diff --git a/lib/mu-query.h b/lib/mu-query.h
index 82b660f7..7885e2a4 100644
--- a/lib/mu-query.h
+++ b/lib/mu-query.h
@@ -53,16 +53,6 @@ MuQuery* mu_query_new  (MuStore *store, GError **err)
  */
 void mu_query_destroy  (MuQuery *self);
 
-/**
- * get a version string for the database
- *
- * @param store a valid MuQuery
- *
- * @return the version string (free with g_free), or NULL in case of error
- */
-char* mu_query_version (MuQuery *store)
-    G_GNUC_MALLOC G_GNUC_WARN_UNUSED_RESULT;
-
 
 typedef enum {
 	MU_QUERY_FLAG_NONE            = 0 << 0, /**< no flags */
diff --git a/lib/utils/mu-str.c b/lib/utils/mu-str.c
index 03931552..607d3221 100644
--- a/lib/utils/mu-str.c
+++ b/lib/utils/mu-str.c
@@ -428,125 +428,6 @@ mu_str_quoted_from_strv (const gchar **params)
 }
 
 
-static char*
-read_key (const char *str, const char **val, GError **err)
-{
-	const char *cur;
-	GString *gstr;
-
-	cur = str;
-
-	gstr = g_string_sized_new (strlen(cur));
-	while (*cur && *cur != ':') {
-		g_string_append_c (gstr, *cur);
-		++cur;
-	}
-
-	if (*cur != ':' || gstr->len == 0) {
-		g_set_error (err, MU_ERROR_DOMAIN, MU_ERROR,
-			     "expected: '<alphanum>+:' (%s)",
-			     str);
-		g_string_free (gstr, TRUE);
-		*val = NULL;
-		return NULL;
-	} else {
-		*val = cur + 1;
-		return g_string_free (gstr, FALSE);
-	}
-}
-
-
-static char*
-read_val (const char *str, const char **endval, GError **err)
-{
-	const char *cur;
-	gboolean quoted;
-	GString *gstr;
-
-	gstr = g_string_sized_new (strlen(str));
-
-	for (quoted = FALSE, cur = str; *cur; ++cur) {
-
-		if (*cur == '\\') {
-			if (cur[1] != '"' && cur[1] != '\\') {
-				g_set_error (err, MU_ERROR_DOMAIN, MU_ERROR,
-					     "invalid escaping");
-				goto errexit;
-			} else {
-				++cur;
-				g_string_append_c (gstr, *cur);
-				continue;
-			}
-		} else if (*cur == '"') {
-			quoted = !quoted;
-			continue;
-		} else if (isblank(*cur) && !quoted)
-			break;
-		else
-			g_string_append_c (gstr, *cur);
-	}
-
-	if (quoted) {
-		g_set_error (err, MU_ERROR_DOMAIN, MU_ERROR,
-			     "error in quoting");
-		goto errexit;
-	}
-
-	*endval = cur;
-	return g_string_free (gstr, FALSE);
-
-errexit:
-	g_string_free (gstr, TRUE);
-	return NULL;
-}
-
-
-GHashTable*
-mu_str_parse_arglist (const char *args, GError **err)
-{
-	GHashTable *hash;
-	const char *cur;
-
-	g_return_val_if_fail (args, NULL);
-
-	hash = g_hash_table_new_full (
-		g_str_hash,
-		g_str_equal,
-		(GDestroyNotify)g_free,
-		(GDestroyNotify)g_free);
-
-	cur = args;
-	while ((isblank(*cur)))
-		++cur;
-
-	do {
-		char *key, *val;
-		const char *valstart, *valend;
-
-		key = read_key (cur, &valstart, err);
-		if (!key)
-			goto errexit;
-
-		val = read_val (valstart, &valend, err);
-		if (!val)
-			goto errexit;
-
-		/* g_print ("%s->%s\n", key, val); */
-		g_hash_table_insert (hash, key, val);
-
-		cur = valend;
-		while ((isblank(*cur)))
-			++cur;
-	} while (*cur);
-
-	return hash;
-
-errexit:
-	g_hash_table_destroy (hash);
-	return NULL;
-}
-
-
 char*
 mu_str_remove_ctrl_in_place (char *str)
 {
diff --git a/lib/utils/mu-str.h b/lib/utils/mu-str.h
index bd985a22..45867d7a 100644
--- a/lib/utils/mu-str.h
+++ b/lib/utils/mu-str.h
@@ -174,19 +174,6 @@ GSList* mu_str_to_list (const char *str, char sepa, gboolean strip);
  */
 GSList* mu_str_esc_to_list (const char *str);
 
-/**
- * Parse a list of <key>:<value> arguments, where <value> supports
- * quoting and escaping.
- *
- * @param args a list of arguments
- * @param err receives error information
- *
- * @return a hash table with key->value, or NULL in case of
- * error. Free with g_hash_table_destroy.
- */
-GHashTable* mu_str_parse_arglist (const char *args, GError **err)
-G_GNUC_WARN_UNUSED_RESULT;
-
 /**
  * free a GSList consisting of allocated strings
  *
diff --git a/lib/utils/test-mu-str.c b/lib/utils/test-mu-str.c
index f8b3cd04..75fc71fb 100644
--- a/lib/utils/test-mu-str.c
+++ b/lib/utils/test-mu-str.c
@@ -70,34 +70,6 @@ test_mu_str_size_02 (void)
 	g_free (tmp2);
 }
 
-
-
-static void
-test_parse_arglist (void)
-{
-	const char *args;
-	GHashTable *hash;
-	GError *err;
-
-	args = "cmd:find query:maildir:\"/sent items\" maxnum:500";
-
-	err  = NULL;
-	hash = mu_str_parse_arglist (args, &err);
-	g_assert_no_error (err);
-	g_assert (hash);
-
-	g_assert_cmpstr (g_hash_table_lookup (hash, "cmd"), ==,
-			 "find");
-	/* note, mu4e now passes queries as base64 */
-	g_assert_cmpstr (g_hash_table_lookup (hash, "query"), ==,
-			 "maildir:/sent items");
-	g_assert_cmpstr (g_hash_table_lookup (hash, "maxnum"), ==,
-			 "500");
-
-	g_hash_table_destroy (hash);
-}
-
-
 static void
 test_mu_str_esc_to_list (void)
 {
@@ -289,9 +261,6 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
 	g_test_add_func ("/mu-str/mu-str-to-list-strip",
 			 test_mu_str_to_list_strip);
 
-	g_test_add_func ("/mu-str/mu-str-parse-arglist",
-			 test_parse_arglist);
-
 	g_test_add_func ("/mu-str/mu-str-replace",
 			 test_mu_str_replace);