diff --git a/tasks/jira/pom.xml b/tasks/jira/pom.xml
index 97a80d36..8b891bde 100644
--- a/tasks/jira/pom.xml
+++ b/tasks/jira/pom.xml
@@ -73,12 +73,6 @@
             <scope>provided</scope>
         </dependency>
 
-        <dependency>
-            <groupId>com.squareup.okhttp</groupId>
-            <artifactId>okhttp</artifactId>
-            <version>2.7.5</version>
-        </dependency>
-
         <dependency>
             <groupId>org.junit.jupiter</groupId>
             <artifactId>junit-jupiter-api</artifactId>
diff --git a/tasks/jira/src/main/java/com/walmartlabs/concord/plugins/jira/JiraClient.java b/tasks/jira/src/main/java/com/walmartlabs/concord/plugins/jira/JiraClient.java
deleted file mode 100644
index 1a8bf84d..00000000
--- a/tasks/jira/src/main/java/com/walmartlabs/concord/plugins/jira/JiraClient.java
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,176 +0,0 @@
-package com.walmartlabs.concord.plugins.jira;
-
-/*-
- * *****
- * Concord
- * -----
- * Copyright (C) 2017 - 2019 Walmart Inc.
- * -----
- * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
- * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
- * You may obtain a copy of the License at
- *
- *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
- *
- * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
- * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
- * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
- * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
- * limitations under the License.
- * =====
- */
-
-import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.JavaType;
-import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper;
-import com.fasterxml.jackson.datatype.jdk8.Jdk8Module;
-import com.squareup.okhttp.Call;
-import com.squareup.okhttp.MediaType;
-import com.squareup.okhttp.MultipartBuilder;
-import com.squareup.okhttp.OkHttpClient;
-import com.squareup.okhttp.Request;
-import com.squareup.okhttp.RequestBody;
-import com.squareup.okhttp.Response;
-import com.squareup.okhttp.ResponseBody;
-
-import java.io.File;
-import java.io.IOException;
-import java.net.URI;
-import java.nio.file.Files;
-import java.util.HashMap;
-import java.util.List;
-import java.util.Map;
-import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
-
-public class JiraClient implements JiraHttpClient {
-
-    private static final ObjectMapper MAPPER = new ObjectMapper()
-            .registerModule(new Jdk8Module());
-    static final JavaType MAP_TYPE = MAPPER.getTypeFactory()
-            .constructMapType(HashMap.class, String.class, Object.class);
-    private static final JavaType LIST_OF_MAPS_TYPE = MAPPER.getTypeFactory()
-            .constructCollectionType(List.class, MAP_TYPE);
-
-    private static final OkHttpClient client = new OkHttpClient();
-    private final JiraClientCfg cfg;
-    private URI uri;
-    private int successCode;
-    private String auth;
-
-    public JiraClient(JiraClientCfg cfg) {
-        this.cfg = cfg;
-    }
-
-    @Override
-    public JiraHttpClient url(String url) {
-        this.uri = URI.create(url);
-        return this;
-    }
-
-    @Override
-    public JiraHttpClient successCode(int successCode) {
-        this.successCode = successCode;
-        return this;
-    }
-
-    @Override
-    public JiraHttpClient jiraAuth(String auth) {
-        this.auth = auth;
-        return this;
-    }
-
-    @Override
-    public Map<String, Object> get() throws IOException {
-        Request request = requestBuilder(auth)
-                .url(uri.toURL())
-                .get()
-                .build();
-
-        return call(request, MAP_TYPE);
-    }
-
-    @Override
-    public Map<String, Object> post(Map<String, Object> data) throws IOException {
-        RequestBody body = RequestBody.create(
-                MediaType.parse("application/json; charset=utf-8"), MAPPER.writeValueAsString(data));
-        Request request = requestBuilder(auth)
-                .url(uri.toURL())
-                .post(body)
-                .build();
-
-        return call(request, MAP_TYPE);
-    }
-
-    @Override
-    public void post(File file) throws IOException {
-        MultipartBuilder b = new MultipartBuilder(Constants.BOUNDARY).type(MultipartBuilder.FORM);
-        b.addFormDataPart("file", file.getName(),
-                RequestBody.create(MediaType.parse("application/octet-stream"), Files.readAllBytes(file.toPath())));
-
-        RequestBody body = b.build();
-        Request request = requestBuilder(auth)
-                .header("X-Atlassian-Token", "nocheck")
-                .url(uri.toURL())
-                .post(body)
-                .build();
-
-        call(request, LIST_OF_MAPS_TYPE);
