diff --git a/DESCRIPTION b/DESCRIPTION
index dcaf992c7f..3f34454b36 100644
--- a/DESCRIPTION
+++ b/DESCRIPTION
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ Depends:
     R (>= 3.5)
 Imports: 
     cli,
-    glue,
     grDevices,
     grid,
     gtable (>= 0.1.1),
diff --git a/NAMESPACE b/NAMESPACE
index 9068973de0..d6093fe7e9 100644
--- a/NAMESPACE
+++ b/NAMESPACE
@@ -727,8 +727,6 @@ import(gtable)
 import(rlang)
 import(scales)
 import(vctrs)
-importFrom(glue,glue)
-importFrom(glue,glue_collapse)
 importFrom(grid,arrow)
 importFrom(grid,unit)
 importFrom(lifecycle,deprecated)
diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index ce5f733099..381ba4c097 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 # ggplot2 (development version)
 
+* ggplot2 no longer imports {glue} (@teunbrand, #5986).
 * `geom_rect()` can now derive the required corners positions from `x`/`width`
   or `y`/`height` parameterisation (@teunbrand, #5861).
 * All position scales now use the same definition of `x` and `y` aesthetics.
diff --git a/R/aes-evaluation.R b/R/aes-evaluation.R
index e128fd2c15..4c682e3f63 100644
--- a/R/aes-evaluation.R
+++ b/R/aes-evaluation.R
@@ -231,9 +231,9 @@ is_calculated <- function(x, warn = FALSE) {
   } else if (is.symbol(x)) {
     res <- is_dotted_var(as.character(x))
     if (res && warn) {
-      what <- I(glue("The dot-dot notation (`{x}`)"))
+      what <- I(paste0("The dot-dot notation (`", x, "`)"))
       var <- gsub(match_calculated_aes, "\\1", as.character(x))
-      with <- I(glue("`after_stat({var})`"))
+      with <- I(paste0("`after_stat(", var, ")`"))
       deprecate_warn0("3.4.0", what, with, id = "ggplot-warn-aes-dot-dot")
     }
     res
@@ -242,9 +242,9 @@ is_calculated <- function(x, warn = FALSE) {
   } else if (is.call(x)) {
     if (identical(x[[1]], quote(stat))) {
       if (warn) {
-        what <- I(glue("`{expr_deparse(x)}`"))
+        what <- I(paste0("`", expr_deparse(x), "`"))
         x[[1]] <- quote(after_stat)
-        with <- I(glue("`{expr_deparse(x)}`"))
+        with <- I(paste0("`", expr_deparse(x), "`"))
         deprecate_warn0("3.4.0", what, with, id = "ggplot-warn-aes-stat")
       }
       TRUE
diff --git a/R/fortify.R b/R/fortify.R
index 0e0b67516d..3a61e3ce49 100644
--- a/R/fortify.R
+++ b/R/fortify.R
@@ -74,21 +74,21 @@ validate_as_data_frame <- function(data) {
 
