diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 3dc5621bd..751bb65b8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Install dependencies
         run: |
-          brew install abseil cmake boost grpc protobuf xtensor
+          brew install cmake boost grpc protobuf xtensor
           brew install pkg-config ninja buf
 
       - name: Setup build directory
@@ -128,7 +128,6 @@ jobs:
               gnupg \
               gpg \
               less \
-              libabsl-dev \
               libboost-all-dev \
               libgrpc++-dev \
               libprotobuf-dev \
@@ -221,7 +220,6 @@ jobs:
               gnupg \
               gpg \
               less \
-              libabsl-dev \
               libboost-all-dev \
               libc-ares-dev \
               libgrpc++-dev \
diff --git a/BUILDING.md b/BUILDING.md
index 5761e57d9..aa9210aad 100644
--- a/BUILDING.md
+++ b/BUILDING.md
@@ -27,15 +27,15 @@ guide, before continuing further.
 The project depends on [CMake](https://cmake.org/) >= 3.25,
 [Boost](https://www.boost.org/) >= 1.74, [gRPC](https://grpc.io/) >=
 1.30.2, [protobuf](https://protobuf.dev/overview/) >= 3.12.4,
-[xtensor](https://github.com/xtensor-stack/xtensor) >= 0.24.3,
-[abseil](https://abseil.io/) and on the transitive dependencies of
+[xtensor](https://github.com/xtensor-stack/xtensor) >= 0.24.3
+and on the transitive dependencies of
 those projects.
 
 You will need to install these required dependencies before building
 the Viam C++ SDK, preferably by way of your system package manager:
 
-- Debian: `apt-get install cmake build-essential libabsl-dev libboost-all-dev libgrpc++-dev libprotobuf-dev libxtensor-dev`
-- MacOS with Homebrew: `brew install abseil cmake boost grpc protobuf xtensor`
+- Debian: `apt-get install cmake build-essential libboost-all-dev libgrpc++-dev libprotobuf-dev libxtensor-dev`
+- MacOS with Homebrew: `brew install cmake boost grpc protobuf xtensor`
 
 There are also several optional or conditionally required dependencies:
 
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 86793541a..ff7e5eb6d 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -317,17 +317,12 @@ add_custom_target(
 )
 
 
-set(VIAMCPPSDK_ABSL_VERSION_MINIMUM)  # Someday?
 set(VIAMCPPSDK_BOOST_VERSION_MINIMUM 1.71)
 set(VIAMCPPSDK_GRPC_VERSION_MINIMUM 1.30.2)
 set(VIAMCPPSDK_PROTOBUF_VERSION_MINIMUM 3.12.4)
 set(VIAMCPPSDK_XTL_VERSION_MINIMUM 0.7.2)
 set(VIAMCPPSDK_XTENSOR_VERSION_MINIMUM 0.24.3)
 
-# Time to find absl. Note that the version min value is currently empty,
-# because absl doesn't use a versioning scheme that works here.
-find_package(absl ${VIAMCPPSDK_ABSL_VERSION_MINIMUM} REQUIRED)
-
 # Time to find `BOOST`.
 find_package(Boost ${VIAMCPPSDK_BOOST_VERSION_MINIMUM} REQUIRED COMPONENTS headers log program_options)
 
diff --git a/conanfile.py b/conanfile.py
index b4fc51bbf..6a03efe24 100644
--- a/conanfile.py
+++ b/conanfile.py
@@ -47,11 +47,11 @@ def requirements(self):
 
         # The SDK supports older grpc and protobuf, but these are the oldest
         # maintained conan packages.
-        self.requires('grpc/[>=1.48.4]', transitive_headers=True)
-        self.requires('protobuf/[>=3.17.1]', transitive_headers=True)
+        self.requires('grpc/[>=1.48.4]')
+        self.requires('protobuf/[>=3.17.1]')
 
         self.requires('xtensor/[>=0.24.3]')
-        self.requires('abseil/[>=20230125.3]', transitive_libs=True)
+        self.requires('abseil/[>=20230125.3]')
 
     def build_requirements(self):
         if self.options.offline_proto_generation:
@@ -94,6 +94,8 @@ def package_info(self):
            if self.settings.os in ["Linux", "FreeBSD"]:
             self.cpp_info.components[component].system_libs = ["pthread"]
 