-    }
-
-    @Override
-    public void put(Map<String, Object> data) throws IOException {
-        RequestBody body = RequestBody.create(
-                MediaType.parse("application/json; charset=utf-8"), MAPPER.writeValueAsString(data));
-        Request request = requestBuilder(auth)
-                .url(uri.toURL())
-                .put(body)
-                .build();
-
-        call(request, MAP_TYPE);
-    }
-
-    @Override
-    public void delete() throws IOException {
-        Request request = requestBuilder(auth)
-                .url(uri.toURL())
-                .delete()
-                .build();
-
-        call(request, MAP_TYPE);
-    }
-
-    private static Request.Builder requestBuilder(String auth) {
-        return new Request.Builder()
-                .addHeader("Authorization", auth)
-                .addHeader("Accept", "application/json");
-    }
-
-
-    <T> T call(Request request, JavaType returnType) throws IOException {
-        setClientTimeoutParams(cfg);
-
-        Call call = client.newCall(request);
-        Response response = call.execute();
-
-        try (ResponseBody responseBody = response.body()) {
-            String results = null;
-            if (responseBody != null) {
-                results = responseBody.string();
-            }
-
-            int statusCode = response.code();
-            JiraHttpClient.assertResponseCode(statusCode, results, successCode);
-
-            if (results == null || statusCode == 204) {
-                return null;
-            } else {
-                return MAPPER.readValue(results, returnType);
-            }
-        }
-    }
-
-    private static void setClientTimeoutParams(JiraClientCfg cfg) {
-        client.setConnectTimeout(cfg.connectTimeout(), TimeUnit.SECONDS);
-        client.setReadTimeout(cfg.readTimeout(), TimeUnit.SECONDS);
-        client.setWriteTimeout(cfg.writeTimeout(), TimeUnit.SECONDS);
-    }
-}
diff --git a/tasks/jira/src/main/java/com/walmartlabs/concord/plugins/jira/JiraHttpClientFactory.java b/tasks/jira/src/main/java/com/walmartlabs/concord/plugins/jira/JiraHttpClientFactory.java
deleted file mode 100644
index 51d6d4c4..00000000
--- a/tasks/jira/src/main/java/com/walmartlabs/concord/plugins/jira/JiraHttpClientFactory.java
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,50 +0,0 @@
-package com.walmartlabs.concord.plugins.jira;
-
-/*-
- * *****
- * Concord
- * -----
- * Copyright (C) 2017 - 2024 Walmart Inc., Concord Authors
- * -----
- * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
- * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
- * You may obtain a copy of the License at
- * 
- *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
- * 
- * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
- * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
- * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
- * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
- * limitations under the License.
- * =====
- */
-
-import org.slf4j.Logger;
-import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
-
-public class JiraHttpClientFactory {
-
-    private static final Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(JiraHttpClientFactory.class);
-
-    private JiraHttpClientFactory() {
-        throw new IllegalStateException("instantiation is not allowed");
-    }
-
-    public static JiraHttpClient create(JiraClientCfg cfg) {
-        try {
-            return new NativeJiraHttpClient(cfg);
-        } catch (NoClassDefFoundError e) {
-            // client2 may not exist
-            log.info("Falling back to okhttp client");
-        }
-
-        try {
-            return new JiraClient(cfg);
-        } catch (Exception e) {
-            // that's very unexpected as long as okhttp is still allowed
-            throw new IllegalStateException("No jira http client found");
-        }
-    }
-
-}
diff --git a/tasks/jira/src/main/java/com/walmartlabs/concord/plugins/jira/JiraTaskCommon.java b/tasks/jira/src/main/java/com/walmartlabs/concord/plugins/jira/JiraTaskCommon.java
index abb3a78d..db8c9895 100644
--- a/tasks/jira/src/main/java/com/walmartlabs/concord/plugins/jira/JiraTaskCommon.java
+++ b/tasks/jira/src/main/java/com/walmartlabs/concord/plugins/jira/JiraTaskCommon.java
@@ -495,25 +495,17 @@ JiraHttpClient getClient(TaskParams in) {
             return getNativeClient(in);
         } catch (NoClassDefFoundError e) {
             // client2 may not exist
-            log.info("Falling back to okhttp client");
+            log.info("Error while creating jira http client: {}", e.getMessage());
+            log.info("Add com.walmartlabs.concord.client2 to classpath?");
         }
 
