diff --git a/lib/rdoc/code_object/context/section.rb b/lib/rdoc/code_object/context/section.rb
index ff4d5a60d8..16b778174f 100644
--- a/lib/rdoc/code_object/context/section.rb
+++ b/lib/rdoc/code_object/context/section.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 # frozen_string_literal: true
 require 'cgi/escape'
+require 'cgi/util' unless defined?(CGI::EscapeExt)
 
 ##
 # A section of documentation like:
diff --git a/lib/rdoc/code_object/method_attr.rb b/lib/rdoc/code_object/method_attr.rb
index 3dd60719d0..16779fa918 100644
--- a/lib/rdoc/code_object/method_attr.rb
+++ b/lib/rdoc/code_object/method_attr.rb
@@ -283,6 +283,7 @@ def block_params=(value)
 
   def html_name
     require 'cgi/escape'
+    require 'cgi/util' unless defined?(CGI::EscapeExt)
 
     CGI.escape(@name.gsub('-', '-2D')).gsub('%', '-').sub(/^-/, '')
   end
diff --git a/lib/rdoc/markup/to_html.rb b/lib/rdoc/markup/to_html.rb
index d7de9a3ff8..b036dbe53f 100644
--- a/lib/rdoc/markup/to_html.rb
+++ b/lib/rdoc/markup/to_html.rb
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 # frozen_string_literal: true
 require 'cgi/escape'
-# For CGI.unescape on earlier rubies
-require 'cgi/util' if RUBY_VERSION < '3.5'
+require 'cgi/util' unless defined?(CGI::EscapeExt)
 
 ##
 # Outputs RDoc markup as HTML.
diff --git a/lib/rdoc/markup/to_label.rb b/lib/rdoc/markup/to_label.rb
index 3982d22083..9d6d5cc324 100644
--- a/lib/rdoc/markup/to_label.rb
+++ b/lib/rdoc/markup/to_label.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 # frozen_string_literal: true
 require 'cgi/escape'
+require 'cgi/util' unless defined?(CGI::EscapeExt)
 
 ##
 # Creates HTML-safe labels suitable for use in id attributes.  Tidylinks are