diff --git a/grails-gradle/plugins/src/main/groovy/org/grails/gradle/plugin/core/GrailsGradlePlugin.groovy b/grails-gradle/plugins/src/main/groovy/org/grails/gradle/plugin/core/GrailsGradlePlugin.groovy
index f703759babf..be8125241ab 100644
--- a/grails-gradle/plugins/src/main/groovy/org/grails/gradle/plugin/core/GrailsGradlePlugin.groovy
+++ b/grails-gradle/plugins/src/main/groovy/org/grails/gradle/plugin/core/GrailsGradlePlugin.groovy
@@ -23,13 +23,9 @@ import javax.inject.Inject
 import groovy.transform.CompileDynamic
 import groovy.transform.CompileStatic
 
-import org.gradle.api.DefaultTask
-import org.gradle.api.attributes.AttributeMatchingStrategy
-
-import io.spring.gradle.dependencymanagement.DependencyManagementPlugin
-import io.spring.gradle.dependencymanagement.dsl.DependencyManagementExtension
 import org.apache.tools.ant.filters.EscapeUnicode
 import org.apache.tools.ant.filters.ReplaceTokens
+import org.gradle.api.DefaultTask
 import org.gradle.api.GradleException
 import org.gradle.api.NamedDomainObjectProvider
 import org.gradle.api.Plugin
@@ -39,11 +35,11 @@ import org.gradle.api.artifacts.Configuration
 import org.gradle.api.artifacts.Dependency
 import org.gradle.api.artifacts.DependencyResolveDetails
 import org.gradle.api.artifacts.DependencySet
+import org.gradle.api.attributes.AttributeMatchingStrategy
 import org.gradle.api.file.DuplicatesStrategy
 import org.gradle.api.file.FileCollection
 import org.gradle.api.file.RegularFile
 import org.gradle.api.plugins.ExtraPropertiesExtension
-import org.gradle.api.plugins.GroovyPlugin
 import org.gradle.api.provider.Provider
 import org.gradle.api.tasks.AbstractCopyTask
 import org.gradle.api.tasks.JavaExec
@@ -57,6 +53,8 @@ import org.gradle.language.jvm.tasks.ProcessResources
 import org.gradle.process.JavaForkOptions
 import org.gradle.tooling.provider.model.ToolingModelBuilderRegistry
 
+import io.spring.gradle.dependencymanagement.DependencyManagementPlugin
+import io.spring.gradle.dependencymanagement.dsl.DependencyManagementExtension
 import org.springframework.boot.gradle.dsl.SpringBootExtension
 import org.springframework.boot.gradle.plugin.ResolveMainClassName
 import org.springframework.boot.gradle.plugin.SpringBootPlugin
@@ -86,7 +84,7 @@ import org.grails.io.support.FactoriesLoaderSupport
  * @author Graeme Rocher
  */
 @CompileStatic
-class GrailsGradlePlugin extends GroovyPlugin {
+class GrailsGradlePlugin implements Plugin<Project> {
 
     public static final String APPLICATION_CONTEXT_COMMAND_CLASS = 'grails.dev.commands.ApplicationCommand'
 
@@ -101,6 +99,9 @@ class GrailsGradlePlugin extends GroovyPlugin {
     }
 
     void apply(Project project) {
+
+        project.pluginManager.apply('groovy')
+
         // validate that only an app or a plugin is registered, and never both
         OnlyOneGrailsPlugin marker = (OnlyOneGrailsPlugin) project.getExtensions().findByName(OnlyOneGrailsPlugin.name)
         if (marker) {
@@ -111,10 +112,6 @@ class GrailsGradlePlugin extends GroovyPlugin {
         // reset the environment to ensure it is resolved again for each invocation
         Environment.reset()
 
-        if (!project.tasks.names.contains('compileGroovy')) {
-            super.apply(project)
-        }
-
         excludeDependencies(project)
 
         configureProfile(project)
diff --git a/grails-gradle/plugins/src/main/groovy/org/grails/gradle/plugin/views/gsp/GroovyPagePlugin.groovy b/grails-gradle/plugins/src/main/groovy/org/grails/gradle/plugin/views/gsp/GroovyPagePlugin.groovy
index b0527c2f80f..32552c62b65 100644
--- a/grails-gradle/plugins/src/main/groovy/org/grails/gradle/plugin/views/gsp/GroovyPagePlugin.groovy
+++ b/grails-gradle/plugins/src/main/groovy/org/grails/gradle/plugin/views/gsp/GroovyPagePlugin.groovy
@@ -46,6 +46,12 @@ class GroovyPagePlugin implements Plugin<Project> {
 
     @Override
     void apply(Project project) {
+        project.pluginManager.withPlugin('groovy') {
+            configureProject(project)
+        }
+    }
+
+    private void configureProject(Project project) {
         TaskContainer tasks = project.tasks
 
         project.configurations.register('gspCompile')
diff --git a/grails-gsp/grails-layout/build.gradle b/grails-gsp/grails-layout/build.gradle
index ce8c5a4e37f..0d1abfaa2a2 100644
--- a/grails-gsp/grails-layout/build.gradle
+++ b/grails-gsp/grails-layout/build.gradle
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@
  *  under the License.
  */
 plugins {
-    id 'groovy'
     id 'java-library'
     id 'project-report'
     id 'org.apache.grails.buildsrc.properties'
diff --git a/grails-test-examples/cache/build.gradle b/grails-test-examples/cache/build.gradle
index eded39cad51..2e5d4188be6 100644
--- a/grails-test-examples/cache/build.gradle
+++ b/grails-test-examples/cache/build.gradle
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
  */
 
 plugins {
-    id 'groovy'
     id 'org.apache.grails.buildsrc.properties'
     id 'org.apache.grails.buildsrc.compile'
 }
diff --git a/grails-test-examples/external-configuration/build.gradle b/grails-test-examples/external-configuration/build.gradle
index 20281d4671c..da91d9e7b53 100644
--- a/grails-test-examples/external-configuration/build.gradle
+++ b/grails-test-examples/external-configuration/build.gradle
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ plugins {
     id 'org.apache.grails.buildsrc.compile'
 }
 
