diff --git a/.editorconfig b/.editorconfig
index 2e260749..6fcca23b 100644
--- a/.editorconfig
+++ b/.editorconfig
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ ij_java_doc_preserve_line_breaks = false
 # ij_java_generate_final_locals = false
 # ij_java_generate_final_parameters = false
 # ij_java_if_brace_force = never
-ij_java_imports_layout = org.apache.flink.**,|,org.apache.flink.shaded.**,|,*,|,javax.**,|,java.**,|,scala.**,|,$*
+ij_java_imports_layout = org.apache.flink.**,|,*,|,javax.**,|,java.**,|,scala.**,|,$*
 # ij_java_indent_case_from_switch = true
 # ij_java_insert_inner_class_imports = false
 # ij_java_insert_override_annotation = true
diff --git a/flink-connector-elasticsearch-base/src/test/java/org/apache/flink/connector/elasticsearch/sink/ElasticsearchSinkBaseITCase.java b/flink-connector-elasticsearch-base/src/test/java/org/apache/flink/connector/elasticsearch/sink/ElasticsearchSinkBaseITCase.java
index bd574d8f..613a1b33 100644
--- a/flink-connector-elasticsearch-base/src/test/java/org/apache/flink/connector/elasticsearch/sink/ElasticsearchSinkBaseITCase.java
+++ b/flink-connector-elasticsearch-base/src/test/java/org/apache/flink/connector/elasticsearch/sink/ElasticsearchSinkBaseITCase.java
@@ -28,8 +28,6 @@
 import org.apache.flink.test.junit5.MiniClusterExtension;
 import org.apache.flink.util.TestLoggerExtension;
 
-import org.apache.flink.shaded.guava30.com.google.common.collect.Lists;
-
 import org.apache.http.HttpHost;
 import org.apache.http.auth.AuthScope;
 import org.apache.http.auth.UsernamePasswordCredentials;
@@ -51,6 +49,7 @@
 import javax.annotation.Nullable;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
+import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.UUID;
 import java.util.function.BiFunction;
@@ -206,7 +205,7 @@ public Tuple2<Integer, String> map(Long value) throws Exception {
 
     private static List<BiFunction<String, String, ElasticsearchEmitter<Tuple2<Integer, String>>>>
             elasticsearchEmitters() {
-        return Lists.newArrayList(TestEmitter::jsonEmitter, TestEmitter::smileEmitter);
+        return Arrays.asList(TestEmitter::jsonEmitter, TestEmitter::smileEmitter);
     }
 
     private static class FailingMapper implements MapFunction<Long, Long>, CheckpointListener {
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index c6ecfa79..9d2ec882 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -51,7 +51,6 @@ under the License.
 
 	<properties>
 		<flink.version>1.16.2</flink.version>
-		<flink.shaded.version>15.0</flink.shaded.version>
 
 		<jackson-bom.version>2.13.4.20221013</jackson-bom.version>
 		<junit4.version>4.13.2</junit4.version>
@@ -72,12 +71,6 @@ under the License.
 	</properties>
 
 	<dependencies>
-		<dependency>
-			<groupId>org.apache.flink</groupId>
-			<artifactId>flink-shaded-force-shading</artifactId>
-			<version>${flink.shaded.version}</version>
-		</dependency>
-
 		<!-- Root dependencies for all projects -->
 
 		<!-- Logging API -->
diff --git a/tools/maven/checkstyle.xml b/tools/maven/checkstyle.xml
index 2048fd18..d15746fd 100644
--- a/tools/maven/checkstyle.xml
+++ b/tools/maven/checkstyle.xml
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ This file is based on the checkstyle file of Apache Beam.
 			<!-- Checks for out of order import statements. -->
 			<property name="severity" value="error"/>
 			<property name="groups"
-					  value="org.apache.flink,org.apache.flink.shaded,*,javax,java,scala"/>
+					  value="org.apache.flink,*,javax,java,scala"/>
 			<property name="separated" value="true"/>
 			<property name="sortStaticImportsAlphabetically" value="true"/>
 			<property name="option" value="bottom"/>
@@ -213,20 +213,8 @@ This file is based on the checkstyle file of Apache Beam.
 					  value="autovalue.shaded, avro.shaded, com.google.api.client.repackaged, com.google.appengine.repackaged"/>
 		</module>
 		<module name="IllegalImport">
-			<property name="illegalPkgs" value="org.codehaus.jackson"/>
-			<message key="import.illegal" value="{0}; Use flink-shaded-jackson instead."/>
-		</module>
-		<module name="IllegalImport">
-			<property name="illegalPkgs" value="org.objectweb.asm"/>
-			<message key="import.illegal" value="{0}; Use flink-shaded-asm instead."/>
-		</module>
-		<module name="IllegalImport">
-			<property name="illegalPkgs" value="io.netty"/>
-			<message key="import.illegal" value="{0}; Use flink-shaded-netty instead."/>
-		</module>
-		<module name="IllegalImport">
-			<property name="illegalPkgs" value="com.google.common"/>
-			<message key="import.illegal" value="{0}; Use flink-shaded-guava instead."/>
+			<property name="illegalPkgs" value="org.apache.flink.shaded"/>
+			<message key="import.illegal" value="{0}; Connectors shouldn't rely on flink-shaded but instead shade dependencies such as this one themselves."/>
 		</module>
 
 		<module name="RedundantModifier">