diff --git a/plugin/core/build.gradle b/plugin/core/build.gradle
index e1090e4d799..c5d616b34ee 100644
--- a/plugin/core/build.gradle
+++ b/plugin/core/build.gradle
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ dependencyLicenses {
 }
 
 dependencies {
-    provided "org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch:${version}"
+    compileOnly "org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch:${version}"
     compile "org.apache.httpcomponents:httpclient:${versions.httpclient}"
     compile "org.apache.httpcomponents:httpcore:${versions.httpcore}"
     compile "org.apache.httpcomponents:httpcore-nio:${versions.httpcore}"
diff --git a/plugin/deprecation/build.gradle b/plugin/deprecation/build.gradle
index fb9fdf47a1e..d89eb62e884 100644
--- a/plugin/deprecation/build.gradle
+++ b/plugin/deprecation/build.gradle
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ esplugin {
 archivesBaseName = 'x-pack-deprecation'
 
 dependencies {
-    provided "org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-core:${version}"
+    compileOnly "org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-core:${version}"
 }
 
 run {
diff --git a/plugin/graph/build.gradle b/plugin/graph/build.gradle
index 248e57e680f..3ddd2ebee04 100644
--- a/plugin/graph/build.gradle
+++ b/plugin/graph/build.gradle
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ esplugin {
 archivesBaseName = 'x-pack-graph'
 
 dependencies {
-    provided "org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-core:${version}"
+    compileOnly "org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-core:${version}"
     testCompile project(path: xpackModule('core'), configuration: 'testArtifacts')
 }
 
diff --git a/plugin/logstash/build.gradle b/plugin/logstash/build.gradle
index 5749719efcc..5a9b5d6cbe5 100644
--- a/plugin/logstash/build.gradle
+++ b/plugin/logstash/build.gradle
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ esplugin {
 archivesBaseName = 'x-pack-logstash'
 
 dependencies {
-    provided "org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-core:${version}"
+    compileOnly "org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-core:${version}"
     testCompile project(path: xpackModule('core'), configuration: 'testArtifacts')
 
 }
diff --git a/plugin/ml/build.gradle b/plugin/ml/build.gradle
index 4e3e5f4c445..a4feb4e1ca2 100644
--- a/plugin/ml/build.gradle
+++ b/plugin/ml/build.gradle
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ compileJava.options.compilerArgs << "-Xlint:-deprecation,-rawtypes,-serial,-try,
 compileTestJava.options.compilerArgs << "-Xlint:-deprecation,-rawtypes,-serial,-try,-unchecked"
 
 dependencies {
-    provided "org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-core:${version}"
+    compileOnly "org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-core:${version}"
     testCompile project(path: xpackModule('core'), configuration: 'testArtifacts')
     // This should not be here
     testCompile project(path: xpackModule('security'), configuration: 'testArtifacts')
diff --git a/plugin/monitoring/build.gradle b/plugin/monitoring/build.gradle
index 0c474cab8d7..fbdb388e78e 100644
--- a/plugin/monitoring/build.gradle
+++ b/plugin/monitoring/build.gradle
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ esplugin {
 archivesBaseName = 'x-pack-monitoring'
 
 dependencies {
-    provided "org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-core:${version}"
+    compileOnly "org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-core:${version}"
     testCompile project(path: xpackModule('core'), configuration: 'testArtifacts')
 
     // monitoring deps
diff --git a/plugin/security/build.gradle b/plugin/security/build.gradle
index a244ab657df..4dfe7b27d13 100644
--- a/plugin/security/build.gradle
+++ b/plugin/security/build.gradle
@@ -12,9 +12,9 @@ esplugin {
 archivesBaseName = 'x-pack-security'
 
 dependencies {
-    provided "org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-core:${version}"
+    compileOnly "org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-core:${version}"
     compileOnly project(path: ':modules:transport-netty4', configuration: 'runtime')
-    provided project(path: ':plugins:transport-nio', configuration: 'runtime')
+    compileOnly project(path: ':plugins:transport-nio', configuration: 'runtime')
 
     testCompile project(path: xpackModule('monitoring'))
     testCompile project(path: xpackModule('sql:sql-proto'))
diff --git a/plugin/sql/build.gradle b/plugin/sql/build.gradle
index 941ca2a293c..fbb5a56fea8 100644
--- a/plugin/sql/build.gradle
+++ b/plugin/sql/build.gradle
@@ -20,9 +20,8 @@ archivesBaseName = 'x-pack-sql'
 integTest.enabled = false
 
 dependencies {
-    provided "org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch:${version}"
-    compile project(xpackModule('sql:sql-proto'))
-    provided "org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-core:${version}"
+    compileOnly "org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-core:${version}"
+    compile project('sql-proto')
     compile 'org.antlr:antlr4-runtime:4.5.3'
     testCompile "org.elasticsearch.test:framework:${version}"
     testCompile project(path: xpackModule('core'), configuration: 'testArtifacts')
diff --git a/plugin/upgrade/build.gradle b/plugin/upgrade/build.gradle
index 80509ffcfb4..5cead96ac7a 100644
--- a/plugin/upgrade/build.gradle
+++ b/plugin/upgrade/build.gradle
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ esplugin {
 archivesBaseName = 'x-pack-upgrade'
 
 dependencies {
-    provided "org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-core:${version}"
+    compileOnly "org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-core:${version}"
     testCompile project(path: xpackModule('core'), configuration: 'testArtifacts')
 }
 
diff --git a/plugin/watcher/build.gradle b/plugin/watcher/build.gradle
index d9da3e2948f..2b7b73d3796 100644
--- a/plugin/watcher/build.gradle
+++ b/plugin/watcher/build.gradle
@@ -23,11 +23,11 @@ dependencyLicenses {
 }
 
 dependencies {
-    provided "org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch:${version}"
+    compileOnly "org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch:${version}"
 
-    provided "org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-core:${version}"
-    provided project(path: ':modules:transport-netty4', configuration: 'runtime')
-    provided project(path: ':plugins:transport-nio', configuration: 'runtime')
+    compileOnly "org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-core:${version}"
+    compileOnly project(path: ':modules:transport-netty4', configuration: 'runtime')
+    compileOnly project(path: ':plugins:transport-nio', configuration: 'runtime')
 
     testCompile project(path: xpackModule('core'), configuration: 'testArtifacts')
 
@@ -38,8 +38,8 @@ dependencies {
     // HACK: java 9 removed javax.activation from the default modules, so instead of trying to add modules, which would have
     // to be conditionalized for java 8/9, we pull in the classes directly
     compile 'javax.activation:activation:1.1.1'
-    provided "org.apache.httpcomponents:httpclient:${versions.httpclient}"
-    provided "org.apache.httpcomponents:httpcore:${versions.httpcore}"
+    compileOnly "org.apache.httpcomponents:httpclient:${versions.httpclient}"
+    compileOnly "org.apache.httpcomponents:httpcore:${versions.httpcore}"
 
     testCompile 'org.subethamail:subethasmtp:3.1.7'
     // needed for subethasmtp, has @GuardedBy annotation
diff --git a/qa/security-example-spi-extension/build.gradle b/qa/security-example-spi-extension/build.gradle
index 91a7fe534d1..e571abb3bb1 100644
--- a/qa/security-example-spi-extension/build.gradle
+++ b/qa/security-example-spi-extension/build.gradle
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ esplugin {
 }
 
 dependencies {
-  provided project(path: xpackModule('core'), configuration: 'runtime')
+  compileOnly project(path: xpackModule('core'), configuration: 'runtime')
   testCompile project(path: xpackProject('transport-client').path, configuration: 'runtime')
 }