-apply plugin: 'groovy'
 apply plugin: 'org.apache.grails.gradle.grails-web'
 
 version = '0.1'
diff --git a/grails-test-examples/geb-gebconfig/build.gradle b/grails-test-examples/geb-gebconfig/build.gradle
index 2ebe7428932..59a45c93b9b 100644
--- a/grails-test-examples/geb-gebconfig/build.gradle
+++ b/grails-test-examples/geb-gebconfig/build.gradle
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
  */
 
 plugins {
-    id 'groovy'
     id 'org.apache.grails.buildsrc.properties'
     id 'org.apache.grails.buildsrc.compile'
 }
diff --git a/grails-test-examples/geb/build.gradle b/grails-test-examples/geb/build.gradle
index 55526a65f3d..cc98dddcd24 100644
--- a/grails-test-examples/geb/build.gradle
+++ b/grails-test-examples/geb/build.gradle
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@
  *  under the License.
  */
 plugins {
-    id 'groovy'
     id 'org.apache.grails.buildsrc.properties'
     id 'org.apache.grails.buildsrc.compile'
 }
diff --git a/grails-test-examples/mongodb/base/build.gradle b/grails-test-examples/mongodb/base/build.gradle
index 014d4ced574..d5d9c468338 100644
--- a/grails-test-examples/mongodb/base/build.gradle
+++ b/grails-test-examples/mongodb/base/build.gradle
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ plugins {
 version = projectVersion
 group = 'examples'
 
-apply plugin: 'groovy'
 apply plugin: 'org.apache.grails.gradle.grails-web'
 apply plugin: 'cloud.wondrify.asset-pipeline'
 
diff --git a/grails-test-examples/mongodb/database-per-tenant/build.gradle b/grails-test-examples/mongodb/database-per-tenant/build.gradle
index be074be73ca..09dca340857 100644
--- a/grails-test-examples/mongodb/database-per-tenant/build.gradle
+++ b/grails-test-examples/mongodb/database-per-tenant/build.gradle
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ plugins {
 version = projectVersion
 group = 'examples.mongo.tenant'
 
-apply plugin: 'groovy'
 apply plugin: 'org.apache.grails.gradle.grails-web'
 apply plugin: 'cloud.wondrify.asset-pipeline'
 
diff --git a/grails-test-examples/mongodb/gson-templates/build.gradle b/grails-test-examples/mongodb/gson-templates/build.gradle
index 615c7fa8b1c..618181b4d9b 100644
--- a/grails-test-examples/mongodb/gson-templates/build.gradle
+++ b/grails-test-examples/mongodb/gson-templates/build.gradle
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ plugins {
 version = projectVersion
 group = 'examples'
 
-apply plugin: 'groovy'
 apply plugin: 'org.apache.grails.gradle.grails-web'
 apply plugin: 'cloud.wondrify.asset-pipeline'
 
diff --git a/grails-test-examples/mongodb/hibernate5/build.gradle b/grails-test-examples/mongodb/hibernate5/build.gradle
index d6b5189ad50..357e8492ec8 100644
--- a/grails-test-examples/mongodb/hibernate5/build.gradle
+++ b/grails-test-examples/mongodb/hibernate5/build.gradle
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ plugins {
 version = projectVersion
 group = 'examples'
 
-apply plugin: 'groovy'
 apply plugin: 'org.apache.grails.gradle.grails-web'
 apply plugin: 'cloud.wondrify.asset-pipeline'
 
diff --git a/grails-test-examples/mongodb/test-data-service/build.gradle b/grails-test-examples/mongodb/test-data-service/build.gradle
index 5676de1ea26..abcc8cdb90a 100644
--- a/grails-test-examples/mongodb/test-data-service/build.gradle
+++ b/grails-test-examples/mongodb/test-data-service/build.gradle
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ plugins {
 version = projectVersion
 group = 'examples'
 
-apply plugin: 'groovy'
 apply plugin: 'org.apache.grails.gradle.grails-web'
 
 dependencies {
diff --git a/grails-test-examples/scaffolding/build.gradle b/grails-test-examples/scaffolding/build.gradle
index 89b6779c934..830c66e7ea5 100644
--- a/grails-test-examples/scaffolding/build.gradle
+++ b/grails-test-examples/scaffolding/build.gradle
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
  */
 
 plugins {
-    id 'groovy'
     id 'org.apache.grails.buildsrc.properties'
     id 'org.apache.grails.gradle.grails-gsp'
     id 'org.apache.grails.gradle.grails-web'
diff --git a/grails-test-examples/views-functional-tests/build.gradle b/grails-test-examples/views-functional-tests/build.gradle
index 369919c05cc..61115167424 100644
--- a/grails-test-examples/views-functional-tests/build.gradle
+++ b/grails-test-examples/views-functional-tests/build.gradle
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
  */
 
 plugins {
-    id 'groovy'
     id 'org.apache.grails.buildsrc.properties'
     id 'org.apache.grails.gradle.grails-gsp'
     id 'org.apache.grails.gradle.grails-web'