diff --git a/securedrop/debian/securedrop-app-code.postinst b/securedrop/debian/securedrop-app-code.postinst
index b97c2dd146..97e459970e 100644
--- a/securedrop/debian/securedrop-app-code.postinst
+++ b/securedrop/debian/securedrop-app-code.postinst
@@ -109,10 +109,6 @@ migrate_crontab() {
 #
 #
 refresh_bytecode() {
-    # Remove any existing byte code files, to ensure that obsolete
-    # dependencies can't linger after they've been removed.
-    find "${SDVE}" -name '*.py[co]' -delete
-    find /var/www/securedrop -name '*.py[co]' -delete
     # Now generate the new byte-code
     py3compile "${SDVE}"
     py3compile /var/www/securedrop
diff --git a/securedrop/debian/securedrop-app-code.postrm b/securedrop/debian/securedrop-app-code.postrm
index 2cfbb08790..b08ee6b561 100644
--- a/securedrop/debian/securedrop-app-code.postrm
+++ b/securedrop/debian/securedrop-app-code.postrm
@@ -19,17 +19,11 @@ set -e
 # the debian-policy package
 . /usr/share/debconf/confmodule
 
-clean_pyc() {
-    find /var/www/securedrop/ -name '*.pyc' -delete
-    find /var/www/securedrop/ -name __pycache__ -delete
-}
-
 case "$1" in
     upgrade|failed-upgrade)
     ;;
 
     remove|abort-install|abort-upgrade|disappear)
-        clean_pyc
     ;;
 
     purge)
diff --git a/securedrop/debian/securedrop-app-code.prerm b/securedrop/debian/securedrop-app-code.prerm
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..537d9292ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/securedrop/debian/securedrop-app-code.prerm
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# prerm script for securedrop-app-code
+#
+# See: dh_installdeb(1).
+
+set -e
+
+# Summary of how this script can be called:
+#        * <prerm> 'remove'
+#        * <old-prerm> 'upgrade' <new-version>
+#        * <new-prerm> 'failed-upgrade' <old-version>
+#        * <conflictor's-prerm> 'remove' 'in-favour' <package> <new-version>
+#        * <deconfigured's-prerm> 'deconfigure' 'in-favour'
+#          <package-being-installed> <version> 'removing'
+#          <conflicting-package> <version>
+# for details, see https://www.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/ or
+# the debian-policy package.
+
+
+case "$1" in
+    remove|upgrade|deconfigure)
+        py3clean /opt/venvs/securedrop-app-code
+        py3clean /var/www/securedrop
+    ;;
+
+    failed-upgrade)
+    ;;
+
+    *)
+        echo "prerm called with unknown argument '$1'" >&2
+        exit 1
+    ;;
+esac
+
+# dh_installdeb will replace this with shell code automatically
+# generated by other debhelper scripts.
+
+#DEBHELPER#
+
+exit 0