diff --git a/lucene/queryparser/src/java/org/apache/lucene/queryparser/flexible/messages/NLS.java b/lucene/queryparser/src/java/org/apache/lucene/queryparser/flexible/messages/NLS.java
index 6aaac815d1b..bc849f24af7 100644
--- a/lucene/queryparser/src/java/org/apache/lucene/queryparser/flexible/messages/NLS.java
+++ b/lucene/queryparser/src/java/org/apache/lucene/queryparser/flexible/messages/NLS.java
@@ -19,8 +19,6 @@ package org.apache.lucene.queryparser.flexible.messages;
 
 import java.lang.reflect.Field;
 import java.lang.reflect.Modifier;
-import java.security.AccessController;
-import java.security.PrivilegedAction;
 import java.text.MessageFormat;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Iterator;
@@ -125,27 +123,22 @@ public class NLS {
   private static void load(Class<? extends NLS> clazz) {
     final Field[] fieldArray = clazz.getDeclaredFields();
 
-    boolean isFieldAccessible = (clazz.getModifiers() & Modifier.PUBLIC) != 0;
-
     // build a map of field names to Field objects
     final int len = fieldArray.length;
     Map<String, Field> fields = new HashMap<>(len * 2);
     for (int i = 0; i < len; i++) {
       fields.put(fieldArray[i].getName(), fieldArray[i]);
-      loadfieldValue(fieldArray[i], isFieldAccessible, clazz);
+      loadfieldValue(fieldArray[i], clazz);
     }
   }
 
-  private static void loadfieldValue(Field field, boolean isFieldAccessible,
-      Class<? extends NLS> clazz) {
+  private static void loadfieldValue(Field field, Class<? extends NLS> clazz) {
     int MOD_EXPECTED = Modifier.PUBLIC | Modifier.STATIC;
     int MOD_MASK = MOD_EXPECTED | Modifier.FINAL;
     if ((field.getModifiers() & MOD_MASK) != MOD_EXPECTED)
       return;
 
     // Set a value for this empty field.
-    if (!isFieldAccessible)
-      makeAccessible(field);
     try {
       field.set(null, field.getName());
       validateMessage(field.getName(), clazz);
@@ -178,21 +171,4 @@ public class NLS {
       // system
     }
   }
-
-  /*
-   * Make a class field accessible
-   */
-  private static void makeAccessible(final Field field) {
-    if (System.getSecurityManager() == null) {
-      field.setAccessible(true);
-    } else {
-      AccessController.doPrivileged(new PrivilegedAction<Void>() {
-        @Override
-        public Void run() {
-          field.setAccessible(true);
-          return null;
-        }
-      });
-    }
-  }
 }
diff --git a/lucene/tools/junit4/tests.policy b/lucene/tools/junit4/tests.policy
index f5729d3e797..2052657df31 100644
--- a/lucene/tools/junit4/tests.policy
+++ b/lucene/tools/junit4/tests.policy
@@ -57,8 +57,6 @@ grant {
   permission java.lang.RuntimePermission "getStackTrace";
   // needed for mock filesystems in tests
   permission java.lang.RuntimePermission "fileSystemProvider";
-  // needed by queryparser/ NLS., TODO clean this up:
-  permission java.lang.RuntimePermission "accessClassInPackage.sun.util";
   // needed for test of IOUtils.spins (maybe it can be avoided)
   permission java.lang.RuntimePermission "getFileStoreAttributes";
   // analyzers/uima: needed by UIMA message localization... (?)