diff --git a/conftest.py b/conftest.py
index f4be30e..ee2a34b 100644
--- a/conftest.py
+++ b/conftest.py
@@ -112,14 +112,6 @@ def _install_stubs():
             setattr(sys.modules[bare], k, v)
             setattr(sys.modules[fq], k, v)
 
-    # 2b. Stub network_utils (used by config_builder_node via relative import)
-    for _nu_name in ("network_utils", f"{_PKG_NAME}.network_utils"):
-        if _nu_name not in sys.modules:
-            _nu = types.ModuleType(_nu_name)
-            sys.modules[_nu_name] = _nu
-        if not hasattr(sys.modules[_nu_name], "civitai_fetch_by_hash"):
-            sys.modules[_nu_name].civitai_fetch_by_hash = lambda *a, **kw: None
-
     # 3. Pre-register the package itself
     if _PKG_NAME not in sys.modules:
         pkg_stub = types.ModuleType(_PKG_NAME)
diff --git a/network_utils.py b/network_utils.py
deleted file mode 100644
index e4f315a..0000000
--- a/network_utils.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,54 +0,0 @@
-# ==============================================================================
-# NETWORK UTILS - Outbound network requests centralized here.
-#
-# External services contacted:
-#   1. CivitAI API (civitai.com/api/v1) - model/LoRA metadata lookup
-#
-# (HuggingFace Remote VAE was moved to the ComfyUI-USCG-RemoteVAE companion
-#  plugin in 2026-05-19. See remote_vae.py for the facade.
-#  Distribution system was moved to the ComfyUI-USCG-Distributed companion
-#  plugin in 2026-05-19. See distribution.py for the facade.)
-# ==============================================================================
-
-import json
-import os
-import urllib.request
-import urllib.error
-import urllib.parse
-
-
-# =============================================================================
-# 1. CIVITAI API — Model/LoRA metadata lookup
-#    Target: civitai.com/api/v1 (ONLY)
-# =============================================================================
-
-CIVITAI_API_BASE = "https://civitai.com/api/v1"
-CIVITAI_TIMEOUT = 10  # seconds
-CIVITAI_USER_AGENT = "ComfyUI-ConfigBuilder"
-
-
-def civitai_fetch_by_hash(hash_value):
-    """
-    Fetch model version info from CivitAI API using a file hash.
-
-    Network call: GET https://civitai.com/api/v1/model-versions/by-hash/{hash}
-    Timeout: 10 seconds
-    Returns: Parsed JSON dict on success, None on any error.
-    """
-    api_url = f"{CIVITAI_API_BASE}/model-versions/by-hash/{hash_value}"
-    try:
-        req = urllib.request.Request(
-            api_url,
-            headers={"User-Agent": CIVITAI_USER_AGENT}
-        )
-        with urllib.request.urlopen(req, timeout=CIVITAI_TIMEOUT) as response:
-            if response.status == 200:
-                return json.loads(response.read().decode("utf-8"))
-            else:
-                return None
-    except urllib.error.HTTPError:
-        return None
-    except Exception as e:
-        print(f"[NetworkUtils] ⚠️ CivitAI lookup failed: {e}")
-        return None
-
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index 2cd4dc8..780cb33 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -163,23 +163,7 @@ _GEN_ORCH_DEPS = {
     },
 }
 
-# network_utils.py uses only stdlib — always load the real module and register
-# it under both the bare name and the package-qualified name.  This ensures the
-# relative import `from .network_utils import huggingface_vae_decode, ...` in
-# remote_vae.py resolves correctly regardless of what pytest has pre-loaded.
-import importlib.util as _ilu  # imported here; re-used below for gen_orch and remote_vae
-_NETWORK_UTILS_FQ = f"{_PKG_NAME}.network_utils"
-_NU_PATH = os.path.join(_NODE_ROOT, "network_utils.py")
-_nu_spec = _ilu.spec_from_file_location(_NETWORK_UTILS_FQ, _NU_PATH,
-                                        submodule_search_locations=[])
-_nu_spec.submodule_search_locations = None
-_nu_mod = _ilu.module_from_spec(_nu_spec)
-_nu_mod.__package__ = _PKG_NAME
-# Unconditionally replace any prior stub — we need the real attributes.
-sys.modules[_NETWORK_UTILS_FQ] = _nu_mod
-sys.modules["network_utils"] = _nu_mod
-setattr(sys.modules[_PKG_NAME], "network_utils", _nu_mod)
-_nu_spec.loader.exec_module(_nu_mod)
+import importlib.util as _ilu  # used below for gen_orch, remote_vae, distribution, civitai
 
 for _bare, _attrs in _GEN_ORCH_DEPS.items():
     _fq = f"{_PKG_NAME}.{_bare}"
@@ -213,8 +197,6 @@ if "generation_orchestrator" not in sys.modules:
 # Pre-load the real remote_vae module so that test_remote_vae_facade.py gets
 # the actual functions (is_remote_vae_available, get_endpoint_names,
 # _companion_decode) rather than the lightweight stub registered above.
-# remote_vae.py uses `from .network_utils import ...`; we satisfy that via the
-# network_utils stub already registered in sys.modules.
 _RV_PATH = os.path.join(_NODE_ROOT, "remote_vae.py")
 _RV_FQ = f"{_PKG_NAME}.remote_vae"
 _rv_spec = _ilu.spec_from_file_location(_RV_FQ, _RV_PATH,