-        try {
-            return getOkHttpClient(in);
-        } catch (Exception | NoClassDefFoundError e) {
-            // that's very unexpected as long as okhttp is still allowed
-            throw new IllegalStateException("No jira http client found");
-        }
+        throw new IllegalStateException("Unexpected error while creating JiraHttpClient.");
     }
 
     JiraHttpClient getNativeClient(TaskParams in) {
         return new NativeJiraHttpClient(in);
     }
 
-    JiraHttpClient getOkHttpClient(TaskParams in) {
-        return new JiraClient(in);
-    }
-
     JiraSecretService getSecretService() {
         return secretService;
     }
diff --git a/tasks/jira/src/test/java/com/walmartlabs/concord/plugins/jira/CommonClientLoaderTest.java b/tasks/jira/src/test/java/com/walmartlabs/concord/plugins/jira/CommonClientLoaderTest.java
index c3e146e4..47226dc3 100644
--- a/tasks/jira/src/test/java/com/walmartlabs/concord/plugins/jira/CommonClientLoaderTest.java
+++ b/tasks/jira/src/test/java/com/walmartlabs/concord/plugins/jira/CommonClientLoaderTest.java
@@ -56,27 +56,15 @@ void testLoadClient() {
     }
 
     @Test
-    void testLoadClientFallback() {
+    void testLoadNotFound() {
         Map<String, Object> input = new HashMap<>();
         input.put("action", "getIssues");
 
         doThrow(new NoClassDefFoundError()).when(delegate).getNativeClient(any());
 
-        var client = delegate.getClient(TaskParams.of(new MapBackedVariables(input), Map.of()));
-        assertInstanceOf(JiraClient.class, client);
-    }
-
-    @Test
-    void testNoClient() {
-        Map<String, Object> input = new HashMap<>();
-        input.put("action", "getIssues");
-
-        doThrow(new NoClassDefFoundError()).when(delegate).getNativeClient(any());
-        doThrow(new NoClassDefFoundError()).when(delegate).getOkHttpClient(any());
-
-        var params = TaskParams.of(new MapBackedVariables(input), Map.of());
+        var ex = assertThrows(IllegalStateException.class,
+                () -> delegate.getClient(TaskParams.of(new MapBackedVariables(input), Map.of())));
 
-        var expected = assertThrows(IllegalStateException.class, () -> delegate.getClient(params));
-        assertTrue(expected.getMessage().contains("No jira http client found"));
+        assertTrue(ex.getMessage().contains("Unexpected error while creating JiraHttpClient"));
     }
 }
diff --git a/tasks/jira/src/test/java/com/walmartlabs/concord/plugins/jira/CommonTest.java b/tasks/jira/src/test/java/com/walmartlabs/concord/plugins/jira/CommonTest.java
index 3642a45c..aeec2505 100644
--- a/tasks/jira/src/test/java/com/walmartlabs/concord/plugins/jira/CommonTest.java
+++ b/tasks/jira/src/test/java/com/walmartlabs/concord/plugins/jira/CommonTest.java
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@
 class CommonTest {
 
     @Mock
-    JiraClient jiraClient;
+    JiraHttpClient jiraClient;
 
     @Mock
     JiraSecretService jiraSecretService;
diff --git a/tasks/jira/src/test/java/com/walmartlabs/concord/plugins/jira/JiraClientTest.java b/tasks/jira/src/test/java/com/walmartlabs/concord/plugins/jira/JiraClientTest.java
index 1e6056b9..e1b8f9c4 100644
--- a/tasks/jira/src/test/java/com/walmartlabs/concord/plugins/jira/JiraClientTest.java
+++ b/tasks/jira/src/test/java/com/walmartlabs/concord/plugins/jira/JiraClientTest.java
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ class JiraClientTest extends AbstractWiremockTest {
 
     @Override
     JiraHttpClient getClient(JiraClientCfg cfg) {
-        return new JiraClient(cfg);
+        return new NativeJiraHttpClient(cfg);
     }
 
 }