diff --git a/Modules/Setup.dist b/Modules/Setup.dist
index b4635cc2fbf..d24fef428e2 100644
--- a/Modules/Setup.dist
+++ b/Modules/Setup.dist
@@ -396,7 +396,12 @@ GLHACK=-Dclear=__GLclear
 # Sleepycat Berkeley DB interface.
 #
 # This requires the Sleepycat DB code, see http://www.sleepycat.com/
-# The minimum supported version of that library is 3.0.
+# The earliest supported version of that library is 3.0, the latest
+# supported version is 4.0 (4.1 is specifically not supported, as that
+# changes the semantics of transactional databases). A list of available
+# releases can be found at
+#
+# http://www.sleepycat.com/update/index.html
 #
 # Edit the variables DB and DBLIBVERto point to the db top directory
 # and the subdirectory of PORT where you built it.
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index c94df0b25d5..f471c03b243 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -439,21 +439,15 @@ class PyBuildExt(build_ext):
         # when sorted in reverse order, keys for this dict must appear in the
         # order you wish to search - e.g., search for db4 before db3
         db_try_this = {
-            'db4': {'libs': ('db-4.3', 'db-4.2', 'db-4.1', 'db-4.0'),
-                    'libdirs': ('/usr/local/BerkeleyDB.4.3/lib',
-                                '/usr/local/BerkeleyDB.4.2/lib',
-                                '/usr/local/BerkeleyDB.4.1/lib',
-                                '/usr/local/BerkeleyDB.4.0/lib',
+            'db4': {'libs': ('db-4.0',),
+                    'libdirs': ('/usr/local/BerkeleyDB.4.0/lib',
                                 '/usr/local/lib',
                                 '/usr/lib',
                                 '/opt/sfw',
                                 '/sw/lib',
                                 '/lib',
                                 ),
-                    'incdirs': ('/usr/local/BerkeleyDB.4.3/include',
-                                '/usr/local/BerkeleyDB.4.2/include',
-                                '/usr/local/BerkeleyDB.4.1/include',
-                                '/usr/local/BerkeleyDB.4.0/include',
+                    'incdirs': ('/usr/local/BerkeleyDB.4.0/include',
                                 '/usr/local/include/db4',
                                 '/opt/sfw/include/db4',
                                 '/sw/include/db4',