diff --git a/.github/workflows/push_pr.yml b/.github/workflows/push_pr.yml
index d27822f76..c9fdbcc4f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/push_pr.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/push_pr.yml
@@ -30,8 +30,6 @@ jobs:
       run: python -m pip install --upgrade pip
     - name: Sockeye requirements
       run: pip install -r requirements/requirements.txt
-    - name: DeepSpeed requirements
-      run: pip install -r requirements/requirements.deepspeed.txt
     - name: Faiss requirements
       run: |
         if [ "$RUNNER_OS" == "Linux" ]; then
@@ -57,4 +55,4 @@ jobs:
       run: check-manifest --ignore sockeye/git_version.py
     - name: System tests
       run: |
-        pytest test/system 
+        pytest test/system
diff --git a/.github/workflows/python-publish.yml b/.github/workflows/python-publish.yml
index 44e827301..ed92c19c0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/python-publish.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/python-publish.yml
@@ -24,8 +24,6 @@ jobs:
         pip install setuptools wheel twine
     - name: Sockeye requirements
       run: pip install -r requirements/requirements.txt
-    - name: DeepSpeed requirements
-      run: pip install -r requirements/requirements.deepspeed.txt
     - name: Development requirements
       run: pip install -r requirements/requirements.dev.txt
     - name: Unit tests
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 77effc9c2..e8afe9c88 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -11,6 +11,12 @@ Note that Sockeye has checks in place to not translate with an old model that wa
 
 Each version section may have subsections for: _Added_, _Changed_, _Removed_, _Deprecated_, and _Fixed_.
 
+## [3.1.39]
+
+### Removed
+
+- Retired DeepSpeed support due to security issue (remote code execution vulnerability) with the supported version of DeepSpeed (0.6.5).
+
 ## [3.1.38]
 
 ### Fixed
diff --git a/requirements/requirements.deepspeed.txt b/requirements/requirements.deepspeed.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index 7a22db486..000000000
--- a/requirements/requirements.deepspeed.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-deepspeed==0.6.5
diff --git a/sockeye/__init__.py b/sockeye/__init__.py
index 80b1416a6..b6d453f36 100644
--- a/sockeye/__init__.py
+++ b/sockeye/__init__.py
@@ -11,4 +11,4 @@
 # express or implied. See the License for the specific language governing
 # permissions and limitations under the License.
 
-__version__ = '3.1.38'
+__version__ = '3.1.39'
diff --git a/test/unit/test_deepspeed.py b/test/unit/test_deepspeed.py
index 74a3efc7a..46a01dc7b 100644
--- a/test/unit/test_deepspeed.py
+++ b/test/unit/test_deepspeed.py
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 try:
     import deepspeed
     deepspeed_installed = True
-except:
+except ImportError:
     deepspeed_installed = False