diff --git a/baseapp/params.go b/baseapp/params.go
index e584fa3fc6bc..9d6f5dd4611a 100644
--- a/baseapp/params.go
+++ b/baseapp/params.go
@@ -15,12 +15,3 @@ type ParamStore interface {
 	Has(ctx context.Context) (bool, error)
 	Set(ctx context.Context, cp cmtproto.ConsensusParams) error
 }
-
-// AppVersionModifier defines the interface fulfilled by BaseApp
-// which allows getting and setting it's appVersion field. This
-// in turn updates the consensus params that are sent to the
-// consensus engine in EndBlock
-type AppVersionModifier interface {
-	SetAppVersion(context.Context, uint64) error
-	AppVersion(context.Context) (uint64, error)
-}
diff --git a/core/app/app.go b/core/app/app.go
index e77b11dd1400..5bc62bdf1cde 100644
--- a/core/app/app.go
+++ b/core/app/app.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package app
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"time"
 
 	appmodulev2 "cosmossdk.io/core/appmodule/v2"
@@ -64,3 +65,12 @@ type TxResult struct {
 	GasUsed   uint64
 	Codespace string
 }
+
+// VersionModifier defines the interface fulfilled by BaseApp
+// which allows getting and setting it's appVersion field. This
+// in turn updates the consensus params that are sent to the
+// consensus engine in EndBlock
+type VersionModifier interface {
+	SetAppVersion(context.Context, uint64) error
+	AppVersion(context.Context) (uint64, error)
+}
diff --git a/runtime/module.go b/runtime/module.go
index 435515e4cb53..ad8aed2b0935 100644
--- a/runtime/module.go
+++ b/runtime/module.go
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import (
 	reflectionv1 "cosmossdk.io/api/cosmos/reflection/v1"
 	stakingmodulev1 "cosmossdk.io/api/cosmos/staking/module/v1"
 	"cosmossdk.io/core/address"
+	"cosmossdk.io/core/app"
 	"cosmossdk.io/core/appmodule"
 	"cosmossdk.io/core/comet"
 	"cosmossdk.io/core/genesis"
@@ -281,7 +282,7 @@ func ProvideTransientStoreService(key depinject.ModuleKey, app *AppBuilder) stor
 	return transientStoreService{key: storeKey}
 }
 
-func ProvideAppVersionModifier(app *AppBuilder) baseapp.AppVersionModifier {
+func ProvideAppVersionModifier(app *AppBuilder) app.VersionModifier {
 	return app.app
 }
 
diff --git a/x/upgrade/depinject.go b/x/upgrade/depinject.go
index 29fbce81ad16..08d00cdf843f 100644
--- a/x/upgrade/depinject.go
+++ b/x/upgrade/depinject.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 
 	modulev1 "cosmossdk.io/api/cosmos/upgrade/module/v1"
 	"cosmossdk.io/core/address"
+	"cosmossdk.io/core/app"
 	"cosmossdk.io/core/appmodule"
 	"cosmossdk.io/depinject"
 	"cosmossdk.io/depinject/appconfig"
@@ -12,7 +13,6 @@ import (
 	"cosmossdk.io/x/upgrade/keeper"
 	"cosmossdk.io/x/upgrade/types"
 
-	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/baseapp"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/client/flags"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/codec"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/server"
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ type ModuleInputs struct {
 	Environment        appmodule.Environment
 	Cdc                codec.Codec
 	AddressCodec       address.Codec
-	AppVersionModifier baseapp.AppVersionModifier
+	AppVersionModifier app.VersionModifier
 
 	AppOpts servertypes.AppOptions `optional:"true"`
 }
diff --git a/x/upgrade/exported/exported.go b/x/upgrade/exported/exported.go
deleted file mode 100644
index efb73e526839..000000000000
--- a/x/upgrade/exported/exported.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,11 +0,0 @@
-package exported
-
-import (
-	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/baseapp"
-)
-
-// AppVersionModifier defines the interface fulfilled by BaseApp
-// which allows getting and setting it's appVersion field. This
-// in turn updates the consensus params that are sent to the
-// consensus engine in EndBlock
-type AppVersionModifier baseapp.AppVersionModifier
diff --git a/x/upgrade/keeper/keeper.go b/x/upgrade/keeper/keeper.go
index bd957a6de654..e11904e1b4bd 100644
--- a/x/upgrade/keeper/keeper.go
+++ b/x/upgrade/keeper/keeper.go
@@ -14,11 +14,11 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/hashicorp/go-metrics"
 
+	"cosmossdk.io/core/app"
 	"cosmossdk.io/core/appmodule"
 	errorsmod "cosmossdk.io/errors"
 	"cosmossdk.io/store/prefix"
 	storetypes "cosmossdk.io/store/types"
-	xp "cosmossdk.io/x/upgrade/exported"
 	"cosmossdk.io/x/upgrade/types"
 
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/codec"
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ type Keeper struct {
 	skipUpgradeHeights map[int64]bool                  // map of heights to skip for an upgrade
 	cdc                codec.BinaryCodec               // App-wide binary codec
 	upgradeHandlers    map[string]types.UpgradeHandler // map of plan name to upgrade handler
-	versionModifier    xp.AppVersionModifier           // implements setting the protocol version field on BaseApp
+	versionModifier    app.VersionModifier             // implements setting the protocol version field on BaseApp
 	downgradeVerified  bool                            // tells if we've already sanity checked that this binary version isn't being used against an old state.
 	authority          string                          // the address capable of executing and canceling an upgrade. Usually the gov module account
 	initVersionMap     module.VersionMap               // the module version map at init genesis
@@ -48,7 +48,14 @@ type Keeper struct {
 // cdc - the app-wide binary codec
 // homePath - root directory of the application's config
 // vs - the interface implemented by baseapp which allows setting baseapp's protocol version field
-func NewKeeper(env appmodule.Environment, skipUpgradeHeights map[int64]bool, cdc codec.BinaryCodec, homePath string, vs xp.AppVersionModifier, authority string) *Keeper {
+func NewKeeper(
+	env appmodule.Environment,
+	skipUpgradeHeights map[int64]bool,
+	cdc codec.BinaryCodec,
+	homePath string,
+	vs app.VersionModifier,
+	authority string,
+) *Keeper {
 	k := &Keeper{
 		Environment:        env,
 		homePath:           homePath,