diff --git a/gradle/libs.versions.toml b/gradle/libs.versions.toml
index db8a9638..139e7804 100644
--- a/gradle/libs.versions.toml
+++ b/gradle/libs.versions.toml
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ micrometer-docs-gen = { module = "io.micrometer:micrometer-docs-generator", vers
 micrometer-tracing-bom = { module = "io.micrometer:micrometer-tracing-bom", version.ref = "micrometer-tracing" }
 protobuf-java = { module = "com.google.protobuf:protobuf-java", version.ref = "protobuf" }
 pulsar-client-all = { module = "org.apache.pulsar:pulsar-client-all", version.ref = "pulsar" }
+pulsar-client-reactive-api = { module = "org.apache.pulsar:pulsar-client-reactive-api", version.ref = "pulsar-reactive" }
 pulsar-client-reactive-adapter = { module = "org.apache.pulsar:pulsar-client-reactive-adapter", version.ref = "pulsar-reactive" }
 pulsar-client-reactive-producer-cache-caffeine-shaded = { module = "org.apache.pulsar:pulsar-client-reactive-producer-cache-caffeine-shaded", version.ref = "pulsar-reactive" }
 pulsar-functions-api = { module = "org.apache.pulsar:pulsar-functions-api", version.ref = "pulsar" }
diff --git a/spring-pulsar-reactive/spring-pulsar-reactive.gradle b/spring-pulsar-reactive/spring-pulsar-reactive.gradle
index ab5aeb66..e13dab62 100644
--- a/spring-pulsar-reactive/spring-pulsar-reactive.gradle
+++ b/spring-pulsar-reactive/spring-pulsar-reactive.gradle
@@ -6,9 +6,16 @@ description = 'Spring Pulsar Reactive Support'
 
 dependencies {
 	api project (':spring-pulsar')
+	api (libs.pulsar.client.reactive.api) {
+		// spring-pulsar includes a pulsar-client-api with its unwanted transitive deps excluded
+		exclude group: "org.apache.pulsar", module: "pulsar-client-api"
+	}
 	api (libs.pulsar.client.reactive.adapter) {
 		// spring-pulsar includes a pulsar-client with its unwanted transitive deps excluded
 		exclude group: "org.apache.pulsar", module: "pulsar-client"
+		// (above) we include a pulsar-client-reactive-api whose pulsar-client-api with
+		// unwanted transitive deps excluded
+		exclude group: "org.apache.pulsar", module: "pulsar-client-reactive-api"
 	}
 	api(libs.pulsar.client.reactive.producer.cache.caffeine.shaded) {
 		// (above) we include a pulsar-client-reactive-adapter whose pulsar-client with