diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 40c8fb7e..b0ecbad8 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -36,4 +36,5 @@ NEW IN WAF 1.9 preview 1
   - Task.sig_vars, Task.sig_explit_deps and Task.sig_implicit_deps return None
   - Better consistency between check_cfg and check_cc variables
   - Subclass waflib.Build.ConfiguredContext to enable configuration-dependent user commands
+  - Remove Task.dep_vars as it is never used (define Task.vars on instances if necessary)
 
diff --git a/waflib/Task.py b/waflib/Task.py
index 684b7e34..5877b80b 100644
--- a/waflib/Task.py
+++ b/waflib/Task.py
@@ -422,9 +422,6 @@ class Task(TaskBase):
 		self.run_after = set([])
 		"""Set of tasks that must be executed before this one"""
 
-		# Additionally, you may define the following
-		#self.dep_vars  = 'PREFIX DATADIR'
-
 	def __str__(self):
 		"string to display to the user"
 		name = self.__class__.__name__
@@ -662,18 +659,8 @@ class Task(TaskBase):
 		"""
 		Used by :py:meth:`waflib.Task.Task.signature`, hash :py:attr:`waflib.Task.Task.env` variables/values
 		"""
-		bld = self.generator.bld
-		env = self.env
-		upd = self.m.update
-
-		# dependencies on the environment vars
-		act_sig = bld.hash_env_vars(env, self.__class__.vars)
-		upd(act_sig)
-
-		# additional variable dependencies, if provided
-		dep_vars = getattr(self, 'dep_vars', None)
-		if dep_vars:
-			upd(bld.hash_env_vars(env, dep_vars))
+		sig = self.generator.bld.hash_env_vars(self.env, self.__class__.vars)
+		self.m.update(sig)
 
 	scan = None
 	"""
diff --git a/waflib/TaskGen.py b/waflib/TaskGen.py
index 1d390ab6..baeb1aea 100644
--- a/waflib/TaskGen.py
+++ b/waflib/TaskGen.py
@@ -736,7 +736,7 @@ class subst_pc(Task.Task):
 
 		code = code % d
 		self.outputs[0].write(code, encoding=getattr(self.generator, 'encoding', 'ISO8859-1'))
-		self.generator.bld.raw_deps[self.uid()] = self.dep_vars = lst
+		self.generator.bld.raw_deps[self.uid()] = lst
 
 		# make sure the signature is updated
 		try: delattr(self, 'cache_sig')
diff --git a/waflib/extras/file_to_object.py b/waflib/extras/file_to_object.py
index 68fb2db8..1393b511 100644
--- a/waflib/extras/file_to_object.py
+++ b/waflib/extras/file_to_object.py
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ def filename_c_escape(x):
 
 class file_to_object_s(Task.Task):
 	color = 'CYAN'
-	dep_vars = ('DEST_CPU', 'DEST_BINFMT')
+	vars = ['DEST_CPU', 'DEST_BINFMT']
 
 	def run(self):
 		name = []