@@ -1,18 +1,28 @@
-from pathlib import Path
-from setuptools import setup
+import re
 import sdist_upip
+from setuptools import setup
 
+VERSION = "1.0.0"
 
-HERE = Path(__file__).parent
-README = (HERE / 'README.rst').read_text()
 
-VERSION = "1.0.0"
+def long_desc_from_readme():
+with open('README.rst', 'r') as fd:
+long_description = fd.read()
+
+# remove badges
+long_description = re.compile(r'^\.\. start-badges.*^\.\. end-badges', re.M | re.S).sub('', long_description)
+
+# strip links. keep link name and use literal text formatting
+long_description = re.sub(r'`([^<`]+) </[^>]+>`_', '``\\1``', long_description)
+
+return long_description
+
 
 setup(
 name="micropython-py-esp32-ulp",
 version=VERSION,
 description="Assembler toolchain for the ESP32 ULP co-processor, written in MicroPython",
-long_description=README,
+long_description=long_desc_from_readme(),
 long_description_content_type='text/x-rst',
 url="https://.com/ThomasWaldmann/py-esp32-ulp",
 license="MIT",