+        self.cpp_info.components["viamapi"].requires.append("abseil::absl_strings")
+
         if self.settings.os in ["Linux", "FreeBSD"]:
             self.cpp_info.components["viamsdk"].system_libs.extend(["dl", "rt"])
 
@@ -119,8 +121,7 @@ def package_info(self):
             "xtensor::xtensor",
 
             "viamapi",
-            "viam_rust_utils",
-            "abseil::absl_strings",
+            "viam_rust_utils"
         ])
 
         self.cpp_info.components["viamsdk"].frameworks = ["Security"]
diff --git a/etc/docker/base-images/Dockerfile.debian.bookworm b/etc/docker/base-images/Dockerfile.debian.bookworm
index c1b7170be..4d2494cbf 100644
--- a/etc/docker/base-images/Dockerfile.debian.bookworm
+++ b/etc/docker/base-images/Dockerfile.debian.bookworm
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ RUN apt-get -y --no-install-recommends install \
     gnupg \
     gpg \
     less \
-    libabsl-dev \
     libboost-all-dev \
     libgrpc++-dev \
     libprotobuf-dev \
diff --git a/etc/docker/base-images/Dockerfile.debian.bullseye b/etc/docker/base-images/Dockerfile.debian.bullseye
index 104a5f516..225588f83 100644
--- a/etc/docker/base-images/Dockerfile.debian.bullseye
+++ b/etc/docker/base-images/Dockerfile.debian.bullseye
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ RUN apt-get -y --no-install-recommends install \
     gnupg \
     gpg \
     less \
-    libabsl-dev \
     libboost-all-dev \
     libgrpc++-dev \
     libprotobuf-dev \
diff --git a/etc/docker/base-images/Dockerfile.debian.sid b/etc/docker/base-images/Dockerfile.debian.sid
index 156c1b103..e61f1a528 100644
--- a/etc/docker/base-images/Dockerfile.debian.sid
+++ b/etc/docker/base-images/Dockerfile.debian.sid
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ RUN apt-get -y --no-install-recommends install \
     gnupg \
     gpg \
     less \
-    libabsl-dev \
     libboost-all-dev \
     libgrpc++-dev \
     libprotobuf-dev \
diff --git a/etc/docker/base-images/Dockerfile.ubuntu.jammy b/etc/docker/base-images/Dockerfile.ubuntu.jammy
index 0cade8c39..fbb83930e 100644
--- a/etc/docker/base-images/Dockerfile.ubuntu.jammy
+++ b/etc/docker/base-images/Dockerfile.ubuntu.jammy
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ RUN apt-get -y --no-install-recommends install \
     gnupg \
     gpg \
     less \
-    libabsl-dev \
     libboost-all-dev \
     libgrpc++-dev \
     libprotobuf-dev \
diff --git a/src/viam/config/viam-cpp-sdkConfig.cmake.in b/src/viam/config/viam-cpp-sdkConfig.cmake.in
index 4b4a2acf7..2ee214306 100644
--- a/src/viam/config/viam-cpp-sdkConfig.cmake.in
+++ b/src/viam/config/viam-cpp-sdkConfig.cmake.in
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@
 
 include(CMakeFindDependencyMacro)
 
-find_dependency(absl)
-
 find_dependency(Boost @Boost_VERSION_MAJOR@.@Boost_VERSION_MINOR@ COMPONENTS headers log)
 
 if (@gRPC_FOUND@)
diff --git a/src/viam/examples/dial_api_key/example_dial_api_key.cpp b/src/viam/examples/dial_api_key/example_dial_api_key.cpp
index 192c733e9..4c47beffe 100644
--- a/src/viam/examples/dial_api_key/example_dial_api_key.cpp
+++ b/src/viam/examples/dial_api_key/example_dial_api_key.cpp
@@ -9,10 +9,6 @@
 
 #include <boost/optional.hpp>
 #include <boost/program_options.hpp>
-#include <grpcpp/channel.h>
-#include <grpcpp/client_context.h>
-#include <grpcpp/grpcpp.h>
-#include <grpcpp/support/status.h>
 
