diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
index fd000c24a7d7bdbb43417e43081f86ecc6177895..c8976e9f196d7f72689131f2a801cddfd2b31466 100644
--- a/.gitmodules
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -1,11 +1,3 @@
-[submodule "dependencies/parsers/mpes"]
-	path = dependencies/parsers/mpes
-	url = https://github.com/nomad-coe/nomad-parser-mpes.git
-	branch = master
-[submodule "dependencies/parsers/aptfim"]
-	path = dependencies/parsers/aptfim
-	url = https://github.com/nomad-coe/nomad-parser-aptfim.git
-	branch = master
 [submodule "dependencies/materia"]
 	path = gui/materia
 	url = https://github.com/nomad-coe/materia
@@ -19,9 +11,6 @@
 [submodule "dependencies/parsers/example"]
 	path = dependencies/parsers/example
 	url = https://github.com/nomad-coe/nomad-parser-example.git
-[submodule "dependencies/parsers/xps"]
-	path = dependencies/parsers/xps
-	url = https://github.com/nomad-coe/nomad-parser-xps.git
 [submodule "dependencies/nomad-remote-tools-hub"]
 	path = dependencies/nomad-remote-tools-hub
 	url = https://gitlab.mpcdf.mpg.de/nomad-lab/nomad-remote-tools-hub.git
diff --git a/dependencies/parsers/aptfim b/dependencies/parsers/aptfim
deleted file mode 160000
index 51b0ccd3656355b1c33687d910ed9f982c9e297c..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
--- a/dependencies/parsers/aptfim
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit 51b0ccd3656355b1c33687d910ed9f982c9e297c
diff --git a/dependencies/parsers/mpes b/dependencies/parsers/mpes
deleted file mode 160000
index 09c9fbf47391814bbe95d76b7468f86eb8c361fb..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
--- a/dependencies/parsers/mpes
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit 09c9fbf47391814bbe95d76b7468f86eb8c361fb
diff --git a/dependencies/parsers/xps b/dependencies/parsers/xps
deleted file mode 160000
index 2d607abb021f7c19c5b1e2b1896c2b29ed68ea87..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
--- a/dependencies/parsers/xps
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit 2d607abb021f7c19c5b1e2b1896c2b29ed68ea87
diff --git a/nomad/parsing/parsers.py b/nomad/parsing/parsers.py
index c42b30daf92fb68fef9004020ff07d6b203882e6..7f8de3d80c102ac2dfa40dc1b67aa2e9bc8f47db 100644
--- a/nomad/parsing/parsers.py
+++ b/nomad/parsing/parsers.py
@@ -25,12 +25,8 @@ from nomad.datamodel import results
 from .parser import MissingParser, BrokenParser, Parser, ArchiveParser, MatchingParserInterface
 from .artificial import EmptyParser, GenerateRandomParser, TemplateParser, ChaosParser
 
-from xpsparser import XPSParser
 from eelsdbparser import EELSDBParser
 from nexusparser import NexusParser
-# TODO
-# from mpesparser import MPESParser
-# from aptfimparser import APTFIMParser
 
 try:
     # these packages are not available without parsing extra, which is ok, if the
@@ -490,10 +486,7 @@ parsers = [
         name='parsers/phonopy', code_name='Phonopy', code_homepage='https://phonopy.github.io/phonopy/',
         mainfile_name_re=(r'(.*/phonopy-FHI-aims-displacement-0*1/control.in$)|(.*/phon.+yaml)')
     ),
-    # MPESParser(),
-    # APTFIMParser(),
     EELSDBParser(),
-    XPSParser(),
     NexusParser(),
     ArchiveParser()
 ]
diff --git a/tests/parsing/test_parsing.py b/tests/parsing/test_parsing.py
index 2f1d6cc035594dfcee20d843a23d9c7cbe54c163..0b6e64b08125f746e3604fe8afafa414d213d995 100644
--- a/tests/parsing/test_parsing.py
+++ b/tests/parsing/test_parsing.py
@@ -70,15 +70,12 @@ parser_examples = [
     ('parsers/qbox', 'tests/data/parsers/qbox/01_h2ogs.r'),
     ('parser/onetep', 'tests/data/parsers/onetep/fluor/12-difluoroethane.out'),
     ('parsers/eels', 'tests/data/parsers/eels.json'),
-    ('parsers/xps', 'tests/data/parsers/xps/multiple_channels.xy'),
     ('parsers/lobster', 'tests/data/parsers/lobster/NaCl/lobsterout'),
     ('parsers/aflow', 'tests/data/parsers/aflow/Ag1Co1O2_ICSD_246157/aflowlib.json'),
     ('parsers/mp', 'tests/data/parsers/mp/mp-1/materials.json'),
     ('parsers/asr', 'tests/data/parsers/asr/archive_ccdc26c4f32546c5a00ad03a093b73dc.json'),
     ('parsers/psi4', 'tests/data/parsers/psi4/adc1/output.ref'),
     ('parsers/yambo', 'tests/data/parsers/yambo/hBN/r-10b_1Ry_HF_and_locXC_gw0_em1d_ppa'),
-    # ('parsers/aptfim', 'tests/data/parsers/aptfim.aptfim'),
-    # ('parsers/mpes', 'tests/data/parsers/mpes.meta'),
     ('parsers/archive', 'tests/data/parsers/archive.json')
 ]
 
@@ -90,7 +87,7 @@ for parser, mainfile in parser_examples:
         fixed_parser_examples.append((parser, mainfile))
 parser_examples = fixed_parser_examples
 
-correct_num_output_files = 123
+correct_num_output_files = 122
 
 
 def create_reference(data, pretty):
diff --git a/tests/processing/test_data.py b/tests/processing/test_data.py
index 6d08eb59697ed236a109ba657dae503c2f8672d5..f6c9d7f85e525da7d69d78b660241c524e8f42d9 100644
--- a/tests/processing/test_data.py
+++ b/tests/processing/test_data.py
@@ -655,8 +655,8 @@ def test_ems_data(proc_infra, test_user):
     upload = run_processing(('test_ems_upload', 'tests/data/proc/examples_ems.zip'), test_user)
 
     additional_keys = ['results.method.method_name', 'results.material.elements']
-    assert upload.total_entries_count == 2
-    assert len(upload.successful_entries) == 2
+    assert upload.total_entries_count == 1
+    assert len(upload.successful_entries) == 1
 
     with upload.entries_metadata() as entries:
         assert_upload_files(upload.upload_id, entries, StagingUploadFiles, published=False)