diff --git a/.github/actions/create-bwc-build/action.yaml b/.github/actions/create-bwc-build/action.yaml
index 24a674c..e09a6ec 100644
--- a/.github/actions/create-bwc-build/action.yaml
+++ b/.github/actions/create-bwc-build/action.yaml
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ runs:
         path: ${{ inputs.plugin-branch }}
 
     - name: Build
-      uses: gradle/gradle-build-action@v2
+      uses: gradle/gradle-build-action@v3
       with:
         cache-disabled: true
         arguments: assemble
diff --git a/.github/actions/run-bwc-suite/action.yaml b/.github/actions/run-bwc-suite/action.yaml
index f4c54d5..d66b7bc 100644
--- a/.github/actions/run-bwc-suite/action.yaml
+++ b/.github/actions/run-bwc-suite/action.yaml
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ runs:
         plugin-branch: ${{ inputs.plugin-next-branch }}
 
     - name: Run BWC tests
-      uses: gradle/gradle-build-action@v2
+      uses: gradle/gradle-build-action@v3
       with:
         cache-disabled: true
         arguments: |
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 15bf998..2acc0a1 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
       - name: Build BWC tests
-        uses: gradle/gradle-build-action@v2
+        uses: gradle/gradle-build-action@v3
         with:
           cache-disabled: true
           arguments: |
diff --git a/bwc-test/build.gradle b/bwc-test/build.gradle
index ed37fd0..0820afe 100644
--- a/bwc-test/build.gradle
+++ b/bwc-test/build.gradle
@@ -46,9 +46,6 @@ buildscript {
     ext {
         opensearch_version = System.getProperty("opensearch.version", "2.12.0-SNAPSHOT")
         opensearch_group = "org.opensearch"
-        common_utils_version = System.getProperty("common_utils.version", '2.9.0.0-SNAPSHOT')
-        jackson_version = System.getProperty("jackson_version", "2.16.1")
-        http_client_version = System.getProperty("http_client_version", "4.5.14")
     }
     repositories {
         mavenLocal()
@@ -73,11 +70,6 @@ dependencies {
     testImplementation "com.google.guava:guava:${versions.guava}"
     testImplementation "org.opensearch.test:framework:${opensearch_version}"
     testImplementation "org.apache.logging.log4j:log4j-core:${versions.log4j}"
-    testImplementation "org.opensearch:common-utils:${common_utils_version}"
-    testImplementation "com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind:${jackson_version}"
-    testImplementation "com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-annotations:${jackson_version}"
-    testImplementation "org.apache.httpcomponents:httpclient:${http_client_version}"
-
 }
 
 loggerUsageCheck.enabled = false
diff --git a/bwc-test/src/test/java/org/opensearch/customcodecs/bwc/CustomCodecsBwcCompatibilityIT.java b/bwc-test/src/test/java/org/opensearch/customcodecs/bwc/CustomCodecsBwcCompatibilityIT.java
index b3434fb..c9dd426 100644
--- a/bwc-test/src/test/java/org/opensearch/customcodecs/bwc/CustomCodecsBwcCompatibilityIT.java
+++ b/bwc-test/src/test/java/org/opensearch/customcodecs/bwc/CustomCodecsBwcCompatibilityIT.java
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@
 import java.util.Objects;
 import javax.net.ssl.SSLContext;
 
-import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper;
 import org.apache.http.HttpHost;
 import org.apache.http.auth.AuthScope;
 import org.apache.http.auth.UsernamePasswordCredentials;
@@ -38,6 +37,8 @@
 import org.opensearch.common.settings.Settings;
 import org.opensearch.common.util.io.IOUtils;
 import org.opensearch.core.common.Strings;
+import org.opensearch.core.xcontent.MediaTypeRegistry;
+import org.opensearch.core.xcontent.XContentBuilder;
 import org.opensearch.customcodecs.bwc.helper.RestHelper;
 import org.opensearch.test.rest.OpenSearchRestTestCase;
 
@@ -161,7 +162,6 @@ public void testDataIngestionAndSearchBackwardsCompatibility() throws Exception
     private void ingestData(String index) throws IOException {
         assertTrue(indexExists(index));
         StringBuilder bulkRequestBody = new StringBuilder();
-        ObjectMapper objectMapper = new ObjectMapper();
         int numberOfRequests = Randomness.get().nextInt(10);
         while (numberOfRequests-- > 0) {
             for (int i = 0; i < Randomness.get().nextInt(100); i++) {
@@ -171,8 +171,13 @@ private void ingestData(String index) throws IOException {
                         put("_index", index);
                     }
                 });
-                bulkRequestBody.append(objectMapper.writeValueAsString(indexRequest) + "\n");
-                bulkRequestBody.append(objectMapper.writeValueAsString(Song.randomSong().asJson()) + "\n");
+                
+                try (final XContentBuilder contentBuilder = MediaTypeRegistry.JSON.contentBuilder()) {
+                    contentBuilder.map(indexRequest);
+                    bulkRequestBody.append(contentBuilder.toString() + "\n");
+                }
+
+                bulkRequestBody.append(Song.randomSong().asJson() + "\n");
             }
             List<Response> responses = RestHelper.requestAgainstAllNodes(
                     testUserRestClient,
diff --git a/bwc-test/src/test/java/org/opensearch/customcodecs/bwc/Song.java b/bwc-test/src/test/java/org/opensearch/customcodecs/bwc/Song.java
index 273fefc..768f815 100644
--- a/bwc-test/src/test/java/org/opensearch/customcodecs/bwc/Song.java
+++ b/bwc-test/src/test/java/org/opensearch/customcodecs/bwc/Song.java
@@ -9,14 +9,14 @@
  */
 package org.opensearch.customcodecs.bwc;
 
+import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Objects;
 import java.util.UUID;
 
-import com.fasterxml.jackson.core.JsonProcessingException;
-import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper;
-
 import org.opensearch.common.Randomness;
+import org.opensearch.core.xcontent.MediaTypeRegistry;
+import org.opensearch.core.xcontent.XContentBuilder;
 
 public class Song {
 
@@ -102,8 +102,11 @@ public Map<String, Object> asMap() {
         return Map.of(FIELD_ARTIST, artist, FIELD_TITLE, title, FIELD_LYRICS, lyrics, FIELD_STARS, stars, FIELD_GENRE, genre);
     }
 
-    public String asJson() throws JsonProcessingException {
-        return new ObjectMapper().writeValueAsString(this.asMap());
+    public String asJson() throws IOException {
+        try (final XContentBuilder contentBuilder = MediaTypeRegistry.JSON.contentBuilder()) {
+            contentBuilder.map(asMap());
+            return contentBuilder.toString();
+        }
     }
 
     public static Song randomSong() {