diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 42f8da8c72..6ef71457a4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -81,27 +81,23 @@ jobs:
 
     - run: ./gradlew clean assemble
 
-    - id: security-plugin-version
-      uses: madhead/read-java-properties@66cc8c88f5c6f6069ebfb42586024dd6ffe2e451
-      with:
-         file: gradle.properties
-         property: security-plugin.version
-
     - uses: actions/setup-java@v1
       with:
         java-version: 11
 
     - run: ./gradlew clean assemble
-    - run: test -s ./build/opensearch-security-${{ steps.security-plugin-version.outputs.value }}-SNAPSHOT.jar
+    - run: |
+        export security_plugin_version=`./gradlew properties -q | grep -E "^version:" | awk '{print $2}'`
+        test -s ./build/opensearch-security-$security_plugin_version.jar
 
     - run: ./gradlew clean assemble -Dbuild.snapshot=false
-    - run: test -s ./build/opensearch-security-${{ steps.security-plugin-version.outputs.value }}.jar
+    - run: test -s ./build/opensearch-security-$security_plugin_version.jar
 
     - run: ./gradlew clean assemble -Dbuild.snapshot=false -Dbuild.version_qualifier=alpha1
-    - run: test -s ./build/opensearch-security-${{ steps.security-plugin-version.outputs.value }}-alpha1.jar
+    - run: test -s ./build/opensearch-security-$security_plugin_version-alpha1.jar
 
     - run: ./gradlew clean assemble -Dbuild.version_qualifier=alpha1
-    - run: test -s ./build/opensearch-security-${{ steps.security-plugin-version.outputs.value }}-alpha1-SNAPSHOT.jar
+    - run: test -s ./build/opensearch-security-$security_plugin_version-alpha1-SNAPSHOT.jar
 
     - name: List files in the build directory if there was an error
       run: ls -al ./build/
diff --git a/.github/workflows/plugin_install.yml b/.github/workflows/plugin_install.yml
index 1f90e7745b..58cf6ff73a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/plugin_install.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/plugin_install.yml
@@ -9,12 +9,6 @@ jobs:
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v2
 
-    - id: opensearch-version
-      uses: madhead/read-java-properties@66cc8c88f5c6f6069ebfb42586024dd6ffe2e451
-      with:
-         file: gradle.properties
-         property: opensearch-core.version
-
     - name: Set up JDK
       uses: actions/setup-java@v1
       with:
@@ -25,7 +19,8 @@ jobs:
 
     - name: Download OpenSearch Core
       run: |
-        wget https://ci.opensearch.org/ci/dbc/distribution-build-opensearch/${{ steps.opensearch-version.outputs.value }}/latest/linux/x64/builds/opensearch/dist/opensearch-min-${{ steps.opensearch-version.outputs.value }}-linux-x64.tar.gz
+        export opensearch_version=`./gradlew properties -q | grep "opensearch_version:" | awk '{print $2}'`
+        wget https://ci.opensearch.org/ci/dbc/distribution-build-opensearch/$opensearch_version/latest/linux/x64/builds/opensearch/dist/opensearch-min-$opensearch_version-linux-x64.tar.gz
         tar -xzf opensearch-*.tar.gz
         rm -f opensearch-*.tar.gz
 
diff --git a/gradle.properties b/gradle.properties
deleted file mode 100644
index e4cbe65dcc..0000000000
--- a/gradle.properties
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-# Sets the version of the Security plugin
-security-plugin.version=2.0.0.0
-# Sets the version of OpenSearch this plugin should be built with
-opensearch-core.version=2.0.0