diff --git a/api/go.mod b/api/go.mod
index 3ab001257101..349b6f16518f 100644
--- a/api/go.mod
+++ b/api/go.mod
@@ -26,13 +26,3 @@ require (
 	google.golang.org/genproto/googleapis/rpc v0.0.0-20250825161204-c5933d9347a5 // indirect
 	gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.1 // indirect
 )
-
-// Bad imports are sometimes causing attempts to pull that code.
-// This makes the error more explicit.
-replace (
-	go.etcd.io/etcd => ./FORBIDDEN_DEPENDENCY
-	go.etcd.io/etcd/api/v3 => ./FORBIDDEN_DEPENDENCY
-	go.etcd.io/etcd/pkg/v3 => ./FORBIDDEN_DEPENDENCY
-	go.etcd.io/etcd/tests/v3 => ./FORBIDDEN_DEPENDENCY
-	go.etcd.io/etcd/v3 => ./FORBIDDEN_DEPENDENCY
-)
diff --git a/client/v3/go.mod b/client/v3/go.mod
index c10e9e37e741..e18a70ae9fd0 100644
--- a/client/v3/go.mod
+++ b/client/v3/go.mod
@@ -46,12 +46,3 @@ replace (
 	go.etcd.io/etcd/api/v3 => ../../api
 	go.etcd.io/etcd/client/pkg/v3 => ../pkg
 )
-
-// Bad imports are sometimes causing attempts to pull that code.
-// This makes the error more explicit.
-replace (
-	go.etcd.io/etcd => ./FORBIDDEN_DEPENDENCY
-	go.etcd.io/etcd/pkg/v3 => ./FORBIDDEN_DEPENDENCY
-	go.etcd.io/etcd/v3 => ./FORBIDDEN_DEPENDENCY
-	go.etcd.io/tests/v3 => ./FORBIDDEN_DEPENDENCY
-)
diff --git a/etcdctl/go.mod b/etcdctl/go.mod
index 7e985588404d..c3989321df6c 100644
--- a/etcdctl/go.mod
+++ b/etcdctl/go.mod
@@ -54,11 +54,3 @@ replace (
 	go.etcd.io/etcd/client/v3 => ../client/v3
 	go.etcd.io/etcd/pkg/v3 => ../pkg
 )
-
-// Bad imports are sometimes causing attempts to pull that code.
-// This makes the error more explicit.
-replace (
-	go.etcd.io/etcd => ./FORBIDDEN_DEPENDENCY
-	go.etcd.io/etcd/v3 => ./FORBIDDEN_DEPENDENCY
-	go.etcd.io/tests/v3 => ./FORBIDDEN_DEPENDENCY
-)
diff --git a/etcdutl/go.mod b/etcdutl/go.mod
index 0614220c1e5a..215d4428ce68 100644
--- a/etcdutl/go.mod
+++ b/etcdutl/go.mod
@@ -12,14 +12,6 @@ replace (
 	go.etcd.io/etcd/server/v3 => ../server
 )
 
-// Bad imports are sometimes causing attempts to pull that code.
-// This makes the error more explicit.
-replace (
-	go.etcd.io/etcd => ./FORBIDDEN_DEPENDENCY
-	go.etcd.io/etcd/v3 => ./FORBIDDEN_DEPENDENCY
-	go.etcd.io/tests/v3 => ./FORBIDDEN_DEPENDENCY
-)
-
 require (
 	github.com/coreos/go-semver v0.3.1
 	github.com/dustin/go-humanize v1.0.1
diff --git a/pkg/go.mod b/pkg/go.mod
index d3ea4e6eafe5..33171dfd2ef5 100644
--- a/pkg/go.mod
+++ b/pkg/go.mod
@@ -32,14 +32,3 @@ require (
 )
 
 replace go.etcd.io/etcd/client/pkg/v3 => ../client/pkg
-
-// Bad imports are sometimes causing attempts to pull that code.
-// This makes the error more explicit.
-// Etcd contains lots of packages and dependency relationship.