 #' @export
 fortify.default <- function(model, data, ...) {
-  msg0 <- paste0(
-    "{{.arg data}} must be a {{.cls data.frame}}, ",
-    "or an object coercible by {{.fn fortify}}, or a valid ",
-    "{{.cls data.frame}}-like object coercible by {{.fn as.data.frame}}"
+  msg <- paste0(
+    "{.arg data} must be a {.cls data.frame}, ",
+    "or an object coercible by {.fn fortify}, or a valid ",
+    "{.cls data.frame}-like object coercible by {.fn as.data.frame}"
   )
   if (inherits(model, "uneval")) {
     msg <- c(
-      glue(msg0, ", not {obj_type_friendly(model)}."),
+      paste0(msg, ", not ", obj_type_friendly(model), "."),
       "i" = "Did you accidentally pass {.fn aes} to the {.arg data} argument?"
     )
     cli::cli_abort(msg)
   }
-  msg0 <- paste0(msg0, ". ")
+  msg <- paste0(msg, ".")
   try_fetch(
     validate_as_data_frame(model),
-    error = function(cnd) cli::cli_abort(glue(msg0), parent = cnd)
+    error = function(cnd) cli::cli_abort(msg, parent = cnd)
   )
 }
diff --git a/R/ggplot2-package.R b/R/ggplot2-package.R
index 539f03db97..46c1b334f0 100644
--- a/R/ggplot2-package.R
+++ b/R/ggplot2-package.R
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 
 ## usethis namespace: start
 #' @import scales grid gtable rlang vctrs
-#' @importFrom glue glue glue_collapse
 #' @importFrom lifecycle deprecated
 #' @importFrom stats setNames
 #' @importFrom utils head tail
diff --git a/R/labels.R b/R/labels.R
index 66401683cb..d617bd9238 100644
--- a/R/labels.R
+++ b/R/labels.R
@@ -205,10 +205,11 @@ get_alt_text.gtable <- function(p, ...) {
 generate_alt_text <- function(p) {
   # Combine titles
   if (!is.null(p$label$title %||% p$labels$subtitle)) {
-    title <- glue(glue_collapse(
-      sub("\\.?$", "", c(p$labels$title, p$labels$subtitle)),
-      last = ": "
-    ), ". ")
+    title <- sub("\\.?$", "", c(p$labels$title, p$labels$subtitle))
+    if (length(title) == 2) {
+      title <- paste0(title[1], ": ", title[2])
+    }
+    title <- paste0(title, ". ")
     title <- safe_string(title)
   } else {
     title <- ""
@@ -216,29 +217,24 @@ generate_alt_text <- function(p) {
 
 
   # Get axes descriptions
-  axes <- glue(" showing ", glue_collapse(
-    c(scale_description(p, "x"), scale_description(p, "y")),
-    last = " and "
-  ))
+  axes <- paste0(" showing ", scale_description(p, "x"), " and ", scale_description(p, "y"))
   axes <- safe_string(axes)
 
   # Get layer types
   layers <- vapply(p$layers, function(l) snake_class(l$geom), character(1))
   layers <- sub("_", " ", sub("^geom_", "", unique0(layers)))
-  layers <- glue(
-    " using ",
-    if (length(layers) == 1) "a " else "",
-    glue_collapse(layers, sep = ", ", last = " and "),
-    " layer",
-    if (length(layers) == 1) "" else "s"
-  )
+  if (length(layers) == 1) {
+    layers <- paste0(" using a ", layers, " layer")
+  } else {
+    layers <- paste0(" using ", oxford_comma(layers), " layers")
+  }
   layers <- safe_string(layers)
 
   # Combine
-  alt <- glue_collapse(
-    c(glue("{title}A plot{axes}{layers}"), p$labels$alt_insight),
-    last = ". "
-  )
+  alt <- paste0(title, "A plot", axes, layers, ".")
+  if (!is.null(p$labels$alt_insight)) {
+    alt <- paste0(alt, " ", p$labels$alt_insight)
+  }
   as.character(alt)
 }
 safe_string <- function(string) {
@@ -258,5 +254,5 @@ scale_description <- function(p, name) {
   if (is.null(lab)) {
     return(NULL)
   }
-  glue("{lab} on {type} {name}-axis")
+  paste0(lab, " on ", type, " ", name, "-axis")
 }
diff --git a/tests/testthat/_snaps/labels.md b/tests/testthat/_snaps/labels.md
index 8c673cfe11..87b2cb4fe2 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/_snaps/labels.md
+++ b/tests/testthat/_snaps/labels.md
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
     Code
       get_alt_text(p)
     Output
-      [1] "A plot showing class on the x-axis and count on the y-axis using a bar layer"
+      [1] "A plot showing class on the x-axis and count on the y-axis using a bar layer."
 
 # plot.tag.position rejects invalid input