diff --git a/grails-web-mvc/build.gradle b/grails-web-mvc/build.gradle
index 6470aa4ade6..7fa0ce3f366 100644
--- a/grails-web-mvc/build.gradle
+++ b/grails-web-mvc/build.gradle
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ dependencies {
     api project(":grails-web-common"),
             project(":grails-web-url-mappings")
 
-    api "org.grails:grails-web-sitemesh:$gspVersion", {
+    compileOnly "org.grails:grails-web-sitemesh:$gspVersion", {
         exclude group:'org.grails', module:'grails-web-common'
     }
 }
diff --git a/grails-web/build.gradle b/grails-web/build.gradle
index 6897bbaba71..759efcdc756 100644
--- a/grails-web/build.gradle
+++ b/grails-web/build.gradle
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ dependencies {
         exclude group:'org.grails', module:'grails-encoder'
         exclude group:'org.grails', module:'grails-web-common'
     }
-    api "org.grails:grails-web-sitemesh:$gspVersion", {
+    compileOnly "org.grails:grails-web-sitemesh:$gspVersion", {
         exclude group:'org.grails', module:'grails-core'
         exclude group:'org.grails', module:'grails-encoder'
         exclude group:'org.grails', module:'grails-web-common'