 #include <viam/sdk/robot/client.hpp>
 #include <viam/sdk/rpc/dial.hpp>
diff --git a/src/viam/examples/modules/complex/proto/buf.lock b/src/viam/examples/modules/complex/proto/buf.lock
index a9e9a6e88..d71d7956b 100644
--- a/src/viam/examples/modules/complex/proto/buf.lock
+++ b/src/viam/examples/modules/complex/proto/buf.lock
@@ -4,5 +4,5 @@ deps:
   - remote: buf.build
     owner: googleapis
     repository: googleapis
-    commit: c0913f24652a4cfc95f77d97443a5005
-    digest: shake256:0ef3248c6235d420fe61f373154adcde6b94e3297f82472b1d8d8c3747240b61b4a10405e2a6f8ac1c98816ac6e690ea7871024aa5ae0e035cd540214667ceed
+    commit: e93e34f48be043dab55be31b4b47f458
+    digest: shake256:93dbe51c27606999eef918360df509485a4d272e79aaed6d0016940379a9b06d316fc5228b7b50cca94bb310f34c5fc5955ce7474f655f0d0a224c4121dda3c1
diff --git a/src/viam/examples/modules/simple/main.cpp b/src/viam/examples/modules/simple/main.cpp
index c19904a57..8ccaf9b40 100644
--- a/src/viam/examples/modules/simple/main.cpp
+++ b/src/viam/examples/modules/simple/main.cpp
@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@
 #include <sstream>
 
 #include <boost/log/trivial.hpp>
-#include <grpcpp/grpcpp.h>
-#include <grpcpp/server_context.h>
 
 #include <viam/sdk/common/exception.hpp>
 #include <viam/sdk/common/proto_value.hpp>
diff --git a/src/viam/examples/modules/tflite/main.cpp b/src/viam/examples/modules/tflite/main.cpp
index b700353f6..44cd8e284 100644
--- a/src/viam/examples/modules/tflite/main.cpp
+++ b/src/viam/examples/modules/tflite/main.cpp
@@ -21,9 +21,6 @@
 #include <sstream>
 #include <stdexcept>
 
-#include <grpcpp/channel.h>
-#include <grpcpp/create_channel.h>
-#include <grpcpp/security/credentials.h>
 #include <tensorflow/lite/c/c_api.h>
 
 #include <viam/sdk/common/proto_value.hpp>
diff --git a/src/viam/sdk/CMakeLists.txt b/src/viam/sdk/CMakeLists.txt
index f1438fcfe..cd7992f2a 100644
--- a/src/viam/sdk/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/viam/sdk/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -236,14 +236,13 @@ target_link_directories(viamsdk
 viamcppsdk_link_viam_api(viamsdk PRIVATE)
 
 target_link_libraries(viamsdk
-  PUBLIC ${VIAMCPPSDK_GRPCXX_LIBRARIES}
-  PUBLIC ${VIAMCPPSDK_GRPC_LIBRARIES}
-  PUBLIC ${VIAMCPPSDK_PROTOBUF_LIBRARIES}
   PUBLIC Boost::headers
   PUBLIC Boost::log
   PUBLIC xtensor
   PRIVATE ${VIAMCPPSDK_GRPCXX_REFLECTION_LIBRARIES}
-  PRIVATE absl::strings
+  PRIVATE ${VIAMCPPSDK_GRPCXX_LIBRARIES}
+  PRIVATE ${VIAMCPPSDK_GRPC_LIBRARIES}
+  PRIVATE ${VIAMCPPSDK_PROTOBUF_LIBRARIES}
   PRIVATE viam_rust_utils
   PRIVATE Threads::Threads
 )
diff --git a/src/viam/sdk/services/private/mlmodel.cpp b/src/viam/sdk/services/private/mlmodel.cpp
index 44d4ff17f..dfc56ec40 100644
--- a/src/viam/sdk/services/private/mlmodel.cpp
+++ b/src/viam/sdk/services/private/mlmodel.cpp
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@
 #include <type_traits>
 #include <utility>
 
-#include <absl/strings/escaping.h>
 #include <boost/variant/get.hpp>
 
 #include <viam/sdk/common/exception.hpp>