diff --git a/forge-gui-android/pom.xml b/forge-gui-android/pom.xml
index 194d8786a2c..a556f6c9698 100644
--- a/forge-gui-android/pom.xml
+++ b/forge-gui-android/pom.xml
@@ -104,13 +104,6 @@
             <artifactId>gdx-backend-android</artifactId>
             <version>1.9.10</version>
         </dependency>
-        <dependency>
-            <groupId>com.android.support</groupId>
-            <artifactId>support-v4</artifactId>
-            <version>23.1.1</version>
-            <scope>system</scope>
-            <systemPath>${pom.basedir}/libs/android-support-v4.jar</systemPath>
-        </dependency>
     </dependencies>
 
     <profiles>
diff --git a/forge-gui-android/src/forge/app/Main.java b/forge-gui-android/src/forge/app/Main.java
index 3d3fbb5135a..bba163343bf 100644
--- a/forge-gui-android/src/forge/app/Main.java
+++ b/forge-gui-android/src/forge/app/Main.java
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ import android.os.Bundle;
 import android.os.Environment;
 import android.os.PowerManager;
 import android.provider.Settings;
-import android.support.v4.content.ContextCompat;
 import android.text.SpannableString;
 import android.text.style.StyleSpan;
 import android.view.Gravity;
@@ -145,10 +144,18 @@ public class Main extends AndroidApplication {
         super.onBackPressed();
     }
     private boolean checkPermission() {
-        int result = ContextCompat.checkSelfPermission(this, android.Manifest.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE);
-        if (result == PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED) {
-            return true;
-        } else {
+        int pid = android.os.Process.myPid();
+        int uid = android.os.Process.myUid();
+        try {
+            int result = this.getBaseContext().checkPermission(android.Manifest.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE, pid, uid);
+            //we only need the result above atm, we can free the dependency from android-support-v4 :)
+            //int result = ContextCompat.checkSelfPermission(this, android.Manifest.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE);
+            if (result == PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED) {
+                return true;
+            } else {
+                return false;
+            }
+        } catch (NullPointerException e) {
             return false;
         }
     }