diff --git a/changelog/unreleased/kong/balancer_respect_max_retries.yml b/changelog/unreleased/kong/balancer_respect_max_retries.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index 1884ad1ce9f0..000000000000
--- a/changelog/unreleased/kong/balancer_respect_max_retries.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-message: Fix an issue that the actual number of retry times exceeds the `retries` setting.
-type: bugfix
-scope: Core
diff --git a/spec/02-integration/05-proxy/10-balancer/08-retries_spec.lua b/spec/02-integration/05-proxy/10-balancer/08-retries_spec.lua
deleted file mode 100644
index b3245055dfe3..000000000000
--- a/spec/02-integration/05-proxy/10-balancer/08-retries_spec.lua
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,128 +0,0 @@
-local helpers = require "spec.helpers"
-local cjson   = require "cjson"
-
-local function get_log(typ, n)
-  local entries
-  helpers.wait_until(function()
-    local client = assert(helpers.http_client(helpers.mock_upstream_host,
-                                              helpers.mock_upstream_port))
-    local res = client:get("/read_log/" .. typ, {
-      headers = {
-        Accept = "application/json"
-      }
-    })
-    local raw = assert.res_status(200, res)
-    local body = cjson.decode(raw)
-
-    entries = body.entries
-    return #entries > 0
-  end, 10)
-  if n then
-    assert(#entries == n, "expected " .. n .. " log entries, but got " .. #entries)
-  end
-  return entries
-end
-
-for _, strategy in helpers.each_strategy() do
-  describe("Balancer: respect max retries [#" .. strategy .. "]", function()
-    local service
-
-    lazy_setup(function()
-      local bp = helpers.get_db_utils(strategy, {
-        "routes",
-        "services",
-        "plugins",
-      })
-
-      service = bp.services:insert {
-        name            = "retry_service",
-        host            = "127.0.0.1",
-        port            = 62351,
-        retries         = 5,
-      }
-
-      local route = bp.routes:insert {
-        service    = service,
-        paths      = { "/hello" },
-        strip_path = false,
-      }
-
-      bp.plugins:insert {
-        route = { id = route.id },
-        name     = "http-log",
-        config   = {
-          queue = {
-            max_batch_size = 1,
-            max_coalescing_delay = 0.1,
-          },
-          http_endpoint = "http://" .. helpers.mock_upstream_host
-                                    .. ":"
-                                    .. helpers.mock_upstream_port
-                                    .. "/post_log/http"
-        }
-      }
-
-      local fixtures = {
-        http_mock = {}
-      }
-
-      fixtures.http_mock.my_server_block = [[
-        server {
-          listen 0.0.0.0:62351;
-          location /hello {
-            content_by_lua_block {
-              local request_counter = ngx.shared.request_counter
-              local first_request = request_counter:get("first_request")
-              if first_request == nil then
-                request_counter:set("first_request", "yes")
-                ngx.say("hello")
-              else
-                ngx.exit(ngx.HTTP_CLOSE)
-              end
-            }
-          }
-        }
-      ]]
-
-      assert(helpers.start_kong({
-        database   = strategy,
-        nginx_conf = "spec/fixtures/custom_nginx.template",
-        nginx_http_lua_shared_dict = "request_counter 1m",
-      }, nil, nil, fixtures))
-    end)
-
-    lazy_teardown(function()
-      helpers.stop_kong()
-    end)
-
-    it("exceeded limit", function()
-      -- First request should succeed and save connection to upstream in keepalive pool
-      local proxy_client1 = helpers.proxy_client()
-      local res = assert(proxy_client1:send {
-        method = "GET",
-        path = "/hello",
-      })
-
-      assert.res_status(200, res)
-
-      proxy_client1:close()
-
-      -- Second request should failed 1 times and retry 5 times and then return 502
-      local proxy_client2 = helpers.proxy_client()
-
-      res = assert(proxy_client2:send {
-        method = "GET",
-        path = "/hello",
-      })
-
-      assert.res_status(502, res)
-
-      -- wait for the http-log plugin to flush the log
-      ngx.sleep(1)
-
-      local entries = get_log("http", 2)
-      assert.equal(#entries[2].tries, 6)
-      assert.equal(entries[2].upstream_status, "502, 502, 502, 502, 502, 502")
-    end)
-  end)
-end