diff --git a/lib/client.js b/lib/client.js
index 6db60566..64b1b59c 100644
--- a/lib/client.js
+++ b/lib/client.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-var sys = require('sys');
 var crypto = require('crypto');
 var EventEmitter = require('events').EventEmitter;
+var util = require('util');
 
 var Query = require(__dirname + '/query');
 var utils = require(__dirname + '/utils');
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ var Client = function(config) {
   var self = this;
 };
 
-sys.inherits(Client, EventEmitter);
+util.inherits(Client, EventEmitter);
 
 var p = Client.prototype;
 
diff --git a/lib/connection.js b/lib/connection.js
index fce859bf..aac3d8aa 100644
--- a/lib/connection.js
+++ b/lib/connection.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-var sys = require('sys');
 var net = require('net');
 var crypto = require('crypto');
 var EventEmitter = require('events').EventEmitter;
+var util = require('util');
 
 var utils = require(__dirname + '/utils');
 var Writer = require(__dirname + '/writer');
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ var Connection = function(config) {
   this.writer = new Writer();
 };
 
-sys.inherits(Connection, EventEmitter);
+util.inherits(Connection, EventEmitter);
 
 var p = Connection.prototype;
 
@@ -313,7 +313,7 @@ p.parseR = function(msg) {
       return msg;
     }
   }
-  throw new Error("Unknown authenticatinOk message type" + sys.inspect(msg));
+  throw new Error("Unknown authenticatinOk message type" + util.inspect(msg));
 };
 
 p.parseS = function(msg) {
diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index 98a10039..a454bcbd 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 var EventEmitter = require('events').EventEmitter;
-var sys = require('sys');
-
+var util = require('util');
 var Client = require(__dirname+'/client');
 var defaults =  require(__dirname + '/defaults');
 
@@ -17,7 +16,7 @@ var PG = function(clientConstructor) {
   this.defaults = defaults;
 };
 
-sys.inherits(PG, EventEmitter);
+util.inherits(PG, EventEmitter);
 
 PG.prototype.end = function() {
   Object.keys(pools).forEach(function(name) {
diff --git a/lib/native/index.js b/lib/native/index.js
index d44b0379..1b6b245a 100644
--- a/lib/native/index.js
+++ b/lib/native/index.js
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 //require the c++ bindings & export to javascript
-var sys = require('sys');
 var EventEmitter = require('events').EventEmitter;
 var utils = require(__dirname + "/../utils");
 
diff --git a/lib/native/query.js b/lib/native/query.js
index 5ce51c5d..dbfd2b2d 100644
--- a/lib/native/query.js
+++ b/lib/native/query.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-var sys = require('sys');
 var EventEmitter = require('events').EventEmitter;
+var util = require('util');
 
 var types = require(__dirname + "/../types");
 
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ var NativeQuery = function(text, values, callback) {
   EventEmitter.call(this);
 };
 
-sys.inherits(NativeQuery, EventEmitter);
+util.inherits(NativeQuery, EventEmitter);
 var p = NativeQuery.prototype;
 
 //maps from native rowdata into api compatible row object
diff --git a/lib/query.js b/lib/query.js
index dfa5f43c..176c732a 100644
--- a/lib/query.js
+++ b/lib/query.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 var EventEmitter = require('events').EventEmitter;
-var sys = require('sys');var sys = require('sys');
+var util = require('util');
+
 var Result = require(__dirname + "/result");
 var types = require(__dirname + "/types");
 
@@ -19,7 +20,7 @@ var Query = function(config) {
   EventEmitter.call(this);
 };
 
-sys.inherits(Query, EventEmitter);
+util.inherits(Query, EventEmitter);
 var p = Query.prototype;
 
 p.requiresPreparation = function() {
diff --git a/lib/utils.js b/lib/utils.js
index 088ce868..e52df7b2 100644
--- a/lib/utils.js
+++ b/lib/utils.js
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 var url = require('url');
 var defaults = require(__dirname + "/defaults");
 var events = require('events');
-var sys = require('sys');
 
 //compatibility for old nodes
 if(typeof events.EventEmitter.prototype.once !== 'function') {
diff --git a/script/create-test-tables.js b/script/create-test-tables.js
index 1a7c47d6..98307d39 100644
--- a/script/create-test-tables.js
+++ b/script/create-test-tables.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-var sys = require('sys');
+var sys = require('utils');
 var args = require(__dirname + '/../test/cli');
 var pg = require(__dirname + '/../lib');
 
diff --git a/test/integration/client/error-handling-tests.js b/test/integration/client/error-handling-tests.js
index 1ae71b5a..4f1cb0cf 100644
--- a/test/integration/client/error-handling-tests.js
+++ b/test/integration/client/error-handling-tests.js
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 var helper = require(__dirname + '/test-helper');
-var sys = require('sys');
+var util = require('util');
 
 var createErorrClient = function() {
   var client = helper.client();
   client.on('error', function(err) {
-    assert.ok(false, "client should not throw query error: " + sys.inspect(err));
+    assert.ok(false, "client should not throw query error: " + util.inspect(err));
   });
   client.on('drain', client.end.bind(client));
   return client;
diff --git a/test/test-helper.js b/test/test-helper.js
index 1d09f9c2..dbc28b5b 100644
--- a/test/test-helper.js
+++ b/test/test-helper.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 assert = require('assert');
 
 var EventEmitter = require('events').EventEmitter;
-var sys = require('sys');
+var sys = require('util');
 var BufferList = require(__dirname+'/buffer-list')
 
 var Connection = require(__dirname + '/../lib/connection');