diff --git a/tests/test_warcprox.py b/tests/test_warcprox.py
index 8b44974..216b4af 100755
--- a/tests/test_warcprox.py
+++ b/tests/test_warcprox.py
@@ -274,12 +274,10 @@ def rethink_dedup_db(request, rethinkdb_servers, captures_db):
             ddb = warcprox.dedup.RethinkDedupDb(rr)
 
     def fin():
-        if rethinkdb_servers:
-            ddb.close()
-            if not captures_db:
-                logging.info('dropping rethinkdb database {}'.format(db))
-                result = ddb.rr.db_drop(db).run()
-                logging.info("result=%s", result)
+        if rethinkdb_servers and not captures_db:
+            logging.info('dropping rethinkdb database {}'.format(db))
+            result = ddb.rr.db_drop(db).run()
+            logging.info("result=%s", result)
     request.addfinalizer(fin)
 
     return ddb
diff --git a/warcprox/controller.py b/warcprox/controller.py
index b3f3eaf..42f71de 100644
--- a/warcprox/controller.py
+++ b/warcprox/controller.py
@@ -211,8 +211,6 @@ class WarcproxController(object):
 
             if self.proxy.stats_db:
                 self.proxy.stats_db.stop()
-            if any((t.dedup_db for t in self.warc_writer_threads)):
-                self.warc_writer_threads[0].dedup_db.close()
 
             self.proxy_thread.join()
             if self.playback_proxy is not None:
diff --git a/warcprox/dedup.py b/warcprox/dedup.py
index 71637a3..fd1ada4 100644
--- a/warcprox/dedup.py
+++ b/warcprox/dedup.py
@@ -54,15 +54,6 @@ class DedupDb(object):
         conn.commit()
         conn.close()
 
-    def stop(self):
-        pass
-
-    def close(self):
-        pass
-
-    def sync(self):
-        pass
-
     def save(self, digest_key, response_record, bucket=""):
         record_id = response_record.get_header(warctools.WarcRecord.ID).decode('latin1')
         url = response_record.get_header(warctools.WarcRecord.URL).decode('latin1')
@@ -150,15 +141,6 @@ class RethinkDedupDb:
     def start(self):
         pass
 
-    def stop(self):
-        pass
-
-    def close(self):
-        pass
-
-    def sync(self):
-        pass
-
     def save(self, digest_key, response_record, bucket=""):
         k = digest_key.decode("utf-8") if isinstance(digest_key, bytes) else digest_key
         k = "{}|{}".format(k, bucket)