diff --git a/include/tscore/Ptr.h b/include/tscore/Ptr.h
index 3e934770612..f61bce96d9d 100644
--- a/include/tscore/Ptr.h
+++ b/include/tscore/Ptr.h
@@ -179,8 +179,6 @@ template <class T> class Ptr
 
 private:
   T *m_ptr;
-
-  friend class CoreUtils;
 };
 
 template <typename T>
diff --git a/proxy/hdrs/HdrHeap.h b/proxy/hdrs/HdrHeap.h
index c91b3d2b7c2..2be136c9124 100644
--- a/proxy/hdrs/HdrHeap.h
+++ b/proxy/hdrs/HdrHeap.h
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@ using HdrHeapMarshalBlocks                     = ts::Scalar<HDR_PTR_SIZE>;
 //  to fix the unrolled operations
 static constexpr unsigned HDR_BUF_RONLY_HEAPS = 3;
 
-class CoreUtils;
 class IOBufferBlock;
 
 enum {
@@ -169,8 +168,6 @@ struct StrHeapDesc {
 
 class HdrHeap
 {
-  friend class CoreUtils;
-
 public:
   static constexpr int DEFAULT_SIZE = 2048;
 
diff --git a/proxy/http/HttpSM.h b/proxy/http/HttpSM.h
index da35e36bf1c..8a82ebb8980 100644
--- a/proxy/http/HttpSM.h
+++ b/proxy/http/HttpSM.h
@@ -164,7 +164,6 @@ enum HttpPluginTunnel_t {
   HTTP_PLUGIN_AS_INTERCEPT,
 };
 
-class CoreUtils;
 class PluginVCCore;
 
 class PostDataBuffers
@@ -202,7 +201,6 @@ class PostDataBuffers
 class HttpSM : public Continuation, public PluginUserArgs<TS_USER_ARGS_TXN>
 {
   friend class HttpPagesHandler;
-  friend class CoreUtils;
 
 public:
   HttpSM();
diff --git a/proxy/http/HttpTunnel.h b/proxy/http/HttpTunnel.h
index c6aa9fcb354..ab00edda971 100644
--- a/proxy/http/HttpTunnel.h
+++ b/proxy/http/HttpTunnel.h
@@ -248,7 +248,6 @@ struct HttpTunnelProducer {
 class HttpTunnel : public Continuation
 {
   friend class HttpPagesHandler;
-  friend class CoreUtils;
 
   /** Data for implementing flow control across a tunnel.