diff --git a/doc/mdb-array.txt b/doc/mdb-array.txt
index 8067a57..e31075e 100644
--- a/doc/mdb-array.txt
+++ b/doc/mdb-array.txt
@@ -24,6 +24,17 @@ ENVIRONMENT
                       * debug_props
                       * debug_all is a shortcut for all debug_* options
 
+FUTURE DIRECTIONS
+  mdb-array is deprecated. Soon, it will no longer be distributed.
+
+  It is the feeling of developers that it is not used, as C code generation
+  is now usually replaced by more generic approaches, including libmdb calls
+  and odbc.
+
+  However, should you find this tool useful, drop us a line at
+  https://github.com/mdbtools/mdbtools/issues/197
+  and we'll consider maintaining it.
+
 SEE ALSO
   mdb-count(1) mdb-export(1) mdb-header(1) mdb-hexdump(1)
   mdb-import(1) mdb-json(1) mdb-parsecsv(1) mdb-prop(1) mdb-queries(1)
diff --git a/doc/mdb-header.txt b/doc/mdb-header.txt
index 9b40a42..c74e346 100644
--- a/doc/mdb-header.txt
+++ b/doc/mdb-header.txt
@@ -29,6 +29,17 @@ ENVIRONMENT
 EXIT STATUS
   mdb-header exits with error code 1 if there was anunsupported type.
 
+FUTURE DIRECTIONS
+  mdb-header is deprecated. Soon, it will no longer be distributed.
+
+  It is the feeling of developers that it is not used, as C code generation
+  is now usually replaced by more generic approaches, including libmdb calls
+  and odbc.
+
+  However, should you find this tool useful, drop us a line at
+  https://github.com/mdbtools/mdbtools/issues/197
+  and we'll consider maintaining it.
+
 SEE ALSO
   mdb-array(1) mdb-count(1) mdb-export(1) mdb-hexdump(1)
   mdb-import(1) mdb-json(1) mdb-parsecsv(1) mdb-prop(1) mdb-queries(1)
diff --git a/doc/mdb-parsecsv.txt b/doc/mdb-parsecsv.txt
index 48c9c70..317819e 100644
--- a/doc/mdb-parsecsv.txt
+++ b/doc/mdb-parsecsv.txt
@@ -31,6 +31,17 @@ ENVIRONMENT
                       * debug_props
                       * debug_all is a shortcut for all debug_* options
 
+FUTURE DIRECTIONS
+  mdb-parsecsv is deprecated. Soon, it will no longer be distributed.
+
+  It is the feeling of developers that it is not used, as C code generation
+  is now usually replaced by more generic approaches, including libmdb calls
+  and odbc.
+
+  However, should you find this tool useful, drop us a line at
+  https://github.com/mdbtools/mdbtools/issues/197
+  and we'll consider maintaining it.
+
 SEE ALSO
   mdb-array(1) mdb-count(1) mdb-export(1) mdb-header(1) mdb-hexdump(1)
   mdb-import(1) mdb-json(1) mdb-prop(1) mdb-queries(1)
diff --git a/src/util/mdb-array.c b/src/util/mdb-array.c
index 3c2c8d0..58a188e 100644
--- a/src/util/mdb-array.c
+++ b/src/util/mdb-array.c
@@ -41,6 +41,11 @@ int started;
      exit (1);
    }
 
+ fputs("mdb-array is deprecated and will disappear in a future version of mdbtools.\n", stderr);
+ fputs("Please drop us a line if you have any use of it.\n", stderr);
+ fputs("See https://github.com/mdbtools/mdbtools/issues/197\n", stderr);
+ fputs("\n", stderr);
+
  mdb = mdb_open (argv [1], MDB_NOFLAGS);
  if (!mdb)
 	exit(1);
diff --git a/src/util/mdb-header.c b/src/util/mdb-header.c
index 5a269fc..0596ffc 100644
--- a/src/util/mdb-header.c
+++ b/src/util/mdb-header.c
@@ -47,6 +47,11 @@ FILE *cfile;
    exit (1);
  }
 
+ fputs("mdb-header is deprecated and will disappear in a future version of mdbtools.\n", stderr);
+ fputs("Please drop us a line if you have any use of it.\n", stderr);
+ fputs("See https://github.com/mdbtools/mdbtools/issues/197\n", stderr);
+ fputs("\n", stderr);
+
  /* open the database */
 
  mdb = mdb_open (argv[1], MDB_NOFLAGS);
diff --git a/src/util/mdb-parsecsv.c b/src/util/mdb-parsecsv.c
index 3273df5..d17753f 100644
--- a/src/util/mdb-parsecsv.c
+++ b/src/util/mdb-parsecsv.c
@@ -59,6 +59,11 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
       exit (1);
     }
 
+ fputs("mdb-parsecsv is deprecated and will disappear in a future version of mdbtools.\n", stderr);
+ fputs("Please drop us a line if you have any use of it.\n", stderr);
+ fputs("See https://github.com/mdbtools/mdbtools/issues/197\n", stderr);
+ fputs("\n", stderr);
+
   strcpy (txt_filename, argv [1]);
   txtfile = fopen (txt_filename, "r");
   if (!txtfile) {