecate_features/requirements.txt
@@ -1,2 +1 @@
-GitPython==3.0.0
-PyGithub==1.43.8
+six==1.12.0