diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 73ebd4304..2f6d80aa9 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -107,7 +107,6 @@ dependencies {
     implementation "org.opensearch:opensearch:${opensearch_version}"
     implementation 'org.junit.jupiter:junit-jupiter:5.10.0'
     implementation "com.google.guava:guava:32.1.2-jre"
-    implementation 'javax.ws.rs:javax.ws.rs-api:2.1.1'
     api group: 'org.opensearch', name:'opensearch-ml-client', version: "${opensearch_build}"
 
     configurations.all {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/exception/FlowFrameworkException.java b/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/exception/FlowFrameworkException.java
index 4b45292e3..0e05f476d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/exception/FlowFrameworkException.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/exception/FlowFrameworkException.java
@@ -8,14 +8,14 @@
  */
 package org.opensearch.flowframework.exception;
 
-import javax.ws.rs.core.Response;
+import org.opensearch.core.rest.RestStatus;
 
 /**
  * Representation of Flow Framework Exceptions
  */
 public class FlowFrameworkException extends RuntimeException {
 
-    private final Response.Status restStatus;
+    private final RestStatus restStatus;
 
     /**
      * Constructor with error message.
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ public class FlowFrameworkException extends RuntimeException {
      * @param message message of the exception
      * @param restStatus HTTP status code of the response
      */
-    public FlowFrameworkException(String message, Response.Status restStatus) {
+    public FlowFrameworkException(String message, RestStatus restStatus) {
         super(message);
         this.restStatus = restStatus;
     }
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ public FlowFrameworkException(String message, Response.Status restStatus) {
      * @param cause exception cause
      * @param restStatus HTTP status code of the response
      */
-    public FlowFrameworkException(Throwable cause, Response.Status restStatus) {
+    public FlowFrameworkException(Throwable cause, RestStatus restStatus) {
         super(cause);
         this.restStatus = restStatus;
     }
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ public FlowFrameworkException(Throwable cause, Response.Status restStatus) {
      * @param cause exception cause
      * @param restStatus HTTP status code of the response
      */
-    public FlowFrameworkException(String message, Throwable cause, Response.Status restStatus) {
+    public FlowFrameworkException(String message, Throwable cause, RestStatus restStatus) {
         super(message, cause);
         this.restStatus = restStatus;
     }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/indices/GlobalContextHandler.java b/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/indices/GlobalContextHandler.java
index 30c27954e..fe3cc653b 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/indices/GlobalContextHandler.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/indices/GlobalContextHandler.java
@@ -25,12 +25,11 @@
 import org.opensearch.flowframework.model.Template;
 import org.opensearch.flowframework.workflow.CreateIndexStep;
 
-import javax.ws.rs.core.Response;
-
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Map;
 
+import static org.opensearch.core.rest.RestStatus.INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR;
 import static org.opensearch.flowframework.common.CommonValue.GLOBAL_CONTEXT_INDEX;
 import static org.opensearch.flowframework.common.CommonValue.GLOBAL_CONTEXT_INDEX_MAPPING;
 import static org.opensearch.flowframework.workflow.CreateIndexStep.getIndexMappings;
@@ -74,9 +73,7 @@ private void initGlobalContextIndexIfAbsent(ActionListener<Boolean> listener) {
     public void putTemplateToGlobalContext(Template template, ActionListener<IndexResponse> listener) {
         initGlobalContextIndexIfAbsent(ActionListener.wrap(indexCreated -> {
             if (!indexCreated) {
-                listener.onFailure(
-                    new FlowFrameworkException("No response to create global_context index", Response.Status.INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR)
-                );
+                listener.onFailure(new FlowFrameworkException("No response to create global_context index", INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR));
                 return;
             }
             IndexRequest request = new IndexRequest(GLOBAL_CONTEXT_INDEX);
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/workflow/CreateIndexStep.java b/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/workflow/CreateIndexStep.java
index 97c389c41..6b3ff8590 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/workflow/CreateIndexStep.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/workflow/CreateIndexStep.java
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@
  */
 package org.opensearch.flowframework.workflow;
 
-import com.google.common.annotations.VisibleForTesting;
 import com.google.common.base.Charsets;
 import com.google.common.io.Resources;
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.LogManager;
@@ -28,8 +27,6 @@
 import org.opensearch.flowframework.exception.FlowFrameworkException;
 import org.opensearch.flowframework.indices.FlowFrameworkIndex;
 
-import javax.ws.rs.core.Response;
-
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.net.URL;
 import java.util.HashMap;
@@ -38,6 +35,7 @@
 import java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicBoolean;
 
+import static org.opensearch.core.rest.RestStatus.INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR;
 import static org.opensearch.flowframework.common.CommonValue.META;
 import static org.opensearch.flowframework.common.CommonValue.NO_SCHEMA_VERSION;
 import static org.opensearch.flowframework.common.CommonValue.SCHEMA_VERSION_FIELD;
@@ -168,7 +166,7 @@ public void initIndexIfAbsent(FlowFrameworkIndex index, ActionListener<Boolean>
                                                         internalListener.onFailure(
                                                             new FlowFrameworkException(
                                                                 "Failed to update index setting for: " + indexName,
-                                                                Response.Status.INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR
+                                                                INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR
                                                             )
                                                         );
                                                     }
@@ -178,10 +176,7 @@ public void initIndexIfAbsent(FlowFrameworkIndex index, ActionListener<Boolean>
                                                 }));
                                         } else {
                                             internalListener.onFailure(
-                                                new FlowFrameworkException(
-                                                    "Failed to update index: " + indexName,
-                                                    Response.Status.INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR
-                                                )
+                                                new FlowFrameworkException("Failed to update index: " + indexName, INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR)
                                             );
                                         }
                                     }, exception -> {
@@ -227,8 +222,7 @@ public static String getIndexMappings(String mapping) throws IOException {
      * @param newVersion new index mapping version
      * @param listener action listener, if update index is needed, will pass true to its onResponse method
      */
-    @VisibleForTesting
-    protected void shouldUpdateIndex(String indexName, Integer newVersion, ActionListener<Boolean> listener) {
+    private void shouldUpdateIndex(String indexName, Integer newVersion, ActionListener<Boolean> listener) {
         IndexMetadata indexMetaData = clusterService.state().getMetadata().indices().get(indexName);
         if (indexMetaData == null) {
             listener.onResponse(Boolean.FALSE);