diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index def36b00a6..6cbedf7238 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ dependencies {
 	mappings loom.officialMojangMappings()
 	forge "net.minecraftforge:forge:${minecraft_version}-${forge_version}"
 
-	modImplementation "org.embeddedt:embeddium-${minecraft_version}:${embeddium_version}"
+	modCompileOnly "org.embeddedt:embeddium-${minecraft_version}:${embeddium_version}"
 	compileOnly "maven.modrinth:distanthorizons:2.0.1-a-1.20.1"
 
 	forgeRuntimeLibrary(implementation(shadow(project(path: ":glsl-relocated", configuration: "bundledJar")))) {
diff --git a/src/main/resources/META-INF/mods.toml b/src/main/resources/META-INF/mods.toml
index c5b783a1e9..bff076172b 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/META-INF/mods.toml
+++ b/src/main/resources/META-INF/mods.toml
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ side = "BOTH"
 
 [[dependencies.oculus]]
 modId = "embeddium"
-mandatory = true
 versionRange = "[0.2.14,)"
 ordering = "NONE"
 side = "CLIENT"
\ No newline at end of file