diff --git a/internal/metrics/metricsbuilder/builder.go b/internal/metrics/metricsbuilder/builder.go
index 502b7a4aa3d..a546afdc0de 100644
--- a/internal/metrics/metricsbuilder/builder.go
+++ b/internal/metrics/metricsbuilder/builder.go
@@ -17,16 +17,13 @@ package metricsbuilder
 
 import (
 	"errors"
-	"expvar"
 	"flag"
-	"log"
 	"net/http"
 
 	"github.com/prometheus/client_golang/prometheus"
 	"github.com/prometheus/client_golang/prometheus/promhttp"
 	"github.com/spf13/viper"
 
-	jexpvar "github.com/jaegertracing/jaeger/internal/metrics/expvar"
 	jprom "github.com/jaegertracing/jaeger/internal/metrics/prometheus"
 	"github.com/jaegertracing/jaeger/pkg/metrics"
 )
@@ -47,14 +44,14 @@ type Builder struct {
 	handler   http.Handler
 }
 
-const expvarDepr = "(deprecated, will be removed after 2024-01-01 or in release v1.53.0, whichever is later) "
+// const expvarDepr = "(deprecated, will be removed after 2024-01-01 or in release v1.53.0, whichever is later) "
 
 // AddFlags adds flags for Builder.
 func AddFlags(flags *flag.FlagSet) {
 	flags.String(
 		metricsBackend,
 		defaultMetricsBackend,
-		"Defines which metrics backend to use for metrics reporting: prometheus, none, or expvar "+expvarDepr)
+		"Defines which metrics backend to use for metrics reporting: prometheus or none")
 	flags.String(
 		metricsHTTPRoute,
 		defaultMetricsRoute,
@@ -78,10 +75,7 @@ func (b *Builder) CreateMetricsFactory(namespace string) (metrics.Factory, error
 		return metricsFactory, nil
 	}
 	if b.Backend == "expvar" {
-		metricsFactory := jexpvar.NewFactory(10).Namespace(metrics.NSOptions{Name: namespace, Tags: nil})
-		b.handler = expvar.Handler()
-		log.Printf("using expvar as metrics backend " + expvarDepr)
-		return metricsFactory, nil
+		return nil, errors.New("expvar metrics backend is deprecated and no longer supported")
 	}
 	if b.Backend == "none" || b.Backend == "" {
 		return metrics.NullFactory, nil
diff --git a/internal/metrics/metricsbuilder/builder_test.go b/internal/metrics/metricsbuilder/builder_test.go
index 565bfadb4dd..a9e253c8195 100644
--- a/internal/metrics/metricsbuilder/builder_test.go
+++ b/internal/metrics/metricsbuilder/builder_test.go
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
 package metricsbuilder
 
 import (
-	"expvar"
 	"flag"
 	"testing"
 
@@ -61,16 +60,6 @@ func TestBuilder(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 		t.FailNow()
 	}
-	assertExpVarCounter := func() {
-		var found expvar.KeyValue
-		expected := "foo.counter"
-		expvar.Do(func(kv expvar.KeyValue) {
-			if kv.Key == expected {
-				found = kv
-			}
-		})
-		assert.Equal(t, expected, found.Key)
-	}
 	testCases := []struct {
 		backend string
 		route   string
@@ -78,12 +67,6 @@ func TestBuilder(t *testing.T) {
 		handler bool
 		assert  func()
 	}{
-		{
-			backend: "expvar",
-			route:   "/",
-			handler: true,
-			assert:  assertExpVarCounter,
-		},
 		{
 			backend: "prometheus",
 			route:   "/",