diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index d7905c7..3f2f7e9 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -1,17 +1,30 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3
 
 from setuptools import setup
 
+
+def parse_requirements():
+    requirements = []
+    with open('requirements.txt') as f:
+        for line in f.readlines():
+            line = line.strip()
+            if not line or line.startswith('#'):
+                continue
+            requirements.append(line)
+
+    return requirements
+
+
 setup(
     name='swh.core',
     description='Software Heritage core utilities',
     author='Software Heritage developers',
     author_email='swh-devel@inria.fr',
     url='https://forge.softwareheritage.org/diffusion/DCORE/',
     packages=['swh.core', 'swh.core.tests'],
     scripts=['bin/swh-hashdir', 'bin/swh-hashfile'],
-    install_requires=open('requirements.txt').read().splitlines(),
+    install_requires=parse_requirements(),
     setup_requires=['vcversioner'],
     vcversioner={},
     include_package_data=True,
 )