-// Shouldn't import unnecessary dependencies
-replace (
-	go.etcd.io/etcd => ./FORBIDDEN_DEPENDENCY
-	go.etcd.io/etcd/api/v3 => ./FORBIDDEN_DEPENDENCY
-	go.etcd.io/etcd/tests/v3 => ./FORBIDDEN_DEPENDENCY
-	go.etcd.io/etcd/v3 => ./FORBIDDEN_DEPENDENCY
-)
diff --git a/server/go.mod b/server/go.mod
index 983a259becf3..3ac1e83fb094 100644
--- a/server/go.mod
+++ b/server/go.mod
@@ -82,9 +82,3 @@ replace (
 	go.etcd.io/etcd/client/v3 => ../client/v3
 	go.etcd.io/etcd/pkg/v3 => ../pkg
 )
-
-// Bad imports are sometimes causing attempts to pull that code.
-// This makes the error more explicit.
-replace go.etcd.io/etcd => ./FORBIDDEN_DEPENDENCY
-
-replace go.etcd.io/tests/v3 => ./FORBIDDEN_DEPENDENCY
diff --git a/tools/.golangci.yaml b/tools/.golangci.yaml
index 994d9afb3610..98717facf616 100644
--- a/tools/.golangci.yaml
+++ b/tools/.golangci.yaml
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ version: "2"
 linters:
   default: none
   enable: # please keep this alphabetized
+    - depguard # Implement forbidden dependencies
     - errorlint
     - ineffassign
     - nakedret
@@ -17,6 +18,67 @@ linters:
     - usetesting
     - whitespace
   settings:
+    depguard:
+      rules:
+        api:
+          list-mode: lax
+          files:
+            # Check files inside the api module/directory, but skip the server/etcdserver/api
+            # directory. Note that this is configured this way as depguard doesn't support relative
+            # paths.
+            # > Should always prefix a file glob with **/ as files are matched against absolute
+            # > paths.
+            # Refer to: https://github.com/OpenPeeDeeP/depguard?tab=readme-ov-file#config
+            # Could be simplified if they resolve issue: https://github.com/OpenPeeDeeP/depguard/issues/54
+            - '**/api/**/*.go'
+            - '!**/server/etcdserver/api/**/*.go'
+          deny:
+            - pkg: go.etcd.io/etcd/api/v3$
+            - pkg: go.etcd.io/etcd/pkg/v3
+            - pkg: go.etcd.io/etcd/v3
+            - pkg: go.etcd.io/tests/v3
+        client:
+          list-mode: lax
+          files:
+            - "**/client/v3/**/*.go"
+          deny:
+            - pkg: go.etcd.io/etcd/pkg/v3
+            - pkg: go.etcd.io/etcd/v3
+            - pkg: go.etcd.io/tests/v3
+        etcdctl:
+          list-mode: lax
+          files:
+            - "**/etcdctl/**/*.go"
+          deny:
+            - pkg: go.etcd.io/etcd/v3
+            - pkg: go.etcd.io/tests/v3
+        etcdutl:
+          list-mode: lax
+          files:
+            - "**/etcdutl/**/*.go"
+          deny:
+            - pkg: go.etcd.io/etcd/v3
+            - pkg: go.etcd.io/tests/v3
+        server:
+          list-mode: lax
+          files:
+            - "**/server/**/*.go"
+          deny:
+            - pkg: go.etcd.io/etcd/v3
+            - pkg: go.etcd.io/tests/v3
+        pkg:
+          list-mode: lax
+          files:
+            # Check files inside the pkg module/directory, but skip the pkg directories inside
+            # client and the tools/rw-heatmaps modules. Note that this is configured this way as
+            # depguard doesn't support relative paths.
+            - "**/pkg/**/*.go"
+            - "!**/client/pkg/**/*.go"
+            - "!**/tools/rw-heatmaps/pkg/**/*.go"
+          deny:
+            - pkg: go.etcd.io/etcd/api/v3
+            - pkg: go.etcd.io/etcd/v3
+            - pkg: go.etcd.io/tests/v3
     nakedret:
       # Align with https://github.com/alexkohler/nakedret/blob/v1.0.2/cmd/nakedret/main.go#L10
       max-func-lines: 5