diff --git a/build.xml b/build.xml
index ebd80f694f..233006a90d 100644
--- a/build.xml
+++ b/build.xml
@@ -1023,7 +1023,6 @@
         </fileset>
         <fileset dir="${build.lib}">
           <include name="**/guava*.jar" />
-          <include name="**/commons-lang*.jar" />
         </fileset>
       </classpath>
     </junit>
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/utils/ByteBufferUtil.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/utils/ByteBufferUtil.java
index c5842058ab..0470abf0a9 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/utils/ByteBufferUtil.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/utils/ByteBufferUtil.java
@@ -18,6 +18,12 @@
  */
 package org.apache.cassandra.utils;
 
+/*
+ * BE ADVISED: New imports added here might introduce new dependencies for
+ * the clientutil jar.  If in doubt, run the `ant test-clientutil-jar' target
+ * afterward, and ensure the tests still pass.
+ */
+
 import java.io.DataInput;
 import java.io.DataOutput;
 import java.io.IOException;
@@ -32,8 +38,6 @@ import static com.google.common.base.Charsets.UTF_8;
 import org.apache.cassandra.io.util.FileDataInput;
 import org.apache.cassandra.io.util.FileUtils;
 
-import org.apache.commons.lang.ArrayUtils;
-
 /**
  * Utility methods to make ByteBuffers less painful
  * The following should illustrate the different ways byte buffers can be used 
@@ -74,7 +78,7 @@ import org.apache.commons.lang.ArrayUtils;
  */
 public class ByteBufferUtil
 {
-    public static final ByteBuffer EMPTY_BYTE_BUFFER = ByteBuffer.wrap(ArrayUtils.EMPTY_BYTE_ARRAY);
+    public static final ByteBuffer EMPTY_BYTE_BUFFER = ByteBuffer.wrap(new byte[0]);
 
     public static int compareUnsigned(ByteBuffer o1, ByteBuffer o2)
     {