diff --git a/.github/dependabot.yml b/.github/dependabot.yml
index ed22affbcf..009a8b7e5a 100644
--- a/.github/dependabot.yml
+++ b/.github/dependabot.yml
@@ -35,10 +35,6 @@ updates:
   - dependency-name: org.jfrog.buildinfo:build-info-extractor-gradle
     versions:
     - "[5.a, 6]"
-  # Versions > 7 require Gradle8+
-  - dependency-name: com.github.johnrengelman.shadow
-    versions:
-    - "[8.a, 9]"
   # Versions > 4 require JDK11+
   - dependency-name: org.mockito:mockito-core
     versions:
diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index acc714680d..1a05d87c3e 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ plugins {
 	id 'com.google.osdetector' version '1.7.3'
 	id 'org.gradle.test-retry' version '1.5.8'
 	id 'io.spring.nohttp' version '0.0.11'
-	id 'com.github.johnrengelman.shadow' version '7.1.2' apply false
+	id 'com.github.johnrengelman.shadow' version '8.1.1' apply false
 	//we now need version of Artifactory gradle plugin deployed on Maven Central, see above
 	id 'me.champeau.gradle.japicmp' version '0.4.2' apply false
 	id 'de.undercouch.download' version '5.6.0' apply false
diff --git a/reactor-netty5-core/build.gradle b/reactor-netty5-core/build.gradle
index aa2f48db0b..612661eb36 100644
--- a/reactor-netty5-core/build.gradle
+++ b/reactor-netty5-core/build.gradle
@@ -428,7 +428,9 @@ shadowJar {
 	}
 	bnd(bndOptions)
 
-	archiveClassifier.set(null)
+	enableRelocation true
+	relocationPrefix "reactor.netty.internal.shaded"
+	archiveClassifier.set('')
 
 	dependsOn(project.tasks.jar)
 
@@ -460,13 +462,6 @@ shadowJar {
 	exclude 'META-INF/maven*/**'
 }
 
-task relocateShadowJar(type: com.github.jengelman.gradle.plugins.shadow.tasks.ConfigureShadowRelocation) {
-	target = tasks.shadowJar
-	prefix = "reactor.netty5.internal.shaded"
-}
-
-tasks.shadowJar.dependsOn(relocateShadowJar)
-
 //delay the maven publishing so that the OSGi metadata is generated
 //then add shadowJar to the publication
 components.java.withVariantsFromConfiguration(configurations.shadowRuntimeElements) {