diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/376-dashboard-lookup-api-key-deprecation.yml b/changelogs/fragments/376-dashboard-lookup-api-key-deprecation.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a462ffd3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/376-dashboard-lookup-api-key-deprecation.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+---
+removed_features:
+  - removed check and handling of mangled api key in `grafana_dashboard` lookup
diff --git a/plugins/lookup/grafana_dashboard.py b/plugins/lookup/grafana_dashboard.py
index 83ee250f..514d4fd5 100644
--- a/plugins/lookup/grafana_dashboard.py
+++ b/plugins/lookup/grafana_dashboard.py
@@ -152,16 +152,8 @@ def grafana_switch_organisation(self, headers):
 
     def grafana_headers(self):
         headers = {"content-type": "application/json; charset=utf8"}
-        if self.grafana_api_key:
-            api_key = self.grafana_api_key
-            if len(api_key) % 4 == 2:
-                display.deprecated(
-                    "Passing a mangled version of the API key to the grafana_dashboard lookup is no longer necessary and should not be done.",
-                    "2.0.0",
-                    collection_name="community.grafana",
-                )
-                api_key += "=="
-            headers["Authorization"] = "Bearer %s" % api_key
+        if self.grafana_api_key.get("grafana_api_key", None):
+            headers["Authorization"] = "Bearer %s" % self.grafana_api_key
         else:
             headers["Authorization"] = basic_auth_header(
                 self.grafana_user, self.grafana_password