diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 46e7c775..651805cd 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -159,8 +159,8 @@ AS_IF([test "x$ncurses_cv_wget_wch" != xyes],
     [AC_MSG_ERROR([ncurses does not support wide characters])])
 
 ### Check for other profanity dependencies
-PKG_CHECK_MODULES([glib], [glib-2.0 >= 2.26], [],
-    [AC_MSG_ERROR([glib 2.26 or higher is required for profanity])])
+PKG_CHECK_MODULES([glib], [glib-2.0 >= 2.40], [],
+    [AC_MSG_ERROR([glib 2.40 or higher is required for profanity])])
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES([curl], [libcurl], [],
     [AC_CHECK_LIB([curl], [main], [],
         [AC_MSG_ERROR([libcurl is required for profanity])])])
diff --git a/src/common.c b/src/common.c
index 898f62fa..d9c7d73f 100644
--- a/src/common.c
+++ b/src/common.c
@@ -67,54 +67,6 @@ static unsigned long unique_id = 0;
 
 static size_t _data_callback(void *ptr, size_t size, size_t nmemb, void *data);
 
-// taken from glib 2.30.3
-gchar*
-p_utf8_substring(const gchar *str, glong start_pos, glong end_pos)
-{
-    gchar *start, *end, *out;
-
-    start = g_utf8_offset_to_pointer (str, start_pos);
-    end = g_utf8_offset_to_pointer (start, end_pos - start_pos);
-
-    out = g_malloc (end - start + 1);
-    memcpy (out, start, end - start);
-    out[end - start] = 0;
-
-    return out;
-}
-
-void
-p_slist_free_full(GSList *items, GDestroyNotify free_func)
-{
-    g_slist_foreach (items, (GFunc) free_func, NULL);
-    g_slist_free (items);
-}
-
-void
-p_list_free_full(GList *items, GDestroyNotify free_func)
-{
-    g_list_foreach (items, (GFunc) free_func, NULL);
-    g_list_free (items);
-}
-
-gboolean
-p_hash_table_add(GHashTable *hash_table, gpointer key)
-{
-    // doesn't handle when key exists, but value == NULL
-    gpointer found = g_hash_table_lookup(hash_table, key);
-    g_hash_table_replace(hash_table, key, key);
-
-    return (found == NULL);
-}
-
-gboolean
-p_hash_table_contains(GHashTable *hash_table, gconstpointer key)
-{
-    // doesn't handle when key exists, but value == NULL
-    gpointer found = g_hash_table_lookup(hash_table, key);
-    return (found != NULL);
-}
-
 gboolean
 create_dir(char *name)
 {
diff --git a/src/common.h b/src/common.h
index 8c42ae52..421c56cd 100644
--- a/src/common.h
+++ b/src/common.h
@@ -40,20 +40,6 @@
 
 #include <glib.h>
 
-#if !GLIB_CHECK_VERSION(2,28,0)
-#define g_slist_free_full(items, free_func)         p_slist_free_full(items, free_func)
-#define g_list_free_full(items, free_func)          p_list_free_full(items, free_func)
-#endif
-
-#if !GLIB_CHECK_VERSION(2,30,0)
-#define g_utf8_substring(str, start_pos, end_pos)   p_utf8_substring(str, start_pos, end_pos)
-#endif
-
-#if !GLIB_CHECK_VERSION(2,32,0)
-#define g_hash_table_add(hash_table, key)           p_hash_table_add(hash_table, key)
-#define g_hash_table_contains(hash_table, key)      p_hash_table_contains(hash_table, key)
-#endif
-
 #ifndef NOTIFY_CHECK_VERSION
 #define notify_notification_new(summary, body, icon) notify_notification_new(summary, body, icon, NULL)
 #endif
@@ -94,12 +80,6 @@ typedef enum {
     RESOURCE_XA
 } resource_presence_t;
 
-gchar* p_utf8_substring(const gchar *str, glong start_pos, glong end_pos);
-void p_slist_free_full(GSList *items, GDestroyNotify free_func);
-void p_list_free_full(GList *items, GDestroyNotify free_func);
-gboolean p_hash_table_add(GHashTable *hash_table, gpointer key);
-gboolean p_hash_table_contains(GHashTable *hash_table, gconstpointer key);
-
 gboolean create_dir(char *name);
 gboolean mkdir_recursive(const char *dir);
 gboolean copy_file(const char *const src, const char *const target);